The yellow trail is great. The trail to the beach is overgrown but passible. There a few wet areas but not too bad. The half mile along the beach is fine. All of these are on federal refuge land. The trouble starts when you turn west to take the blue trail back to the parking lot. In July I hiked through a quarter mile of two feet deep water. This trail is in the state park and has not been maintained for years. Not only were my boots full of water but I was climbing over and under downed trees. This trail is so poorly marked that a two mile return to the parking lot ended up being a five mile diversion onto a loop trail that came out at the wrong parking lot. I guess the state is short of funds but if the trail and markers can't be maintained the trail should be closed. Don't take your kids anywhere near the blue trail.

We ventured out to this hike but the forest trail was still mostly flooded. Need more time for it to dry out before you can do the entire trail.

No official region on the selection map for this hike. North end of the Long Beach Peninsula. Drive past all the Kite shops, Ice Cream vendors and tacky tourist traps in Long Beach. Keep driving north, past the (unfortunately out or business) ARK Restaurant, past one of the most pretentious ego gates in the state, keep driving until you can't go no more. We started early and were greatly rewarded. First we headed east to see what was happening on Willipa bay. A sweep with the binoculars revealed about 20 Great Blue Herons in the near shore shallows. We walked north along the shore and saw some dunlin and plovers. Another group of herons with two unexpected visitors, brown pelicans. Turning west into the interior we spooked some sunning garter snakes. In about a mile and a half we came out onto an incredible stretch of (car-less) beach. Turning back inland the trail became slightly overgrown and in need of some clearing. The mosquitos were numerous and hungry along this part of the trail. We walked the entire 5 miles without seeing another person. The early hikers get the trail to themselves.

Next time you're in need of an ocean 'fix' and you head to Long Beach, take the time to hike around Ledbetter State Park, at the tip of the spit.. It's a very beautiful park and is adjacent to Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. The trail begins in a beautiful forest of lodgepole pine, Oregon grape, holly, and millions of fern, and winds amongst the sand dunes leading down to the shallow beach. There is a length of beach strolling dotted with a few information boards describing the various wildlife there, and time of the year in which you can expect to see them. In the distance are the Willapa Hills, and the tip of Mt. Rainier is visible as well. The sign at the loop trailhead warns of possible trail flooding during the rainy season; but there is a trail that takes you off the fragile saltmarsh loop and back uphill onto the dunes and back to the trailhead, if this is the case. Do yourself a favor, and tour the little pioneer town of Oysterville, just beyond Ocean Park and Nahcotta. You won't be sorry! Chat with the locals, too - in Oysterville and in Ocean Park. Getting to know the history of a place and those who love it enhance the enjoyment of any trip. Continue to the lighthouses at Fort Canby State Park. There are several short loop trails atop the bluffs to poke around on. Deer are everywhere! The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse trail at the Interpretive Center was closed by the U.S. Coastguard. The North Head lighthouse trail is an Accessible trail, and is open. It's well worth the trip! Lighthouse tours are $1. If you're lucky, while strolling on the beach near the jetty at Ft. Canby, you'll be treated to a double rainbow over the lighthouse. And if you're real lucky, the rainbows will be reflected in the wet sand on the beach. And if you're real REAL lucky, you won't have snapped your last picture about 5 minutes ago. I was real lucky.