Cape Alava-Sand Point Loop #32 #31

this is a great hike marked by its diversity -- one of the best we've been on in 14 yrs--that is only 4 1/2 hours drive from seattle. it is best done planning an overnite--either in a nearby sekiu motel, in the ozette campground, or camping out in a tent on the beach. and what is unusual, this whole area is open all year around. it seems almost unknown outside of the olympic peninsula residents.

this is a triangular loop, 3 mi on each side. going counterclockwise {you can go either way}, the trail starts from the ozette ranger station {also open year around} across both the new wood-bound gravel pitwalks and the old wood planks walkways thru the forest and the beach swamps to cape alava. when you hit the beach note the red, white and black circular markers--they mark each key end of trails along the beach. the route follows the beach south past two important rock outcroppings. the first is wedding rock, the site of some 45 petroglyphs--a sacred site for the native americans {you can get a flyer that catalogs them from the ranger}. the second is unnamed, but both these crops are potentially dangerous. before leaving the ranger station, be sure to check hi tide times of the tides-tatoosh island, cape flattery tide schedule. at hi tide, both these rock crops are flooded by the pacific, and you have to take a muddy detour. the northern sides of both outcrops look particularly steep for some 20 feet. the beach between these two rock outcroppings is also particularly slippery--be careful. the last leg starts above sand point, and is the flattest and easiest leg. trail maintenance crews are working there.

wildlife is wonderful. the deer are particularly unscared of humans. off the beach on the rocks we saw dozens of white seals, couples of hooded merganzas mating, cormorants, etc. no whale sitings today.

off the coast are isolated rocks reminiscent of those off the oregon coast. too bad, however, that there are so much slippery sea kelp and slippery foot rocks on the beach. the wa beach just isn't as good.

once hitting the beach from the no. loop, you have the option of going north about half a mile to the actual cape alava, which is the westernmost point in the contiguous us. just east of the point is the site of the ruins of an indian village. the cape is a popular camp site. no of the cape, the route gets trickier at hi tide--there is a rope up the rocks to aid passage. the same rope aids are available south of sand point.

lake ozette is accessible by boat just some 50 feet from the parking lot. unlike the better known lake crescent, the larger lake ozette looks without a road circling it. there is also a good eatery just past the boat landing--last resort--good for pizza, expresso and ice cream. the whole wildlife experience was just wonderful!