Westport (Washington)
Understand
Westport is on a peninsula on the south side of the entrance to Grays Harbor from the Pacific Ocean. The public Westport Marina is the largest marina on the outer coast of the United States's Pacific Northwest. The marina is home to a large commercial fishing fleet and several recreational charter fishing vessels.
Westport was incorporated on June 26, 1914. Names for the area in the past include Peterson's Point, Chehalis City and Ft. Chehalis. The latter name is for a fort established in 1860 before the town was founded. The area was used regularly during the summer by local Native American tribes (most likely the Shoalwater Bay tribe) before Thomas Barker Speake and his family arrived early in the summer of 1857. Westport is also the home to a station for the US Coast Guard.
Get in
Get around
See
- 🌍
Grays Harbor Lighthouse, 1020 West Ocean Ave, ☎ +1 360 268-6214. The 107-foot lighthouse, dedicated in 1898, is the tallest lighthouse in Washington and the third tallest on the West Coast. It marks the entrance to Grays Harbor, which is one of Washington's few outer-coast harbors. The base of the lighthouse rests on a 12-foot-thick foundation of sandstone. The lighthouse walls, which are four feet thick at the base, are made of brick with a coating of cement on the exterior. 135 metal stairs bolted to the wall lead to the lantern room. Windows used to light the interior of the tower, but to cut down on maintenance they were cemented over when electricity was added to the station. Construction of the Grays Harbor Light began in 1897 and was first lit in 1898. Thirteenth Lighthouse District officials selected a site facing the Pacific Ocean, about 400 feet from water’s edge. Massive amounts of accretion, due in large part to the jetty system at the entrance to Grays Harbor, have since built up, and the lighthouse now stands approximately 3000 feet from high tide.
Do
- Charter boating and fishing. Take part in Grays Harbor's local fishing tradition with a charter fishing or boating trip. A number of boating companies operate out of Westport for opportunities to fish on the Pacific coast or in the harbor.
- Harbor Resort. Get your feet wet and your hands dirty clamming and crabbing. This resort offers a lot of activities for shellfish gathering and fishing.
- Westport Aquarium, 321 E Harbor St. Amazing small aquarium and art gallery run by the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Be sure to check out Elvis the Wolf Eel!
Beach combing
As you might expect, beach combing is hugely popular along the Pacific Coast, however due to its size and vast expanses between towns it is easy to find your own isolated patch to explore.
Sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed. Be gentle with sea creatures and keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 🌍 Westport Bayside Bed and Breakfast, 1112 South Montesano St, toll-free: +1-888-318-8868. This bed and breakfast inn is a green-friendly environment and has many personal touches from the bouquets of handpicked flowers that decorate the B&B rooms year 'round, to the organic cotton towels and bathrobes and homemade breakfast.
- 🌍 Mariners Cove Inn, 303 W. Ocean Ave, ☎ +1 360 268-0531. Offers seasonal and multi-night discounts. Non-smoking rooms are available.
- 🌍 Loge at the Sands, 1416 South Montesano Street, ☎ +1 360 268-0091, e-mail: stay@logecamps.com. Catering to outdoor adventure lovers, the Loge had motel rooms, camping sites, and a hostel.
Connect
Go next
- Aberdeen - located fifteen miles east of Westport, Aberdeen is considered the "Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula" because of its proximity to the southern end of the peninsula and to Olympic National Park.
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