Have you been on Ocean Park‘s new Beach to Bay Trail?

Here’s what it used to look like to walk the roughly one mile from the Pacific Ocean to Willapa Bay:

Now, thanks to the hard work of a handful of Ocean Park citizens, working with Washington Department of Transportation, it looks a lot more like this:

It’s really a wonderful trail and the people who worked hard to make it happen deserve a big pat on the back.

The other place I really like to make the walk between ocean and bay is in Leadbetter Point State Park. The trails aren’t nearly so civilized as what you see above but they’re great fun.  I particularly enjoy moving through so many ecosystems in such a small distance.  Yellow Trail (who came up with that creative moniker?) is my favorite.

The first thing you need to know about hiking Leadbetter is this:  The trails flood.  It is even referred to as “the annual winter flood season.”  The flood season runs from at least November through mid-May.  Be prepared in October and don’t count on dry trails in early June.

And by flooding, we’re not talking about ankle splashers here.  We’re talking FLOODING.  Think somewhere between “fill your fishing boots” to “fill your hip waders” kind of flooding.  The water table is high out there on the northern tip of the Peninsula and the dunes become a series of small lakes in the winter.

And then there are the mosquitos.  Don’t let anyone convince you “it’s not that bad.”  They are liars.  Okay, so we don’t have any of the Minnesota-Unofficial-State-Bird-sized skeeters, but they are thick.  And hungry.  They love all that flooding.

But, during the dry(er) summer months, you really can’t find a hike that does more for your sense of instant gratification.  Yellow Trail is just 1.8 miles between ocean and bay.  You’ll wander from Willapa Bay’s tidal flats and beaches through young forest, into thick forest.  You’ll find yourself quickly in open, grassy dunes and, finally, to the ocean beach.

Serendipitously, this dry time is also the nesting season of the protected Snowy Plover, a small shorebird species whose northernmost breeding range is here.  Steer clear of these tiny guys; portions of the park are closed to protect them from March through September.

Serious birders, winter is your time at Leadbetter, and all around Willapa Bay.  Bring your water hiking gear and enjoy the park.  You’ll find large flocks of black brant, Canada geese, canvasbacks, American wigeons, buffleheads, scoters & scaup.   You’ll see loons, mergansers, grebes and cormorants on the Bay.  You’ll enjoy plovers, sandpipers and dunlin in the tidal flats.  Please, be careful as you find yourself going off-trail to pass the trails-turned-winter-lakes.  There is no dry route between the bodies of water in the winter.  Meander, but be very careful not to damage the sensitive environment of this incredible area.

I have it on solid authority that, er, well, harvesting mushrooms in the park is bad thing to do.  Very bad.  Don’t do it.  ‘Nuff said.