Crane your neck upward to get a load of the kites afluttering at one of the most popular shoreline parks on the North Shore stretch, Pacific Beach State Park (49 2nd St.). Plunked down right in the middle of Pacific Beach’s cute village atmosphere, the park offers beach lovers a meandering sandy reach adorned with sea-oat covered dunes. The camping facilities draw in lots of RVing families, making this a great spot for folks looking to get the little ones to socialize.

Just west of Copalis Beach, Griffiths-Priday State Park (www.parks.wa.gov) is a quieter day-use facility at the mouth of the Copalis River. This is a birder’s delight, as the Copalis Spit here is one of three snowy plover breeding grounds on the Washington coast. Visitors must be mindful, because this endangered species is very sensitive to human intrusion. To protect the plovers, large areas of the beach north of the park entrance are closed to the public—from the high-tide mark to the dunes—between mid-March and late August. The restricted areas are marked on the map at the park entrance. A boardwalk leads to the beach, where you can dig for razor clams below the tide line.

The Anderson Cabin (360/289-3842) on the east side of the highway, is open in the summer. Built of beach logs in the 1920s, the cabin contains period furnishings and a display on local author Norah Berg.

Copalis Beach and Ocean City are “Home of the Razor Clam.” The State Department of Fisheries sponsors clam-digging clinics (360/249-4628, www.parks.wa.gov) and beach walks throughout the summer at Ocean City State Park to prepare you for the short, intense razor clam season.