Twin Harbors and Grayland Beach, Washington, Razor Clam Digging

 More Details and Photos to Follow.

Drive from Vancouver to Longview, then on WA 4 through Cathlamet and Naselle, then on 101 to South Bend, and Raymond. Then on 106 to Tokeland, Grayland, and Westport.

Our rental home was near Westport.

Nice weather. Beachcombing.

Autumn in Southwester Washington State

We drove home from Twin Harbors State Park today.  We drove through Grayland Beach, Tokeland, Raymong, Pe Ell, Vader, Longview, and Woodland.  November 15, 2023.

When we got home we showered, clean up, and cleaned razor clams for storage.

Dramatic fall colors everywhere!!

For many photographs and more information go to: Four Days in Grayland by Michael P. Garofalo.

Hunting for Mushrooms and Raxor Clams

 We enjoyed a beautiful clear day of camping at Twin Harbors State Park.   November 14, 2023

We went walking in search of mushrooms in the Park.

We ate Dungeness crab, Kumamoto oysters, Little Neck clams, homemade squash soup, fresh bread, and wine. Shopped at the fish market at Brady's Oysters.

Went razor clam digging at Grayland Beach Road. Caught 49 clams after 5 pm at low tide.

For many photographs and more information go to: Four Days in Grayland by Michael P. Garofalo.

Westport, Southwest Coastal Washington

Today (11/13/2023) We drove to Twin Harbors State Park, between Westport and Tokeland, WA. This beach park is about 4 miles from the downtown and fishing docks of Westport.. We are camping and staying in small cabins at the park.

We (April, Karen, Mick, and I) enjoyed breakfast at the Blue Bird Cafe in Centralia, WA.  Mick and April then toured an abandoned mill in Centralia, and then the decommissioned Satsop nuclear power plant above the Chelais River. Karen and I dove WA 6 from Centralia to Raymond, and then WA 105 along Willapa Bay to Tokeland, Grayland and then to Twin Harbors State Park. Twin Harbors is located between Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor Bay along the Washington Coast. Then, at 4:30 pm, we all went razor clam digging at low tide.

For many photographs and more information go to: Four Days in Grayland by Michael P. Garofalo.

Chelais River Scenes

 Here is a repost of my report from 9/21/2021: 

Today, the beaches from Westport to Grayland (9 miles) were filled with people digging razor clams.  

From my yurt campsite at the Grayland Beach State Park campground the distance to walk to the surf is about a 2 mile or more round trip over sand.  I was the only person walking.  

I walked out to the surf at 7:30 am this cool morning, 55F light wind.  Surprisingly, the sky was clear blue and cloudless.  Most important, it was a low tide of  -0.2 at 7:30 am.   

I could see about 100 vehicles parked along the shore for about a mile.  Maybe 150 people were clam digging.  Others huddled in chairs around their vehicles and talked, or sat and sipped coffee in their truck, big RV, SUV, or sedan.  

I carefully walked in the digging area.  I watched the people digging up many razor clams - a first for me.  I did not dig - I observed.  

One couple told me they got their limit (15 razor clams per person) in 30 minutes.  Another old man was telling me about clamming at night at low tide at a full moon.  Children talked about how hard it was to get the tube in and out of the wet sand.  People seemed to like to talk.  

Then, while walking the mile back to my yurt campsite I continued my normal nature studies.  

I went back to the beach at around 4 pm.  It was a receding high tide.  

There were only 3 vehicles parked on the same one mile stretch of beach, nobody flying kites, nobody surf fishing, a few people walking - deserted compared to this morning.  

One middle aged lady emerged barefoot from her big RV, walked to the surf, and got wet.  She was thrilled, shouted, and threw her arms in the air.  

I ate a good bowl of clam chowder at Long's Bar and Grill on WA105.  Everything in Grayland is located on WA105.  Some knowledgeable guy at the bar was telling us about how he would grind up the foot of the clam and cook in a flour recipe patty then freeze, and other clam cooking and digging tips.  Some old fellow told me about his USA travels, his Air Force days, his stroke, and his love of Westport.  His wife was very cute and flirty.  Both were drunk, as people often are in bars.  

Yesterday, I enjoyed delicious Portuguese Bella canned smoked sardines in olive oil with fresh French bread.  For me, I have made tasting seafood dishes a regular part of my beach travels experiences.  

I keep a fairly detailed hypertext notebook on Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay in Washington State.  Activities at Westport, Twin Harbors, or Grayland Beach (e.g., surf fishing, clam digging, crabbing, jetty fishing, beachcombing, kite flying, camping, walking, reading, nature studies, photography, sit/stare/listen, your favorite hobbies, etc.) are covered in my:

Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Hypertext Notebook and Guide

By Michael P. Garofalo 

Westport South Jetty

Westport docks, boardwalk, and fishing pier.

Surf casting for redtail surf perch.

Here are my notes about Westport and Grayland Beach. 

I am camping at Grayland Beach State Park in a yurt.   

Twin Harbors State Park, Washington

We are going to camp at Twin Harbors State Park next week: Karen, April, Mick and I.

We plan to visit Centralia downtown and the Satsop decommissioned nuclear reactor along the Chehalis River as we drive into Aberdeen and then Westport.

I will be walking in the Shifting Sands Nature Trails inside Twin Harbors State Park.  

Clam digging from 4:30 to 7 pm. 

My Atrial Fibrillation heart disease has been acting up after 6 months of remission.  Hopefully, I can enjoy the activities at the beach.  I have a cardio conversion scheduled the day before Thanksgiving this month.  We shall see.  Studying the excellent book by John D. Day, MD, and T. Jared Bunch, MD, titled: The AFib Cure: Get Off Your Medications, Take Control of Your Health, and Add Years to Your Life. 2021.

Up before daybreak at our wood cabin C3.

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Willapa Hills, Chelais River Valley, Washington

We drove from Twin Harbors State Park on the coast to Raymond, then Pe El, then to Chelais at Interstate 5.  Beautiful lush green farms and many nice homes.  Autumn colors of brown, rust, and yellow.  

Beautiful cloudy morning drive.  Mick drove his Toyota Tundra truck skillfully and safely the entire distance.  It took him 2.5 hours to drive the distance.  

It is 53 miles east from Raymond on the Willapa to Chelais via Washington State Road 6.  Always a pleasure.  

Raymond's many metal sculptures.

Chelais

Centralia and Chelais, Southwestern Washington

Centralia  Population 18,183  Images
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia    WA6 Junction   Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 
Centralia is 84 miles south of Seattle.  
Centralia Outlets Shopping     Business Directory

Centralia: Weyerhaeuser Timber Company   The company owns most of the Willapa Hills forests to the west of Centralia.  

Chehalis  Population  7,259   Images   Chehalis is 88 miles north of Portland, and 28 miles south of Olympia. 
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia.  About 12 miles north of the I5/WA12 Junction near Mary's Corner. 
Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 

Grand Mond   Great Wolf Lodge and Waterpark

Lucky Eagle Rochester Indian Hotel and Casino 

Chehalis River    Images   Newaukum River

Chehalis Reservation Confederated Tribes

Native Indians of Southwestern Washington

Raymond

Raymond  Population 2,975  Pacific County  WB  Junction of US101, WA 6, and WA 105. 
The largest town on the east side of Willapa Bay and largest city in Pacific County. 
Raymond is 35 miles north of Naselle, 56 miles west of Centralia, and 25 miles south of Aberdeen. 

Raymond Images  WB  

Raymond:  Carriage Museum   Willapa Seaport Museum    Harbor/Docks    Sightseeing    Paddling    

Raymond:  Willapa River  Images   WB  There is a north and south fork of the Willapa River in Raymond.  

Raymond:  Steamboats of Willapa Bay   There is a huge Weyerhaeuser lumber mill in Raymond. 
Many fish canneries are in or near South Bend and Raymond.  There are numerous commercial and public docks in the area. 

Raymond Timberland Library

Raymond:  Willapa Paddle Adventures   Paddling canoes or kayaks on the many Willapa Bay rivers is very popular. 

Raymond:  Willapa Hills State Park Trail   56 miles east to Centralia.  River biking trail from Raymond to South Bend. 

Numerous rusted metal sculptures along the roadway in Raymond.  

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Clam Digging at Twin Harbors

Mick and I spent the whole day at Twin Harbors State Park.  We liked the easy driving access to the sandy beach via Bonge Road.

Mick surf fished and dug clams.  You need to be strong to quickly dig into clam shows.  I helped some with clam digging; but my right shoulder can't work so hard for long.  It was around 55 degrees with an onshore breeze of 10 mph.  It was a 150 yard walk from where vehicles were parked to the digging area.

We both are licensed fishermen.  We dug today and yesterday and found 45 clams.  This season it is a 20 clam limit per licensed fisherman per day.    

Last month, Mick and April and I had no luck in digging up any clams.  

I personally witnessed Mick dig up 20 clams in 40 minutes this afternoon.

Many other people were out digging clams from 2 pm to 7 pm; both today and yesterday..  Low tide was from 5 to 6 pm.  

We drove up to nearby Grayland State Park beaches to surf fish for surf perch.  But no luck.  

We both took long walks in the Shifting Sands Nature Trails in Twin Harbors State Park and along the shoreline.  I did some beachcombing.  

20 clams limit per licensed fisherman per day

We both took long walks on the
Shifting Sands Nature Trails

The campground was nearly empty.
One old guy in his trailer and we in our cabin.
One family came in tonight using a cabin.

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Clam Digging Razor Clams   Washington State Fish and Wildlife 

Clam Digging  Razor Clam Rules and Best Beaches for Digging  

Clam Digging Seasonal Schedule [Sept-Dec 2021]

Clam Digging Tides Grays Harbor

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Washington.  By John A. Johnson.  Adventure North Publishing, 1997, 125 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Oregon.  By John A. Johnson.  VSCL.

Clamming in the Pacific Northwest.  By Ken Axt.  Frank Amato, 2016, 88 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging Westport 

Clam Digging Grayland and Twin Harbors   This stretch of beach is referred to in books as the 'Twin Harbors' Beaches. 

Preparing and Cooking Razor Clams

The Secret Life of Clams: The Mysteries and Magic of Our Favorite Shellfish.  By Anthony D. Dredericks.  Skyhorse, 2014, 286 pages.  FVRL

Clam Digging Tools:  Waist waders with attached boots.  Waterproof top as needed.  Waterproof and warm gloves, hat, and warm clothing.  Cylindrical clams digging tube (metal or plastic) and a clam shovel (11'x31").  Headlamps for night clamming.  Mesh basket for holding razor clams.  Snacks in your pocket.  Friends to have fun with at the seashore. Your fishing license in your jacket. 

If you work at shellfishing and have some luck then you will need: A clam opening knife and cutting pad.  Pot in camp big enough to clean and cook clams, oysters, or crabs. Surf fishing for redtail surf perch is supposed to be very good using clam baits on the high tide immediately after the razor clammers have dug at low tide. 

Son and Father Trip to the Beach

 My son, Michael Delmer Garofalo, and I went together to the coast today.  I call him "Mick."
We went clam digging in October, but had no luck whatsoever, nada! Hope we do better at fishing this trip.  

We drove my favorite trip to Twin Harbors State Park: Tour 1 includes photographs and detailed tour guide.  Nice weather all day.

Arrived at our wood cabin, C3, at 5:00 pm.  Only one other person in the entire campsite.  

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo