Vacation rentals in Seabrook

Cute towns pepper the rugged Washington coast, many worn by more than a hundred years of whipping wind and an unsteady flow of tourists, but Seabrook gleams with newness. Founded in 2004, Seabrook takes the suburban ideal of planned communities and adapts it to a beach getaway. What it loses without history and character, it makes up for in charm and convenience. Everything in town is designed to be no more than a short walk from anything else, and in place of large hotels or fancy mansions, more than 450 small cottages — many boasting ocean views — and 17 parks dot the town, perched 70 feet above the purposely undeveloped stretch of Pacific beach.

Pleasant, moderate temperatures make the town appealing year-round, even if the heat rarely reaches traditional beach-going levels. Seabrook’s weather, like that of most of Washington’s coast, fluctuates often — sometimes in hours, or even minutes. Whether you’re coming for the sunny summer when high temperatures go above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and it rains only a few days a month, or the winter when it rains most days and occasionally dips below freezing at night, the key is to dress in layers. But the warm months still bring cool coastal breezes at night, requiring a sweater, and strong winds can bring sudden showers, so always prepare for rain.

The Gnome Trail

Skip the long set of wooden stairs to the sandy shores from the town of Seabrook and instead take the adorably winding and relatively flat Gnome Trail. The trail goes from the Old Stump and weaves past many tiny gnome homes of small branches or painted wood before it gets down to the seemingly endless stretch of beach.

Clamming at Mocrocks

Dig for your dinner on certain days, as designated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife — which refers to Seabrook’s beach as Mocrocks. Permits and equipment are available at stores in town, and the digs for razor clams begin an hour before low tide.

Olympic National Park

The Lake Quinault area of Olympic National Park sits about a 45-minute drive from Seabrook and offers a wide variety of rainforest hikes, waterfalls, and boat rentals. Another 40 minutes into the park brings visitors to the scenic Ruby Beach, where piles of driftwood stick up like sculptures and unique sea stacks (eroded rock towers) jut out of the water.