5 Best Things to Do in Ocean Shores, WA

By VI Staff on August 26, 2020 - Updated

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Ocean Shores is a small charming coastal city in Gray’s Harbor County, Washington State. It’s known for a beautiful long sandy beach surrounded by low dunes and a network of lakes and waterways. The pine trees behind the dunes in the Ocean City State Park serve as a protected area for migratory birds. The best place to learn about the history, natural and man-made, of Ocean Shores is the interactive Coastal Interpretive Center. Ocean Shores Convention Center organizes a range of events and hosts festivals and gatherings, indoor and outdoor. Pearl Ranch offers fascinating romantic horseback rides on the Ocean Shores Beach. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.

1.Coastal Interpretive Center

The Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores, Washington is a fascinating place to learn about the history and ecology of Washington coast (both a natural and man-made environment). The center is a non-profit organization run by volunteers who offer tours of the center’s numerous displays. There are Native American artifacts, basketry, rock identification tables, collections of shells and whalebones, Japanese tsunami debris that has washed up on local shores, and information about Ocean Shores and its history. Galleries with displays on natural history focus on seabirds, local wildlife, and marine life such as the Orca whales that live in the waters around San Juan Islands. Many of the displays, especially ones in the Children’s Room, are hands-on. Outside the Center the S.S. Catala is tied up at the Marina and used as a hotel.

1033 Catala Ave SE, Ocean Shores, WA 98569, Phone: 360-289-4617

2.Ocean Shores Convention Center

The only Washington State ocean-side Convention Center, a block from eight-mile long sandy beach, Ocean Shores Convention Center is a 29,900 square-foot facility designed to accommodate groups from 30 to 1,000 people. It has 16,900 square feet of flexible meeting space, adjustable room configurations, breakout meeting rooms, catering and food service and all other meeting needs. The Center offers state-of-the-art communications and audio-visual equipment. With Ocean Shores temperate climate, the Center is also an ideal venue for outdoor events. Every year, the Center hosts a range of popular events from arts and craft festivals and motorcycle expositions to music festivals and sand castle building competitions.

120 W Chance a La Mer NW, Ocean Shores, WA 98569, Phone: 360-289-4411

3.Griffiths - Priday State Park

Located on Copalis River Spit in Southwest Washington, Griffiths-Priday State Park is a popular destination for walkers. The low sand dunes between Conner Creek and the Copalis River are protected as a wildlife refuge. There is a nice picnic area with tables and benches. A trail that starts behind the picnic area winds along Conner Creek through the dunes covered in grass for about a mile. Hikers can spot bald eagles from several perches on the dunes. Besides the expansive Copalis Beach, there is a smaller private beach north of Conner Creek outlet that is perfect for walking along crashing surf all the way to the end of the spit, where Copalis River spills into the ocean. On a clear day, visitors can see Copalis Rock sticking out of the Pacific. The park is also popular for fishing, clam digging, mountain biking, beachcombing, and wildlife viewing – at the right season it is possible to spot migratory gray whales.

Ocean Shores, WA 98569, Phone: 360-902-8844

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4.Honey Pearl Ranch

Honey Pearl Ranch is a family-run and owned horseback riding ranch that offers horse rides on the long, sandy beach in Ocean Shores. They provide mild-tempered, healthy horses that are matched for each rider. All rides start and end on the Ocean Shore Beach behind Shilo Inn. Rides are slow and easy and suitable for riders with no experience. Children older than seven are allowed on their own horse. Each group is accompanied by experienced wranglers or horse trainers. The experience of splashing through waves on the back of a horse is incredibly romantic. The views of the ocean are spectacular, especially as sunset approaches and colors the world in breathtaking beauty.

Ocean Shores, WA 98569, Phone: 360-209-0332

5.Galway Bay Irish Pub

Galway Bay Irish Pub is a quirky, colorful old-world tavern in Ocean Shores, Washington. A pub, a full-menu restaurant, and a shop selling Celtic gifts is a popular gathering place and watering hole that offers Irish & American bar food, spirits, beer, and frequent live music. There is a family dining room, a fully-stocked semi-circular bar, a banquet hall, a well-equipped sports and game room with dart boards, pool table, a shuffleboards and TVs, and a charming covered garden for al fresco dining. The menu includes popular Irish dishes such as Forfar Bridy, Limerick Sausage Roll, Shepherd’s, Pie and much more. Galway Bay Irish Pub is a location of the week-long annual Irish music festival.

880 Point Brown Ave NE, Ocean Shores, WA 98569, Phone: 360-289-2300