Travelers headed for Washington's Long Beach Peninsula have a wide choice of accommodations from which to choose. Lodging options range from tent camping to bed and breakfasts, motels and cottages, and vacation rental homes. The Long Beach Peninsula stretches from Ilwaco in the south to Ocean Park in the north. It is in the southwest corner of Washington state, bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The bulk of the accommodations are in the community of Long Beach.
The area has more than 1,000 rooms available for visitors, says the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. Because peninsula communities hold festivals every month throughout the year and every weekend during the summer, the visitors bureau recommends reservations, sometimes weeks in advance.
Reservations are especially necessary for the big kite festival held the third week of August and the SandStations sand-castle-building competition, which is usually in July. The exact date of SandStations depends on tidal conditions.
There are 10 bed and breakfasts on the peninsula with rates ranging from $45 to $315 per night. Most of the properties have three to eight rooms, while the historic Shelburne Inn in nearby Seaview is the biggest with 15 rooms.
There are 36 listings, including some duplicates from the bed-and-breakfast category. Rates range from $39 to more than $200 a night . Properties range from the three-unit Akari Bungalows to the 125-unit Breakers.
There are six listings for companies that offer homes to rent, including the lighthouse keepers' residences at Cape Disappointment State Park. Minimum stays may be required. Some properties require a cleaning deposit, while others ask guests to do light cleaning if they're staying longer than a week.
The visitors bureau website has descriptions of every property as well as icons that indicate what amenities each offers. It has links to all the properties they list on the site so travelers can make arrangements directly with the property. Travelers also can use a travel agent or an online agency, such as Expedia, Orbitz or Hotels.com, to make reservations.
Cape Disappointment State Park offers 27 miles of beaches, two lighthouses and hiking trails. Located at Ilwaco, it has 235 sites. There also are 17 private RV and camping facilities, including KOA and the members-only 1000 Trails/NACO.
