Starting from the trailhead at the end of the road, we followed the Dune Forest Loop Trail counterclockwise, with a side trip on the Weather Beach Trail to the beach.

Road Conditions. Paved road and parking lot with toilet etc.

Trail Conditions. The eastern-most part of the loop trail appeared to go through mudflats, but could be bypassed with a short road walk. Couple of blowdowns to duck under Weather Beach Trail. The rest of the trail was in great condition, and well signed.

Highlights. Interesting mix of different environments (open shore pine forest in the sand dunes, salal and evergreen huckleberry thickets, mossy Sitka spruce forest, mudflats, and of course the beach).

Crowds. The parking lot was less than half full in the afternoon. Encountered several parties on the loop trail, and a couple of people on the beach, but no one on the Weather Beach Trail.

It’s been 14 years since I was last on this trail, so we decided to check out Leadbetter State Park/Leadbetter point. We started at the main parking area at the end of the road. The road has a few potholes areas that need to be taken very slowly. Pit toilet at trailhead. We started on the green trail (bay loop), it starts in the forest and then goes along the beach for about half a mile. Then we went on the yellow trail (bear berry trail). Here is where you make your decision to wade through the water or turn around. The trail is flooded for about a mile. You’ll wade through water for about a 100 feet or so, then come to a dry spot, then wade again for another 100 feet. I’m 5’4 and the highest point went mid thigh. It went knee high in spots on my husband, and almost hip deep on my daughter. We thought the adventure was fun, especially with it already being 70 degrees. Then you come out to the dunes, and you’ll see the closure areas for the snowy plovers, which we saw lots of! We also saw lots of sand dollars on the beach. Take the blue trail (beach trail) for a half a mile before heading back along the weather beach trail which has more wading through water. Then you’ll come to the red trail (dune forest trail.) it was bone dry. And we looped back to the car instead of taking the dune forest loop. Hiked a little over 4 miles. Wild strawberries, scotch broom, evergreen blueberries, and salal is blooming. Looks like false lily of the valley will be blooming any day. We saw sand pipers, snowy plovers, a bald eagle and a deer. Also bear tracks and scat. 

We started on the dune forest loop trail headed west and south. There are several junctions, but all are signed. Our intention was to take the weather beach trail over to the pacific ocean side of the spit. Unfortunately the trail got increasing brushy and mucky until finally ending in a leg swallowing sedge bog. Being that it looked quite deep and our feet were quickly up to the ankles in water, and that it was the middle of winter, we decided to call it.

We did not make it to the dunes or beach, and instead continued around the "dune" loop which is high and dry for the most part and in woods passing some interesting equipment, until hitting the estuary side of the loop. The estuary is quite mucky and not particularly clearly defined, with plenty of blow downs to navigate, but obliviously you can't really get lost, just wet. We did not take the bay loop trail, but it looked better traveled. We will make to come back with wading sandals or trashed sneakers to get to the ocean beach someday.

I did not take the Dune Forest Loop, instead I went on the shorter adjacent Bay Loop, as I was getting short on time.

It is a nice loop trail that both takes you along the beach and through a forest. 

After the highway suddenly ends you can continue straight on a road to the parking area.  There are a few potholes, but most vehicles can handle them. 

Forest section of the trail was okay, but the bugs were terrible. Beach section was okay too, but in low tide Willapa Bay is really a massive mud flat. Though wildflowers lining the trail are very pretty on this section