Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Grayland
1 - Grayland Beach Road (no restrooms) is off WA-105 in the town of Grayland. This road is the vehicle access into the Grayland Beach State Park. Informal parking is located along the road. The best shorebird viewing time is at high tide when more of the beach is covered.
2 - Cranberry Beach Road (Parking area; restrooms available) is off WA-105 and leads to Grayland State Park. Drive to the end of the road and park to walk onto the beach if you don't have a Discover Pass. You will need a pass if you go through the State Park entrance off Cranberry beach Road. This is an expansive beach where shorebird viewing can be very good around high tide. There are low mud/sand areas on the beach where shorebirds will congregate when the wind is blowing. 3 - Midway Beach Road (Parking area and restroom) is approximately 1.75 miles (as a shorebird flies) south of Cranberry Road on WA-105. If there was precipitation, you may see ponded water within the dunes where birds might be located. This site has a good expanse of beach even at a very high tide. PLEASE NOTE the poles that are placed in the dunes showing the location of the path going out to the beach to reduce impacts to the Federally threatened snowy plover and their habitat. 4 - Warrenton-Cannery Road (Paved road to large gravel parking area; no restrooms) is further south off WA-105, approximately 1.5 miles from Midway Beach Road in the small town of North Cove. Freshwater drainage at the edge of the dunes provides a pocket wetland. The beach is expansive with a large intertidal zone that is good for watching shorebirds.
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Grayland Beach Road provides easy parking and walk to the beach that doesn't require a Discover Pass. although the intertidal zone is not as extensive, the area has shown to be good for viewing shorebirds.
Shorebirds observed: Sanderlings, black-bellied plovers, semi-palmated plovers, and more. Keep an eye out for seabirds and loons.
State Park and Beach Access sign on WA-105 for Cranberry Road and Grayland State Park
Shorebirds observed: Sanderlings, semi-palmated plovers and other shorebirds but look for snowy plovers in the wrack line (seaweed) that was brought in by higher tides.
Access to the beach from Midway Beach Road and Warrenton-Cannery Road.
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