This was one of several places I took a friend visiting from out of town. The main objective was tidepooling with the minus tide in the morning, and we also walked the Bluff Trail to get some views from above.

The tidepools were great, but be aware that all of the beach access points we found, including Tongue Point, have steep stairs that do not go all the way down to the beach - there are rocks at the base of the steps that require scrambling down and up to get to the beach and the tidepools. I did not know this when planning to go there so it was a surprise when we got to the end of the stairs. (And I realized later that it would have been helpful for the trip report to take some photos of the rock sections but at the time I was focused on figuring out how to get up and down them 🤦‍♀️)

There are good views from above the beach, and lots of benches, so the bluff trail was a nice walk but if beach access is your priority, Salt Creek might not be the best option.

Hiked up to Striped Peak first, then took advantage of the low tide to explore tide pools around Tongue Point, returning via Crescent Beach and the Beach to Bunker trail.

Road Conditions. Paved road. The nearest restrooms were a bit further down the road, in the campground. No pass required for day use.

Trail Conditions. The trails were all in great condition. The first two beach access points from the west  looked a bit too scrambly, but the third one was easy enough. With the tide at close to 0ft, we could walk out 500ft. The fourth beach access point (at the western-most tip of Tongue Point) looked not too bad, but we continued to Crescent Beach, skirting along Salt Creek to the final beach access point at the road. 

Highlights. The summit was partially treed, but had great views across to Vancouver Island, and down to Crescent Bay and along the (surprisingly) rugged-looking coastline. The tide pools had huge quantities of mussels, lots of chitons and urchins, a couple starfish, and one sea slug. 

Crowds. Couple of people on the trails. The campground didn't look very busy. A dozen or so parties on the beach. 

 Summary: This is a great option for a beach hike in the Port Angeles area, with the added benefit of being dog friendly. The trail winds through a pretty campground, with multiple stops at scenic overlooks and opportunities to drop down to various coves. The beach itself is stunning, with views of Mt Baker and across the Salish Sea to Canada. There’s a nice sea stack at the beach to explore. Go at low tide for excellent tide pooling. Plenty of free parking this time of year and minimal crowds. 

Stats:

• Round trip distance: 3.12 miles
• Elevation gain: 320 ft

Walked the public (east) side of Crescent Beach to Tongue Point at a minus tide around noon, then looped back through the campground, woods (and by old WWII bunkers) to my car. Incredible views on a clear day. Saw a few surfers too. Parking was still available (barely) in the upper lot just off the road to the beach. It pays to visit outside peak season. It’s a great place to camp as well; try to get a spot along the bluffs for a water view.

Every time we are on the peninsula, we plan to hit Salt Creek. It’s debatable I know, but I think these are the best tide pools in the state. Let me tell you why.

1. The tide pools are easy to access from multiple entrances. We entered through outlook #4. Took the stairs down to Tongue Point and had about 30 minutes before tide started to come in. It was slow coming in today and we stayed down at the point and beach for 3 hours. 

2. Sea creatures galore. Today we saw hundreds of sea urchins, anemones, hermit crabs and mussels. We also saw a few blood stars, leopard nudibranchs, and red dorit (nudibranch.) We heard someone had see an octopus and lemon nudibranchs. 

3. Beach features. The rocks can be slick, so wear proper footwear but my kids and myself love being able to climb rocks to find a tidepool. You can climb down the rocks and go onto the sandy beach. There is a little island that has tide pools around it and when the tide is out, you can walk around it. 

We explored the tide pools, played in the sand, splashed in the water and discovered creatures we hadn’t see before. Once we were done at the tide pools, we headed over to the playground. It’s a nice playground and great spot for lunch.

We then set off and hiked up Striped Peak with 6 kids ranging from 2 1/2-8. Towards the top is a nice bench and table with stools which is a great snack spot. Bleeding hearts and trillium are in bloom on the trail and a few other types of flowers should be coming soon. The trail switch backs up and wasn’t terrible with steepness, just long. We’ve taken other trails before but decided to go to the top today. 

I recommend checking the tides before you go. Today was a -1 ft tide. And we have been with higher tides but it’s not as great. Also, a change of clothes and shoes are a plus.