Washington State’s Pacific Ocean beaches are basically split up into two areas.  We have split them into north and south.  The reason is twofold; first, that the two areas are physically separated by over 50 miles of driving along Willapa Bay and secondly, because they are distinctively different areas in terms of both geography and accommodations.

The northern beaches in Washington State along the Pacific Ocean are rugged and rocky with a few exceptions like La Push, Kalaloch, some of the beaches along North Beach, Ocean Shores and the Cranberry Peninsula which have wide sandy beaches.
Washington’s northern Pacific beaches could be split into three areas, the far north which is mainly made up of the Olympic National Park’s ocean beaches with a couple of tribal areas thrown in.

The central area, called the North Beach area, made up of the area from Grays Harbor north to the Quinault Indian Reservation.  This area includes Ocean Shores and the area up to coast from Ocean Shores.

And last but not least, the area to the south of Grays Harbor, The Cranberry Coast, which lies between Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor.  Westport, Grayland, and Tokeland are located on the Cranberry Peninsula.  The area gets its name from the Cranberry Bogs on the peninsula.

The southern beaches are on the Long Beach Peninsula.