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South Coast Wilderness Trail - Toleak Point — Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast
evening panorama south of Scott's Bluff

Our group of six had pretty perfect weather for a couple nights on the South Coast staying at Strawberry Point.  There were sand fleas (not biting) and some other flying insects and spiders, but no mosquitoes.    

On Saturday evening it took ~three hours to get from the Third Beach Trailhead to Strawberry Point.  The forest trails and rope ladders are in pretty good condition and mostly dry.  There are a lot of ripe Salal berries.  I will bring gloves next time for gripping the ropes that go up from the beaches. 

At the shore when you first come down from Scott's Bluff, it is possible to go around the pillar immediately south of the creek at low tide.  We missed that and took the short steep overland pass unnecessarily.  There is a privy at the spot marked "Shelter" on the map, although the shelter is no longer there.  We met a couple who stayed there 23 years ago and said there were many campsites there then, although the area has rewilded.  After that pillar, there is a decent creek for filtering water and then a smaller stream a ~half mile further south before Strawberry Point.

We filled most of the main site in the forest at Strawberry Point, which we were lucky to get after arriving so late.  The forest there has some good spacing for hammocks.  There was a couple camping on the sand spit between the forest and Strawberry Point.  If there had been any more groups, they would have had to camp on the beach south or north.

On Sunday, we went to the end of the beach south of Toleak Point before the overland pass to Goodman Creek.  It is possible to comfortably go barefoot for this whole section.  We used the privy north of Toleak Point that is just above the beach in the woods.  The privy just south of Toleak Point is in disrepair.  There is a pretty fresh sea lion carcass (maybe from 21st or 22nd) south of Toleak Point that didn't smell much, but will be pretty bad soon.  Toward the end of the beach there is one tree that provides decent shade.  The sun was strong there otherwise in the middle of the day.  

At the evening low tide at Strawberry Point, we explored the caves and narrow canyon passages on the ocean side which was a trip highlight.  Good water shoes or sandals (e.g. Chacos) will make it easier, so you can just walk through the water in the passages rather than stemming the slippery canyon walls to stay above the water.  It is possible to go completely around the point at low tide.  Gloves also would have been helpful here for the rough rock walls. 

Scott's Bluff at low tide before sunset
Pelicans on the beach
Few days old sea lion carcass
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