willapa national wildlife refuge

A beautiful walk through the woods with informative signs about the local wildlife.There's a boat ramp across the road where you can launch small boats or kayaks and go out to Long Island which has camp sites.

It was very quiet when we arrived at the refuge around 3:00 p.m. There is a very nice self-guided boardwalk which overlooks the stream, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. The little stream and pond is full of salamanders, and massive amounts of frog eggs. I thought the refuge would be similar to the Nisqually refuge, but it is not. There is a 2/3 mile loop, which takes you up into the coastal forest, which was so beautiful and quiet. The trail is marked with bird-type trail markes, i.e. the barred-owl, rufous hummingbird, etc. It is a stair-step hike through the forest, up and down for the most part. I would not recommend the forest hike for small children, or anyone young or old who may have knee, or walking issues. Very serene here.

This is a great hike for the family. Very easy--bring water and mosquito repellent and dress in layers! Starts out in the woods, moves to the marshes, and then to the beach. it's a "tennis shoe" (as opposed to hiking boots) hike. I think one of kids even did it in flip flops one year.

There isn't much to dislike about this place unless you are stopping for the bathrooms. They are basically outhouses. There is beautiful, nature based art throughout the entry to the trail and there are informational placards about animal life on the trail itself. I would say it's on the lower end of moderately difficult. I'm not in the best of shape and it wasn't too hard for me but there are some ups and downs. The nature reserve is simply gorgeous and well worth a stop. We hiked in light rain and it was still great. Dress for hiking with covered legs and tucked in shirt. I think I got chigger bites but it may have been from somewhere else.

I was not expecting such a place when we looked at TripAdvisor for hikes in the Long Beach Peninsula Area. (There are several great links on TA to Self Guided Walking Tours).There are 4 trails really to choose from for hiking, all in different lengths and degrees of difficulty. We opted for a leisure stroll with a child in tow.Interesting art throughout, interpretive signs and installations- all in all an abosolute gem.There is a small dock for kayaks and canoes pushing off to Long Island.

Gorgeous area, trail and artwork. Absolutely amazing reserve. The wildlife, estuary, birds. All of it was gorgeous. Long Island is right close by as well. Bring your camera and all consider it as a good kayak trip (willapa bay)

Stopped to take a break from driving while on vacation in the area. No fee to park or walk the trail. Really nice trail less than a mile through the rain forest. The trail was steep in places. Incredibly lush ferns and mosses.

We went because my younger brother and his son are avid birders... unfortunately, we'd just missed most of the migration and instead got to dash through hungry mosquitoes to the lovely point for a nice but unspectacular view. I'm told the biter population declines in summer and fall.

You can choose longer or shorter hiking trails to follow here that start from the same trail head. Caution: the bathrooms at the trailhead are gagable, but that is to be expected since they are not the plumbed type. BUG SPRAY on the trails...the Mosquitos had us for dinner!

Already well-known to serious birders, this park clearly reflects a lot of attention paid to satisfying nature lovers. The explanatory signs are composed with a high degree of literacy and attention to scientific accuracy. Paths are well laid out and appropriate warning given of the water that swamps them in wet seasons. We brought our rubber boots but some of the main paths were submerged too deep for us to ford. One sign warned that full waders might be necessary, as water over the paths sometimes reaches waist depth. But the views were worthwhile, even in a March rainstorm. Because we arrived early in the morning we saw numerous birds, all common to the area, and a small herd of elk across a meadow. On the path lay fecal evidence of bears and possibly other carnivores. There were no other people at that time, but I'm sure there will be many more during spring, summer and fall.

We walked to the bay and then north. Was a delightful hike. I would love to walk clear to land's end sometime!