We spent three days near Neah Bay (Chito Beach Resort). On the first day of our arrival we had enough time for the short trip to Cape Flattery. This has to be one of he most impressive maritime sceneries there is, especially in the early evening hours! A high clearance vehicle was very helpful on the latter part of the road to the Cape. Don't forget to obtain your visitors' permission for $7 at Washburn's store in Neah Bay. Second day: 9 mile Cape Alava - Sandpoint - triangle hike. To our great surprise no other hikers were to be seen on the entire ocean leg, but lots of Bald eagles and some very tame deer. We walked up to Tskawayah Island, which could be reached due to low tide. Third day: Shi Shi beach. Northern approach. The unfinshed second half of the trail (actually an old logging road)is still as muddy, swampy as described by almost everyone who walked on or through it. We stopped at the bluff overlooking Shi Shi beach, a tent colony visible below.

Shi Shi Beach 9/22/2004

Hard to get to, but worth it. Shi Shi is the northernmost beach in Olympic Nat. Park. On the south it is accessed by a difficult 10 mile beach backpack route from the Lake Ozette trailhead and on the north via a very, very muddy day hike trail from the Makah reservation. We were staying at very nice accomodations near Neah Bay on the Straits of Juan de Fuca so I got to use the EASY day hike trail access. It was by far the muddiest trail I have ever hiked. Mud holes 100 feet long and 20 feet wide. The tribe has rebuilt the first mile of trail (which is wonderful) but then the liquid dirt begins.

It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get to the first spectacular beach overlook, just before the trail drops like an extreme skiing madman straight down the 200 foot bluff to the beach. It was a cloudy mid week day with mist, drizzle, and then rain as I was leaving. Arriving on the beach I was alone, almost. No other day hikers today but 3 tents (and 8 campers) were hidden in the best spots in the woods just above the hi tide line. In peak season you need a permit and up to 100 campers may be on Shi Shi. It's famous and hard to get to, so people come.

The beach is in the form of a gentle crescent just over 2 miles long. There is a headland peninsula at each end with clusters of sea stacks marching out to sea where the land used to be. Many of these rocky spires have caves and hollows which you can see thru at the proper angles. Some have trees and vegetation growing on top. There are tide pools too.

The trail deposited me near the north end and after admiring the northern sea stack cluster I started south on the broad sandy beach towards the southern cluster , 'Point of Arches'. The tide was receding and the waves were gentle. I walked on the wet low tide sand as near the surf as I dared. Later on one wave fooled me and I got a boot full of ocean. The mist increased and visibility was on and off down to about 1 mile in drizzle. I shielded my camera with my sun/rain hat and took a roll of photos, but the camera couldn't see as well as I did. The eyes and brain correct for conditions. After crossing petroleum creek and noticing the smoke from the campers beach fires I came upon at least a thousand gulls on the beach edge. They didn't want to fly and edged away from me as I came by.

As I got within a mile of Point Of Arches the shapes of the sea stacks started to change with my different angle of sight. Some of the caves disappeared and new ones appeared. Closer still and they all lined up and looked like a single island mountain range. The tide was not very low so I could only walk out to the first stack on the sand. I ate lunch in the shelter of a cedar tree and a giant boulder just off the beach at Point Of Arches. Just beyond the point is another beach in a small cove with more sea stacks to it's south. I decided it was getting too wet to explore any further and turned around. It rained a bit and then drizzled more as I headed north. After spotting the trailhead marker (a big black and orange target) I proceeded just a bit further to the north sea stack group. Climbing over a little headland I looked down into the hidden cove and tide pools on the northern end.

Time to leave Shi Shi and revisit the muddy trail. Even tho the rain increased the puddle size it was easier the second time thru, I knew where the bypasses and escape routes were.

Statistics 8 miles for the day, 200 ft. gain and loss 5 1/2 hours round trip 17 miles from our cozy cabin at Chito Beach Temperature 60 Humidity 100 %

Robert Michelson

As there's been no report since December, 2003, here's a current one: There are a few things to be prepared for...first, it's a long drive from Seattle...including the ferry, it took us about 5 hours to get to Neah Bay. I would not daytrip this one. From the 113 junction, there are sharply-curved sections of road which slow your speed down to at least 20 MPH on many sections in daylight...I wouldn't enjoy this at night or in rain. Close to Neah Bay, a section of road was washed out...it is a now a single-lane section with a stop-sign - you take turns if you encounter traffic from the other direction.

You need to purchase a Makah Recreation Permit in Neah Bay for $7 at present...at the Museum on your left as you enter town (which contains an impressive, full-sized replica Longhouse which you can walk into...feel like you were there, and Longboats) or at Washburn's General Store, and other stores in town. There are only 3 eateries in Neah Bay with limited menus and hours. If you want to stay in a place with bed, bathroom and shower, I'd suggest staying in Sekiu as we did, where there are a half-dozen options, 15 miles before Neah Bay and the Cove Restaurant. There's also the Breakwater Restaurant before Neah Bay.

It's sad to drive through Neah Bay to get to the signed road to Cape Flattery and ""Beaches""...a sad-looking town surrounded by the priceless beauty of nature....follow road signs at the end of town, and take a left out as signed. Drive past Waatch and Hobuck Beaches...beautiful in their own rights...If you plan on camping overnight and want to gain some security for your car, as you near the Shi Beach Trailhead there's ""Donna's"" place, signed on your left...with a private parking lot for I believe $10...some insurance and better peace of mind. Continue on the road (paved all the way) to the Shi Shi Beach Trailhead parking lot with room for perhaps 15 cars, and a couple of porta-potties but no garbage cans.

Starting out on the trail for the first mile or so is a pleasant, seductive experience...the Makahs have put alot of work in to build gravel trails and boardwalks...but then as I think you cross into the National Park / Forest Service land, you enter sections of Mud Hell. We encounted 3 blowdowns, the first of which was easy, the 2nd was muddy, the 3rd was a slippery, muddy obstacle course. At first, we tried to avoid getting too muddy...but as experience grew after awhile we just gave up and accepted the reality of getting through each muddy morass...several, literally over ankle-deep...the kind that sucks your boots off when you try to step forward...and needless to say, the mud cakes up on your pants legs a few more inches...if you look around at the muddy morasses, there may be some side-trails that wind up and down, but these are slippery with mud also, and have root tangles...watching your step is the order of the day.

So although it's a relatively flat trail, with only small inclines here and there, and rated at 3.3 miles, because of the muddy conditions, it slows you down quite a bit...it took us over an hour just to get to the trail leading down to the beach...we ran out of time and didn't go farther as sunset hour approached and we weren't ready to camp. But we charged back through many of those muddy morasses, (who cared at that point) and made it back in about 45 minutes.

Strategies for dealing with the mud: - Accept the mental attitude to ""Just Do It; Get Over It"", - Ankle-high or higher, waterproof hiking boots with gaiters, - Sturdy, secure, rubber-soled sandals and shorts (just clean off when you get down to the beach, and water-down when you get back to the parking lot).

One last comment...I've read elsewhere the Forest Service / National Park Service may not have agreed to encourage more visitors to Shi Shi Beach, therefore the more difficult trail conditions on Forest Service / National Park land. There are 2 minds on this...those who think it should be kept this way to keep nature pristine as possible, or those who think it is our land to both enjoy and care for. Unfortunately, the few who do not care for the land spoil it for the rest of us...witness littering! Because I feel this is a unique, priceless asset, I hope WTA will organize trail crews to improve trail conditions and organize to encourage visitors in keeping Shi Shi Beach pristine for posterity.

Being that I had some weekday time off from work I chose to hike the North Shi Shi Access Trail to camp for a couple of days near Point Of The Arches. This is a hike I've dreamed about doing for many years but have never been brave enough to try on a weekend with all the reports of it's popularity and the ensuing huge crowds. After a stop at the Wilderness Information Center in Port Angeles for my permit I arrived at Tilly's house for safe parking at around 6:00pm. She lives about a half mile from the trailhead and charges $5.00 for each day you're parked in her yard. A small price to pay for the peace of mind you receive knowing that your vehicle will be safe. Hers is the last house before the trailhead and the ranger in PA said there have never been any reports of vandalism with vehicles parked on her property. Not true of some of the other houses offering parking in the area. The first mile is on the new Makah Trail. This is easy boardwalk with nice trail signage. The next mile across Portage Head is yet to be completed by the Makah. There are some good size mudholes and a couple of blowdowns. All are easily navigated with a little bit of effort. The trail drops sharply to the north end of Shi Shi Beach at the two mile mark. I do mean sharply! It seems like about 200 feet down in 200 feet! Watch your step if carrying a heavy pack. I guess I still had my city legs at this point. Once on the beach I finally got the chance to realize why this is agruably the Northwest's most beautiful beach. Through the mist and fog I could see seals popping up in the surf and eagles soaring overhead. As I hiked south to the Point Of The Arches I passed Petroleum Creek and all the campsites here were full. Not to worry my goal was the tiny outlet stream from Willoughby Lake and easy access to the arches on the south end of Shi Shi Beach. I was not dissapointed. Upon arriving at the outlet stream and a lot of plodding amongst the driftwood in the fog I found a great campsite just south of the stream. It was set back in the trees with an awesome view of the arches. The camp even had a full picnic table made of driftwood! Perfect. After a rainy night the sun broke out the next morning just in time for exploring the Point and taking photos. You can make it a long way out into the arches at low tide. I could only get about half way out but I'm sure if you planned it for a large minus tide you could go farther. This spot is truly amazing. Large Stonehenge like monoliths guarding the coastline, Sea Caves, Tide Pools and Shore Birds. Some of these rocks are 140 million years old. You can really feel the sense of ancient history here. It was a photographer's dream. I truly recommend you do this hike during the weekdays. I only saw a half dozen other people the entire day. The hike out was just as nice with lots of sunshine and more photo op's. Have fun and take the time to soak in the peace that this special place has to offer. Happy Trails!!