5 Winter Tips for Visiting the Washington Coast

Don’t Miss Visiting The Washington Coast In The Winter

The beaches of the Washington coast seem like more of a summer thing, but you shouldn’t miss out on them just because it isn’t warm and sunny out. There are a lot of great reasons to visit the coast during the off-season. Camping spots or rooms are readily available and at lower rates. The beaches aren’t crowded in the winter and you can enjoy a little bit of quiet solitude that you can’t find other times of the year.

That being said, before you head out to the Washington coast in the winter, there are a few things you should know before you go.

There Isn’t A Starbucks On Every Corner (or Cell Tower)

Once you leave the bigger towns like Aberdeen and Port Angeles, you won’t find a Starbucks every quarter mile, and you aren’t going to find anywhere near as many services of other types as well. This means you need to come prepared.

It is often times an hour or more between ‘towns’ and the towns aren’t what you are likely used to. Gas stations aren’t on every corner and if you are driving an EV, watch your charge. There is now a Tesla supercharger in Forks, but that is about it once you leave civilization.

There not being as many services on the coast as you are used to including your cell service. If you are used to being able to call/text people whenever you want, that likely won’t be the case on the coast. This also means that your phone’s GPS won’t work as well. I HIGHLY suggest you take the time to download the maps of the area before you leave home.

As for grocery stores, you can find them, but they will have fairly limited selection, and the prices will be higher than the big stores back home.

Lastly, if you aren’t visiting on a weekend during the off-season, expect a lot of the tourist stores to be closed. With nearly no tourists coming in, it just doesn’t make sense for many of the to be open during the week. Keep that in mind when visiting more touristy type locations like Ocean Shores.

You Have Less Time Than You Think

We could go all existential on this one and talk about how life is short, but in this case, I’m referring to the fact that in the winter, it isn’t light out until at least 7am and official sun up isn’t until almost 8. Couple this with the sun going down between 4 and 5 in the afternoon and your daylight hours to do things are very limited.

On the upside, you don’t have to stay up late to see the sunset, if you get a day without clouds.

It Will Likely Be Colder Than You Think

In our trip to Copalis beach to go Razor Clam digging in January, the weather ranged from low 40s that was wet and windy to low 30s and clear. Be sure to take along gear that can deal with both the wind and the wet, as well as the cold.

My suggestion is a good rain jacket and some warm layers to go underneath. That way you can adjust to the conditions. Something we tried out on this trip were rechargeable hand warmers. Allyson really loved having these in her pockets when we were out on the beach in the cold.

Be aware that if you go off the main road and the weather turns bad, this is one area you don’t want to be stuck in. Definitely watch the weather and be prepared if you are venturing into the interior or up in elevation. It doesn’t have to be that cold to be dangerous. Two Bigfoot hunters just lost their lives to the elements in SW Washington in December.

Get Your Firewood When You Can

If you are planning on building a bonfire on the beach, or at your camp site, be sure to pick some firewood up along the way to your destination. The first benefit is that it is oftentimes cheaper alongside the road than at the campground, and is also often more available.

In campgrounds, it can occasionally be a challenge to find a ranger or camp host to sell you firewood in the winter. The best bet is to grab a couple of bundles as you get close to your destination. If you want to cut down on the mess in your car, grab yourself one of the canvas firewood carriers I talk about in my article on how to haul firewood.

Always Take Your ‘Oh Shit’ Button

One thing you absolutely can’t rely on when you are on the Olympic Peninsula, is cell coverage. That is why I say to ALWAYS take what I’ve dubbed your ‘oh shit’ button with you. These are emergency transponders that will get rescuers to you as long as they are charged and you can see the sky. The most common one of these that people have is the Garmin InReach Mini. It takes up no space, but lets you call for help just about anywhere.

It may not seem like it, but when Allyson slipped on a rock at Beach 3 and broke her ankle, we nearly had to use ours. There was zero cell coverage and if we hadn’t been able to get her off the beach and up to Leif The Adventure Van and to the hospital, my ‘oh shit’ button would have been our only choice.

Visiting The Washington Coast In The Winter Is Worth It

While the weather in the winter months coupled with short days, can be a bit of a challenge when visiting the coast of Washington state, I think the tradeoff of no crowds and plenty of availability in camping spots makes it worth it. If you can get lucky and get a bright sunny day, it really is spectacular.