46 WILD / THE CLAMMING FIELD GUIDE
Planning Your First Washington Coast Razor Clam Trip
A little preparation makes the beach feel a lot less unfamiliar.
Confirm before you commit
Choose a beach and date from WDFW’s official schedule. Tentative means proposed, not permission to dig. Recheck confirmation, allowed hours, regulations and marine-toxin status before leaving home.
Choose your base
Pick Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis or Mocrocks based on the confirmed opening, your drive and where you want to stay. Each area has its own schedule. A nearby beach is not automatically open.
Pack for wet sand and changing weather
Bring a clam gun or shovel, your own catch container, boots, waterproof clothing, warm layers, gloves and a cooler with ice. A headlamp and spare batteries belong in the kit for digs that run into darkness.
Give yourself time
As a planning starting point, aim to reach your beach about two hours before the listed low tide, only within WDFW’s allowed hours. Allow additional time for parking, gearing up and walking. Surf and local conditions can shorten the useful window.
Make a weekend of it
Book a place with suitable cooking facilities if you plan to cook your catch. For Long Beach, add Ocean Park, Clam Base and a day around Willapa Bay.
GET THE FREE CLAM REPORT