Weekend Gem-The Wild Olympic’s North Coast

The Olympic Coast is the best place in Northwest to get better acquainted with the Pacific Ocean in my opinion. Over 50 miles of sandy beaches give way to rugged sea stacks of all shapes and quiet coves invite the traveler to sit down for a spell and enjoy. All three sections have their best spots like Cape Johnson, Jefferson Cove and Toleak Point. But, none compare to Point of the Arches on the northern section of the coast. With distinct stacks, arches and tide pools that stretch out to sea like a lost mountain range, this area commands hours of exploration. This 15 mile section is best done in a one way journey from the northern terminus by way of a shuttle ride, then simply finish at your leisure. The shuttle is $160, so scoop up some buddies or family members to make the trip more memorable and affordable. Obtain you permit and get your bear canister at the ranger station on the way out to the coast.

The Point of the Arches from Shi Shi

Getting closer…

Closer…

Start out hiking down beautiful Shi Shi Beach before posting up for a night at Petroleum Creek. It is important to time the tides right, so print out a tide chart and hike around the Point and the next couple of miles during the lowest of the low tide. Usually, you can start out a couple of hours as the high tide is moving out. This allows for maximum time out on the beach for exploring and to get up and down the ropes that border the high tide markers early. That said, this trek is more like an adventure than a normal hike, with challenging accents by way of ropes. But if you are in decent shape, you should honestly have no problems taking on these obstacles.

At the Point

After you get back down to the beach beyond the Father and Son Islands, take a load off and enjoy this peaceful setting. Now, the tide will probably be rolling in, so hike down to a camp at either Seafield Creek or the Ozette River. You must ford the river at low tide, so plan ahead accordingly, you can camp at the north side of the river if you think the high tide will be an issue. The next morning, head around this dramatic headland on your way to Cape Alava and take the the boardwalk trail back to your car. This trek can be done at any time of year, but can be much tougher in winter due to the Ozette ford and limited daytime hours, so I recommend April thru September. Earlier in spring, there are less people and tend to be more wildlife about, so I would shoot for then. Keep an eye out for sea otters, whales and all other manner of sea life while out there. For the animal lover, this stretch of coast is a real treat and never disappoints, so bring a pair of binoculars if you’ve got them. This hike is the kind of experience you want to enjoy with a group, hanging out by the tide pools or simply watching the sun go down next to a drift wood fire. Wow, I love backpacking!

Tide pools!

One of the rope ladders

Looking down from perch above the Pacific