Rod Run to the End of the World 2026: Visitor Guide

Rod Run to the End of the World 2026 has its main show field at 25515 Sandridge Road in Ocean Park, farther north on the Long Beach Peninsula. The 42nd annual show runs Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, with registration activity beginning Friday.

If you love old cars, this is a very good September weekend to be here. If someone traveling with you is less interested in engines and more interested in a long walk on the beach, a good breakfast, and an hour with a book, that works too. The trick is planning the weekend so the show is the reason you came, rather than the only thing you do.

When Is Rod Run to the End of the World 2026?

The main Rod Run show takes place Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026. Beach Barons Car Club is hosting the event at its field at 25515 Sandridge Road, Ocean Park, WA 98640. Friday, September 11, is part of the participant weekend, with packet pickup and registration available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday brings the Show & Shine and cruise. Sunday has another Show & Shine, followed by the poker run and awards ceremony. The event also includes an automotive swap meet and vendors, so somebody who likes hunting through old parts and memorabilia may spend considerably longer at the field than planned.

What Cars Can Enter the 2026 Rod Run?

For 2026, registered show vehicles must be 1996 or older, and Beach Barons is limiting the field to 900 entrants. Online registration opened April 1, and the organizer also allows in-person registration Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

That cutoff makes this year’s field interesting. A 1996 car may still feel fairly modern to some of us, but it now qualifies alongside much older American iron, hot rods, pickups, Corvettes, Mustangs, and all kinds of builds people have spent years sorting out.

If you’re entering a vehicle, check the organizer’s current information again before leaving home. Schedules and operating details can change, and I would rather have you look twice than arrive with an old screenshot.

Where Should You Stay for Rod Run?

This is the part most Rod Run guides skip.

I own and manage all five Beachhousewa homes, and I built or remodeled each one. Beach Cabin came first. After finding enough construction shortcuts while repairing it, I decided to build Seagrass from the ground up and do the work the way I wanted it done. No corners were cut simply because these houses would become rentals.

Seagrass is my pick for a larger group that wants plenty to do after the cars are parked for the night. It has 5 total bedrooms including 3 master suites, an ocean view, a gated setting, a large fully loaded game room, a volleyball court, and a hot tub.

Ocean Trail gives a larger group the oceanfront option. It has 6 total bedrooms including 2 master suites, unobstructed Pacific views, private beach access, a game room, an outdoor fireplace, and a hot tub. For friends or family who want the beach to be part of the weekend instead of an excursion, Ocean Trail makes that easy.

Beach Cabin has a different feel. I bought it in rough shape and restored it over years of weekend trips to the Peninsula. The grounds are landscaped with flowers, succulents, herbs, and all kinds of plants, and the pergola is the central gathering spot with the hot tub and custom fire table.

Lewis works especially well for a couple, two couples, or a small family. It has two master suites with king beds and adjoining bathrooms, plus access to the game courts. After a full day around show cars, you can come back to something quieter and intentionally comfortable.

Clark, Lewis‘s newer twin, is the most refined version of the ideas I learned while building Lewis. It has two king master suites, a steamer shower, outdoor soaker tub, Hot Spring hot tub, a serious kitchen, and access to the shared pickleball, bocce, and sand volleyball courts.

There is another advantage for a bigger Rod Run group. All five Beachhousewa homes are within walking distance of one another, so friends or extended family can spread across more than one house and still stay close together.

What If Someone in Your Group Needs a Break From Cars?

September gives you a good answer.

The Cranberry Museum at 2907 Pioneer Road has a self-guided bog walk open from 8 a.m. to dusk year-round. September is especially interesting because the cranberries are ripening ahead of the October harvest. It is an easy way to spend a quieter hour while someone else is inspecting carburetors and arguing happily about paint codes.

You can also use our Traveler’s Guide to Long Beach to fill in meals and the rest of your weekend. If you want more Pacific than pavement, the Long Beach Boardwalk guide gives you a simple place to start.

For an extra day south of town, our Cape Disappointment State Park guide covers the park in detail. You can also check Washington State Parks for current park information before going.

How I Would Plan the Weekend

I would arrive Friday with enough time to settle into the house instead of making your first evening another task. If you’re entering a car, handle your registration or packet pickup during the official Friday window. Then get groceries, figure out breakfast, and leave Saturday morning uncomplicated.

Give the show the time it deserves on Saturday. Come back to the house when you’ve seen enough chrome for one day, use the hot tub, cook something good, or walk down toward the Pacific. Sunday gives you another look at the field plus the poker run and awards for anyone who wants the complete weekend.

That pace is usually how I like the Peninsula anyway. Do the thing you came here to do, then leave some room around it.

Make Rod Run a Full Long Beach Weekend

Rod Run gives you the cars. The Long Beach Peninsula gives you everything around them, Pacific air in the morning, a comfortable house to come back to, and enough room to turn a car show into an actual getaway.

Compare all five Beachhousewa homes and book your Rod Run stay.

Frequently Asked Questions