Smack dab in the middle of the Washington coast, near the beach town of Ocean Shores, you will find the lovely, unpretentious Ocean City State Park.

If you're looking for a rest stop or a long walk on the beach, this could be your park, but Ocean City is also a great place for birding, beach exploration and digging up tasty razor clams (in season).

The park backs North Bay Natural Preserve, a shallow bay with a network of wetland streams and mudflats that bring birds and wildlife to the sky and land. Just down the road, lively Ocean Shores presents shopping and dining opportunities, and an 18-hole golf course.

In most seasons, you can drive on the beach, so you won't have to schlep picnic food, chairs, day tents and bags all the way from the parking lot. Please observe the 25-mph speed limit, as it is a state highway.

Make your way back to the park for a colorful (or stormy) sunset and a breath of salty air, before curling up in your tent, trailer or RV.

PARK FEATURES
Ocean City State Park is a year-round, 257-acre camping park, featuring ocean beach, dunes and dense thickets of shore pine.