Leadbetter Point State Park - Dune Forest Loop — Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015

Southwest Washington > Long Beach Area

This hike was an adventure! By the time we returned to the truck we were muddy and wet! We had a light drizzle most of the hike, but most of our wetness came from the overgrown trail and its wet salal and myrtle! There were many trees across the trail, most of which were easily navigated. One near the end of the loop was very large for my short legs to get over, but no way was I going to go back the way I came for 2.1 miles when we were so close to the road at the first parking area where you cross the park access road and return in 0.8 miles along Willapa Bay to the main parking area and the beginning of our loop. The wet trail in one of our pictures could be avoided by walking along the side, but another deep section of water on the trail could be passed only by going on our hands and knees through a short and very narrow tunnel of various plant life. (Again this was too far along the loop to return to the main TH.) The 0.8 miles along Willapa Bay was pleasant. The rain had stopped and the skies were brighter! There were several trees across the trail, but the tide was low enough that we could walk in front of them rather than climbing over them. We saw no wildlife except for an eagle as we walked along Willapa Bay. The Sitka Spruce forest area was nice.