In my travels I’ve learned that the interesting, rewarding parts of a trip are often inversely proportional to the cost of doing them. Nowhere was this more evident than on a recent trip that a friend and I made to the Washington coast.
We decided to take advantage of an early spring weekend and explore the area. It was our intent to hike from Lake Ozette to the ocean, and we were also made aware of a trail from near Neah Bay to Shi Shi (pronounced shy-shy) Beach.
We had no idea where to stay to get to these trails. Before leaving we could discern no appealing facilities — at least anything that caught our eye — near Clallam Bay or Neah Bay, the closest embarkation points. I brought camping gear just in case and we decided to take our chances.
To our pleasant surprise we stumbled across Van Riper’s Resort at Sekiu. This motel is directly on the waterfront where some rooms provide dramatic views of Clallam Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
These waterfront rooms are tidy, adequate to large (one unit is 1,500 square feet), some with bedrooms, full kitchens and decks (but no fireplaces).
Best of all, the units are about 40 feet from surf’s edge at high tide. We had tasty, if unremarkable, American-style meals at the Breakwater restaurant, about a mile away on Highway 112.
Sekiu is directly exposed outflow winds from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and, as a consequence, we enjoyed blasts of waves against the breakwater just yards away from us. The night before we arrived, we were told, spray was hitting the building.
Our first adventure was a walk to Shi Shi Beach. This recently improved, moderate trail (3 miles one way we were told, but it seemed less) was advertised by several folks as "leading to one of the most pristine, black sand beaches in the world."
I don’t know about that, but it is a beautiful place within the boundary of Olympic National Park just southeast of Cape Flattery.
The trail — some of it boardwalk, some old logging road — leads through second- and third-growth mixed cedar, spruce and hemlock on the Makah Indian Reservation. Areas of the trail were sloppy in early spring, but we were able to keep our feet dry and relatively mud-free by stepping gingerly.
We did some exploring of the beach and were surprised to see a number of others doing the same. It seems the word has gotten around quickly about this lovely spot.
To get to the trailhead, follow the signs from Neah Bay to the fish hatchery and watch for the parking lot, about 6 miles. According to those with whom we spoke, it is advisable to obtain a $7 yearly parking pass at Washburn’s General Store in Neah Bay.
"You may be sorry if you don’t," we were told, implying the possibility of vandalism or theft.
We still had some daylight so we decided to make a short jaunt over to Cape Flattery. A 5-mile gravel road leads to trailhead parking. The moderate half-mile trail to the point (we saw people hiking in loafers) terminates at platform lookouts offering spectacular views of Pacific and Strait of Juan de Fuca headlands, some with caves.
You’ll also have an unimpeded view of the Cape Flattery lighthouse on Tatoosh Island just to the west.
Without really trying, we were able to spot an interesting assortment of wildlife in a short period of time: eagles, cormorants, sea lions, oyster catchers, river otter and bufflehead ducks, among others.
Make sure you bring binoculars. You can also revel in the fact that, of about 289 million Americans in the lower 48 states, you are occupying its most northwesterly point.
The next day we decided to cap our trip with a hike to the ocean from Lake Ozette. The trailhead is about a 35-minute drive from Sekiu, and we were surprised at the extent of logging along this road.
At the large trailhead parking lot we encountered a number of young folks on spring break, many preparing for overnight backpacks to the ocean. The parking fee is $5 a day. There is a nice, lakefront Olympic National Park campground nearby.
The Ozette hike to the coast is best done as a triangle loop. You have a choice of two 3-mile boardwalk trails, one southwesterly to Sand Point and the other northwesterly through mixed conifer forests and marshy prairie to Cape Alava.
The boardwalks to the ocean can be slippery, and I quickly discovered that soft-sole shoes such as sneakers or running shoes are better for traction than lug soles.
A 3-mile beach walk between the two trails is possible, though it is best to time it for the lowest tide to negotiate a pair of headlands. At higher tide it is possible to traverse the headlands by means of steep, eroded trails, but this is not for everyone.
We chose to take the northerly route and arrived at the beach just before high tide. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch, then elected to walk south along the beach to Sand Point.
This is a dramatic stretch of beach, augmented by sea stacks, tide pools, shorebirds and other marine life. One of the headlands, Wedding Rocks, has native peteroglyphs.
If you have the time and energy, connecting the two trails by means of the beach is the way to go.
There are numerous areas to camp at the egress of both trails and along the beach walk. However, the National Park Service has restrictions on open fires in some places. An overnight permit is required, along with advance reservations during the summer.
Check with Olympic National Park before you leave.
Nine miles of walking is good aerobic exercise under any conditions, and we were pleasantly tired after our return.
Without dallying too much, and hiking briskly, we were able to complete the entire loop in about five hours. Allow at least this amount of time to complete the loop.
This was an excellent trip, and if you are a person who likes your travel experiences uncrowded and low-key, I recommend you consider a spring or fall adventure to the northwest Washington coast.
Barry Brower is an Everett freelance writer.
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