Tokeland, Washington

A PARADISE ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY: ChIef Toke spent summers here, enjoying the same scenery that beckons today’s tourists, 'Come sit by the Tokeland shore’

Nestled on a finger of land that juts into the water at the northern edge of Willapa Bay, is a little splash of a town called Tokeland. Long a retreat for tourists and vacationers, this slice of paradise is ripe with scenery and history.

"The views are to die for," is the way we’ve heard it described, and appropriately so. Now a haven for artists, a handful of hardy fishermen, and a thriving crabbing enterprise, this burg borrows its name from Chief Toke of the Chehalis Tribe, whose family spent summers at the peninsula.

The road to Tokeland turns off the scenic SR 105 opposite the Shoalwater Bay Casino. Tokeland Road then meanders past the Tribal and Wellness Centers, The Historic Tokeland Hotel and a beautiful 9-hole golf course. At the tip of the peninsula you’ll find an old marina – a favorite subject for photographers – where you can try your hand at crabbing or fishing, or simply buy freshly caught seafood right off the boat. The marina is a great spot to view birds as well – as flocks congregate along the shoreline.

Tokeland has always been tied to the bounty of the bay and surrounding land. Fish, oysters and crabs were vital to the Chehalis and Chinook Indians who lived in the area – these same resources still are a part of the daily life here.

But the fortunes of the peninsula have swung like a pendulum over the years. European settlers who saw gold in the abundance of oysters began harvesting and shipping them to population centers such as San Francisco. The demand led to the collapse of the burgeoning industry as native oysters died out from overharvesting. Likewise the rise and fall of the region's timber industry had a riches-to-rags impact on the tiny town.

Mother Nature has proved a most irresistible force of change. Erosion of nearby Cape Shoalwater in the early 1900s left Tokeland more vulnerable to Pacific storms. In the 1930s, hotels, even whole streets were washed away. The community and its hardy entrepreneurs persisted. Today, two resort hotels and two RV parks provide plenty of room for visitors, with restaurants located at the Casino and the Tokeland Hotel. The Shoalwater Tribe provides a small grocery store and health center for the peninsula (though for other types of goods and services, you’ll have to take a short trip up the highway to nearby communities).

A small seafood-based economy still thrives here – you'll want to stop by Nelson Crab – and the natural beauty that attracted Chief Toke to the area still beckons a growing number of vacationers and inlanders looking to flee the city or get a taste of life on the shore, if only for a weekend.