Toilets, fires and other things you shouldn’t bury in the sand on July 4th

The Washington coast will be a popular destination next week as people head out for the Fourth of July holiday.

It’s only been a few weeks since I discussed the do’s and don’ts of driving on the beach. The message still isn’t getting through enough. I watched in horror as a truck tried to pull a large camper trailer through the sand on the Seaview driveway on Sunday. It didn’t go well. It got stuck for a while. People are still setting up their gear in the middle of the sand road and driving too fast.

But I want to go over a few more details to make sure your visit is safe for you.

More about the roads in WA: Roadworks cause significant traffic congestion on I-5 North; more to follow

Fires are permitted on the Long Beach Peninsula, but must be kept at a safe distance from the grassy sand dunes.

“One hundred feet from the dunes,” said Washington State Park (WSP) ranger David Linthakhan during a recent trip to the peninsula. “I would just walk right away from the green of the vegetation. One hundred feet from the vegetation is good.”

Most fires will extinguish themselves, but it’s best to spread them out before you leave. Don’t bury them.

“As long as it’s far enough away from the dunes and you walk away from it, it will burn out,” said Ranger Linthakhan. “What people actually do is more problematic, they cover it up and the sand insulates the fire. Then a small child runs around and steps on a really hot patch of sand and burns their feet. So it’s actually better to just spread it out.”

Speaking of burying things, many people set up huge camps in the sand during the Fourth of July holiday. They get there very early and stay late because sleeping on the beach is not allowed.

Motivated and prepared visitors usually bring their own version of a toilet. They dig a hole in the ground and set up some kind of shield.

“There’s no way I can stop people from going to the bathroom on the beach,” Ranger Linthakhan said. “We’ll put up portable toilets and things like that, but people will do it. If you do that, don’t cover it with sand. That will make it invisible and the volunteers will come by on July 5 and step in it, and that’s not very pleasant.”

Please put a bucket under your makeshift toilet and leave the house with it. Pack up. Unpack. And that means everything.

The Long Peninsula has a reputation for getting a little crazy on the 4th of July. We were there in 2015 when nearly 100,000 people came. It was the perfect storm since the 4th of July fell on a Saturday and it was really hot in Portland and Seattle.

The visitors have left the beach in a poor condition.

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Fireworks are prohibited within Long Beach city limits this weekend. You are not allowed to purchase or set off fireworks in this area.

They are still allowed on other parts of the beach.

Ranger Linthakhan said visitors should plan where to go depending on their preference for fireworks.

“If you’re here with your family and you just want to have a nice quiet time, it’s going to be really difficult if you’re near the access to Bolstad Beach or Cranberry Road,” Linthakhan said. “You might want you and your family to just stay in that restricted area.”

In Ocean Shores, a similar ban applies within city limits, but fireworks are allowed on a certain section of the beach.

Be sure to check local laws and regulations if you plan to purchase and set off fireworks on the coast.

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