Long Beach

  • Easy (3 short hikes)
  • 2.8 miles round trip
  • No elevation gain


  • Moderate (from Ilwaco to beach)
  • 4.4 miles round trip
  • 200 feet elevation gain


  • Difficult (entire trail, with shuttle)
  • 7.2 miles one way
  • 100 feet elevation gain

William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition hiked north along the shore of Long Beach on November 19, 1805. Before turning back, he carved his name on a tree to claim the territory for the United States.

Today the community of Long Beach is a strip of tourist shops and vacation homes, but a 7.2-mile path follows Clark’s route through a quiet landscape of forests and dunes. The wide, mostly paved Discovery Trail is popular with beachcombers, strollers, and families on bicycles.

If you’re short on time, sample the route with . . .


This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range.