Washington Coast – Ozette, Olympic NP
Has the thought of making a trip up the western coast ever sounded appealing? Despite being a leading bucket list contender, it has taken me 30 years to make my way up there. Why so long? Living well east of the Rocky Mountains makes the journey to the northwest coast a stretch for a family road trip. Well, the opportunity emerged and I had to jump on it. This was a multi-part trip where I took off solo in the family FRRV (Fiscally Responsible Recreational Vehicle) to join a group of old-dude friends climbing Mt Shuksan in Washington State. After we finished the climb, I picked up Gayla in Seattle, and drove down the Washington, Oregon and California coastline to San Francisco. This part of the trip was during the few days between the mountain climb and Gayla’s arrival. I didn’t have a real plan for what to do with these days, figuring I would go with the flow.
The Setting
I was cruising the northern Washington Peninsula on Highway 112 enjoying the coastline along the Strait of Juan de Fuca when I noticed the Hoko-Ozette Road turnoff to Ozette Lake in Olympic National Park. I checked the map, noted there was costal access and a campground so I gave it a shot. This 21 mile road to the park was scenic and a strong indicator that the destination would be pretty remote. At the end of the road, there were a couple of campgrounds, one in the national park and the other just outside the park. It was pretty quiet this September Sunday afternoon so no trouble getting a spot in the national park. The weather was great with clear skies and moderate temperatures.
Source: nps.gov
What I Did
The campground was on the lake and there were basically two 3-mile trails through the woods to the beach. Since it was mid-afternoon as I was starting on the hike, I intentionally packed light with a day pack, some snacks and water and basic survival kit with headlamp. I took my Canon PowerShot SX50-HS which is lightweight and versatile. After a brief coin flip, I picked the trail to Sand Point.
The trail…complete with a boardwalk!
The trail to the coast was nice, easy traveling largely across a boardwalk surrounded by tall trees and vegetation common along the northwest coastline. The end of trail opens up to a remote beach cove, dark sand beaches, abundant driftwood, rocky points and a variety of birds playing musical rocks. I enjoyed a couple hours of cruising the beach, scrambling on the rocks, watching the birds and ultimately finding a spot to just sit and watch the sunset.
A local outdoor enthusiast joined me watching the sunset and gave me some pointers on things to do in the local area. We enjoyed the evening hike back to the ranger station.
If the idea of having your own personal stretch of gorgeous beach romantic and the thought of enjoying uninterrupted nature peaceful and appealing, you will love this place!
What I Missed
I just scratched the surface!! The next trip will certainly include the nine-mile triangle loop connecting the ranger station, Cape Alava, and Sand Point. Additionally, with a permit, you can backpack in to camp on the beach…that is a must, at least for a night!! Most importantly, this place is far too romantic to visit without Gayla. Haven’t breached the topic of backpacking with her yet… 🙂
Resources
What’s Next
The amazing trip to Ozette Lake experience did not really end here…the view of the Milky Way was amazing!!
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