If you're heading down this way with the whole family and need an entire vacation home, contact Pacific Realty Property Management, 102 NE Bolstad St. (P.O. Box 397), Long Beach, WA 98631 (tel. 888/879-5479 or 360/642-4549; pacificrealtyrentals.com).
Among the most interesting accommodations in the area are the two former lighthouse-keepers' homes at the North Head Lighthouse in Cape Disappointment State Park. These vacation homes, which sleep up to six people each, can be rented through Washington State Parks (tel. 800/360-4240 or 360/902-8844; www.parks.wa.gov/vacationhouses) for between $123 and $345 per night, depending on the season. The two houses are in a clearing in the woods about 100 yards from the old lighthouse, and hiking trails lead from the grounds to the beach and through the park. Two more restored historic homes are at nearby Fort Columbia State Park. One rents for $123 to $183 per night and sleeps four people and the other rents for $185 to $371 per night and sleeps 12 people. Call the number above for reservations.
Campgrounds -- The only campground in this area worth recommending is Cape Disappointment State Park (235 campsites), at the southern end of the Long Beach Peninsula at the mouth of the Columbia River. This park has campsites on a small lake, as well as at the foot of North Head. Some of the sites in the latter area are tucked in amid massive boulders. For reservations, contact Washington State Parks (tel. 888/226-7688; www.parks.wa.gov/reserve.asp).
