9 Washington Coastal Towns Overrun By Tourists, According To Locals
Across Washington’s coastal towns, quiet streets trade hush for a steady thrum as summer arrives. Boardwalks wake, tide flats glitter, shop bells keep chiming. Locals adjust their rhythm – early coffee runs, back-road detours, patience at the ready.
Parking fades, lines ribbon past fish shacks, grocery aisles swell with sandy flip-flops and beach coolers.
The season pays bills and fills tip jars, yet many miss the slow winter pace and familiar hellos. This story follows the people who call Washington’s beaches home and how their days reshape when visitors flood the shore.
1. Ocean Shores
Summer transforms this Washington peninsula town into a completely different world. Locals watch their grocery store parking lots fill with out-of-state plates, while beach access points become impossible to navigate.
Traffic backs up for miles on Friday afternoons, and finding a quiet spot on the once-empty beaches becomes a challenge that many year-round residents simply avoid until fall returns.
2. Seabrook
Carefully designed to evoke nostalgic coastal charm, this relatively new planned Washington community has become too popular for its own good. Narrow streets meant for leisurely strolls now clog with cars seeking parking spots during peak seasons.
Residents report weekend rental homes packed with visitors who treat the neighborhood like a theme park rather than a living community where people actually reside year-round.
3. Westport
Famous for its fishing fleet and lighthouse, Westport has seen dramatic changes as tourism expanded. Local fishermen navigate through seas of tourists just to reach their boats during summer months.
The marina parking lot, once reserved for those actually using boats, now serves as free oceanfront parking for visitors who crowd the docks. Longtime residents reminisce about days when you could actually find a table at local seafood restaurants.
4. Long Beach
The 28-mile peninsula boasting the “World’s Longest Beach” draws massive crowds, especially during its famous kite festivals. Washington locals have created their own calendar: tourist season and local season.
Many residents avoid downtown entirely from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The single main road through town becomes so congested that simple errands can take hours, and finding parking near favorite local spots becomes nearly impossible.
5. Ilwaco & Cape Disappointment
Situated at the mouth of the Columbia River, this Washington fishing port struggles with its dual identity. Cape Disappointment State Park draws so many visitors that rangers frequently close entrance gates when parking areas fill.
Local fishing industry workers navigate through tourists photographing their catch. Residents plan grocery runs for weekday mornings to avoid weekend visitors who flood the area to visit the historic lighthouse and hiking trails.
6. Moclips
Once hidden, this tiny coastal Washington community has been exposed by Instagram and travel blogs. The handful of vacation rentals has multiplied, changing the character of this formerly quiet retreat.
Residents report strangers wandering onto private property for photo opportunities. Beach access points now regularly fill with cars bearing Seattle and Portland license plates, especially when whale watching season begins.
7. Grayland
Known for cranberry bogs and quiet beaches, Grayland has seen an explosion of vacation homes replacing farmland. The seasonal population swells so dramatically that locals joke about needing passports to visit their own beaches during summer.
Longtime Washington residents describe the strange feeling of becoming outsiders in their hometown when summer crowds arrive. Beach driving areas that once provided solitude now resemble parking lots on sunny weekends.
8. Pacific Beach & Tokeland
These neighboring communities have experienced dramatic changes as visitors discover their rugged beaches and wildlife viewing. The single grocery store struggles to keep shelves stocked during summer months when the population increases rapidly.
Washington residents report wildlife disturbances from tourists ignoring signage about protected areas. The peaceful atmosphere that attracted many locals has given way to weekend traffic jams and vacation homes sitting empty most of the year.
9. Ocean Park & Surfside
The northern end of the Long Beach Peninsula has seen dramatic changes as tourists seek less crowded alternatives to more famous destinations. Summer weekends bring bumper-to-bumper traffic on narrow peninsula roads never designed for such volume.
Locals report housing prices skyrocketing as vacation rentals and second homes proliferate. The once-sleepy communities now face water supply challenges and waste management issues during peak tourist seasons.
