A small town with a beachfront state park in Grays Harbor County
Pacific Beach is a small town on the coast of Washington State, home to Pacific Beach State Park where sand is dotted with sand dollars and vivid sunsets paint the ocean pink and orange. It’s located 30 miles north of Aberdeen, the largest city nearby. There's not much to do in Pacific Beach except go to the beach, but there’s a town a mile south called Seabrook that has everything residents might need. “With Seabrook, it’s very walkable. Pacific Beach is spaced further apart with less amenities,” says broker Belinda Roberts who works with Seabrook Real Estate Sales LLC and has over five years of experience in the area . The community’s beginnings are traced back to the early 1900s with the opening of the Pacific Beach Hotel. “Things are older in Pacific Beach while Seabrook is 20 years old,” Roberts says. Compared to the planned community of Seabrook, Pacific Beach offers a more laidback, modest lifestyle for its small population of around 200 people.
Pacific Beach State Park and more recreation
In the southwest corner of the community, Pacific Beach State Park is a vacation destination, where visitors can go camping year-round. “The beach access is public and popular,” Roberts says, noting that it brings a buzz of activity to the area. From the campsites, trails through grassy sand dunes lead to the ocean. The most common activities are clam digging, flying kites and taking dogs for a stroll. At Seabrook Playground, about a mile away in Seabrook, parents can take their kids to a jungle gym with a zip line. The park also has basketball courts and an off-leash dog park. In Olympic National Park, about 30 miles away, hiking trails ascend past towering evergreens and up rugged terrain for views of the Olympic Mountains.
Ocean views on First Street
Pacific Beach’s residential area is a handful of blocks around the Main Street retail area as well as along First Street. Many of the houses have views of the Pacific Ocean. Though there aren’t any waterfront properties, many of them are walkable to it. The yards are smaller than the median square footage in Washington state, with a median of about 6,500 square feet. The local architecture includes cottages, ranch-style homes, contemporary homes and A-frames. Cottages range from $350,000 to $550,000, while larger contemporary homes with ocean views range from $700,000 to $800,000.
Restaurants and stores on Main Street
The retail center of Pacific Beach is Main Street, a couple of blocks with a few shops and restaurants. Although it’s small, it has some local favorites like Surfhouse Pub & Cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as coffee and cocktails. Clipper Galley is a food truck best known for its burgers and sub sandwiches. For shopping, Wacky Warehouse sells an assortment of vintage items from vinyl to hardware. For groceries, Pacific Beach residents can hit the Fresh Food Market in Seabrook. “I think people still utilize the amenities in Seabrook town center quite frequently,” Roberts says.
Local events, like the Kelpers Festival
The Kelpers Festival is a weekend-long celebration in late August with vendors on Main Street, live entertainment and parades with costumes and themed floats. In Seabrook, the Seabrook Concert Series at the Sunset Amphitheater features live music every Friday night in the summer, with lawn seating and ocean views.
North Beach public schools
Pacific Beach Elementary School, located right in Pacific Beach, has a C-minus rating. North Beach Junior High School has a C grade and is in the Oyehut community about 15 miles south. North Beach Senior High School is in the same building as the junior high. It earns a C-plus rating and offers courses on app development, animation and game design.
A 30-mile drive down to Aberdeen
Pacific Beach is a car-dependent community. It's located about 80 miles from Olympia via State Route 8. It’s also about 30 miles from Aberdeen via Ocean Beach Road. Those who prefer public transit can catch a Grays Harbor Transit bus in front of the post office on Main Street. The closest hospital is Harbor Regional Health Emergency Department, 30 miles away in Aberdeen. The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, the closest international airport, is about 130 miles away.
![Kalina Mondzholovska]()
Photography Contributed By
Kalina Mondzholovska
