Ocean City State Park – state parks quest #28

When my friend Analog Girl texted to say she’d be in Ocean Shores for a couple of nights, we decided to meet for some pandemic outdoor socializing at Ocean City State Park.

We parked at the campground and walked through a misty forest onto a short beach path lined with dune grass and stout shore pines. Typical for midsummer, the sky was gray and the wind stiff. The beach is so wide that not only could we stay more than six feet apart, we could easily avoid everyone else on the beach. We headed north for a mile or two, passing the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino and private homes, half-shouting at each other over the wind. 

A few other families were braving the elements (Washingtonians have a “we’re here and we’re going to the beach regardless of weather” attitude), and we spotted a group of equestrians riding horses on the sand. We also saw a few cars.

Beach driving

Ocean City State Park is a great place to do something that still blows my mind when I see it: drive on the beach. Beach driving is a thing, and where beaches are wide and flat, driving right onto the hard-packed sand is an easy way to get your gear, your food, and your family set up quickly for the day. Of course there are rules, including a 25mph speed limit and a prohibition on driving except on hard-packed sand areas. Fishtailing, circling, figure eights, racing, driving in the surf, and generally driving in a dangerous manner are no-nos. And though you can park on the beach while you’re there, camping and parking overnight are not allowed.

Many Washington beaches are closed to motorized vehicles between April 15 and Labor Day. Ocean City is not one of them, though. Although there is no vehicle access to the beach from the state park, drivers can enter the beach less than a mile south of the park at the Ocean Shores Beach Access. There are access roads further south, too.

A public highway and Seashore Conservation Area

The only state park on the north spit of Grays Harbor, the beach at Ocean City is part of the Seashore Conservation Area, established by the legislature in 1967 to preserve coastal beaches for public recreation in response to growing demand. The beach is also a public highway under Washington law. Both the conservation area and the highway are administered by Washington State Parks. The act creating the Seashore Conservation Area was clear: “all forms of public recreation shall be permitted and encouraged.” So while I think of beach recreation as building sand castles, flying kites, surf fishing, and clamming, those are just the prosaic tip of the recreational iceberg, or in this case sand dune. 

Wind- or sand-sailers are allowed, but parasails, hovercraft, powered parasails, ultra-light aircraft, and powered hang gliders generally are not. Nude sunbathing and fireworks are verboten, as are ATVs. Some beaches allow metal detecting, prospecting, and small-scale placer mining. Geochaching requires a permit. Wheeled dogsledding is apparently a thing and permitted at Ocean City. In other words, the Seashore Conservation Area has a lot of recreation options, within limits. Be sure to check the rules of the specific park you’re visiting before you go. You wouldn’t want to haul your wheeled dogsled and sled dogs to the beach for naught.

Pond trail

Crusted with salt spray and ready for a respite from the wind, we hopped on kick scooters that Analog Girl had brought along and rode past the campground loops to the other side of the park, where we’d seen a trail near the entrance. We stashed the scooters under a shrub and explored a short interpretive trail that followed the side of one of the park’s freshwater ponds, listening to birds in the undergrowth and enjoying the quiet.

The north bay area has a lot of wetlands, and Ocean City is no exception. The campgrounds here sometimes flood in winter, and the sandy ground has plenty of spongy areas. Across Highway 115, just on the far side of the nature trail, the Washington Department of Natural Resources manages the 1200-acre North Bay Natural Area Preserve. While it has no public access, it does extend the freshwater coastal habitat beyond the state park for plants and animals, including the Makah copper butterfly and Olympic mudminnow, and protects important sphagnum bog areas.

I suspect most people visit Ocean City State Park for its large campground and beach access. It’s a great park to set up a base camp for exploring the northern Grays Harbor area. Enjoy the beach, then head into Ocean Shores for an al fresco lunch. We did.

Fast facts about Ocean City State Park

• 257-acre, year-round camping park
• Discover Pass required, $10 daily or, for a very reasonable $30 per year, buy one.
• Clamming, freshwater fishing, beach exploration, wildlife viewing, birdwatching
• Beach driving
• Interpretive trail, amphitheater
• 149 tent campsites, 29 utility sites (max site length 50’), two group campsites, reserve online or by calling 888-CAMPOUT
• Dump station, restrooms, and showers
• 14 picnic tables, four of which are sheltered
• Horse rentals and moped rentals nearby
• Park brochure
• Park map

---