Free First Day Hike- Bottle Beach
Every January 1st, Washington State Parks hosts their annual First Day Hikes. There are more than 30 First Day Hikes happening across Washington, including Bottle Beach in Ocosta. Last year, over 1,800 people participated in First Day Hikes, exploring more than 2,750 miles to celebrate the new year outdoors.
Bottle Beach State Park
Bottle Beach State Park is a family-friendly, flat, 1.5-mile hike through coastal wetlands where you can view birds and other wildlife. All participants get a 2026 First Day Hikes commemorative button. Washington State Parks staff and volunteers will lead the hike. A Discovery Pass is not needed, as parking at all Washington State Parks is free on January 1st.
Event Details
When: January 1, 2026
Time: 11am-12:30PM
Where: Bottle Beach State Park
Distance: 1.5 miles (flat, easy terrain)
Cost: FREE
What to see: Coastal wetlands, birds, and local wildlife
How to Register: Email grayland.beach@parks.wa.gov
Bottle Beach History
This land has been home to Coast Salish peoples for thousands of years, including ancestors of the Chehalis, Shoalwater Bay, and Quinault tribes. The area later became the site of Ocosta, which in the 1890s was chosen by the Northern Pacific Railroad as its Pacific terminus for the transcontinental railway. The boom town quickly sprouted a school, hotels, churches, a bank, a post office, the Ocosta Lumber Company, and the Ocosta Brewing Company.
When the railroad relocated due to economic troubles, the town vanished, leaving only ceramic beer bottles that gave the beach its current name. Today, it's a haven for over a million migratory shorebirds each spring. Learn more about this fascinating history on the Bottle Beach State Park History page.
Other Grays Harbor County First Day Hikes
If you have already been to Bottle Beach, you could choose to go further afield for First Day Hikes in Grays Harbor.
Griffiths-Priday in Copalis Beach- a 2-mile hike through shore pines, a creek, and onto the beach.
Lake Sylvia in Montesano- a 1.5-mile hike around the lake.
Don't forget to dress for the weather!