Join the wave to preserve Washington’s shores at coastal cleanup on Sept. 20

OLYMPIA – Help protect Washington’s beaches and marine life on Sept. 20 by volunteering at a state park during the annual International Coastal Cleanup.  

As a member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is proud to co-host this opportunity to bring people together who cherish Washington’s coastline to help protect and preserve it. 

While cleanup events will take place at multiple sites statewide, State Parks will host cleanups at seven of its parks: Cape Disappointment, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Twin Harbors. 

In collaboration with Washington CoastSavers, State Parks organizes three beach cleanup events each year. Volunteers are essential to these efforts. In 2024 alone, 2,339 volunteers removed an astonishing 159,431 pounds of marine and firework debris from Washington’s beaches — roughly the weight of 13 adult orca whales.  

Of that total, 565 volunteers collected 13,712 pounds of debris during the September International Coastal Cleanup. 

So far in 2025, volunteers have removed 155,003 pounds of debris — just 4,428 pounds shy of last year’s total — with the International Coastal Cleanup still to come. 

Community organizations and partners supporting this effort include the City of Long Beach, Grassroots Garbage Gang, Lions Clubs International, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic Peninsula Chief Petty Officer Association of the US Coast Guard, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Surfrider Foundation Grays Harbor Chapter and Surfrider Foundation Olympia Chapter, all providing registration sites and volunteer support. 

On arrival, volunteers should check in at one of these locations: 

• Cape Disappointment check-in:

  • Ocean Park Ocean Beach Approach (OBA), 1100 Bay Ave, Ocean Park, WA 98640 

  • Bolstad OBA, Bolstad W, Long Beach, WA 98631 

• Fort Flagler check-in:

  • Chimacum Corner Farmstand, 9122 Rhody Dr, Chimacum, WA 98325 

• Fort Worden check-in:

  • Port Townsend Marine Science Center, 502 Harbor Defense Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368 

• Grayland Beach/Twin Harbors check-in:

  • Bonge Ave OBA, W Bonge Ave, Grayland, WA 98595 

• Ocean City/Pacific Beach check-in:

  • Chance a la Mer OBA, W Chance a la Mer NW, Ocean Shores, WA 98569

  • Ocean City OBA, 37 Second Ave, Ocean City, WA 98569 

Volunteers should dress for variable weather conditions, wear sturdy footwear and pack a lunch with plenty of water. Supplies for debris collection will be provided at check-in, though reusable gloves are encouraged. Check-in stations also serve as dumpster locations for collected debris. 

For more information, a full list of participating beaches and to pre-register, visit CoastSavers.org. Please note that a Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to state-managed lands on Sept. 20.