Shi Shi Beach and Point of the Arches — Monday, Jul. 10, 2023

Bottom Line:

A beautiful ~9 mile RT sunset hike down Shi Shi Beach to Point of Arches with sea stacks framing the fading sun, an ever-changing kaleidoscope of color on the layered surf, and an ethereal cloud of mist and campfire smoke rising from the beach and shrouding the massive old grown trees on the bluff - a delight. The return hike in the dark, without a moon, was dark indeed! All told our trip crossed over into the wee hours of this morning (worth the grogginess today!)

Stats:

• Distance: 9-1/4 miles
• Duration: 3-1/2 hours
• Vertical: 550 feet
• Road/Parking: The road to Neah Bay is beautiful - parts of it reminded me of the Road to Hana on Maui with the lush trees, ocean proximity and corners; we parked at the day-use lot on Hobuck Road (just past the resort; the directions to the trailhead are well-signed from Neah Bay); Makah Recreation Pass required ($20 and good for a year); plenty of parking in a lot that probably holds about 30 cars; overnight campers have a different lot ~1/2 mile away with a $10/night cash fee
• Weather: Late day sunshine to sunset, and then dark skies as the moon did not rise until later; 70s to 50s; light wind; started a couple hours after high tide, so the hide was going out, and the beach was completely different (more exposed rock and tide pools) on the return
• Trail: Roughly speaking, the trail is divided into 4 sections - 2 miles in the woods, 2 miles down the beach, and then the return; of course, the beach going is a little slower - I was gobsmacked by the amazing surroundings, and walking on sand slows one down; I suspect the WTA trail description starts from a different location as there was no bushy clearcut near the beginning; the trail only has a small section of mud remaining, and it is easy to step through with hiking boots (not deep); the trail from the day-use trailhead to the Olympic National Park boundary uses boardwalks for much of its distance, and passes through a beautiful old growth forest; at the boundary, one descends the bluff down to the beach (steep, but a good trail), and is greeted by a set of sea stacks to the immediate north; folks have piled beach garbage in the woods where the trail meets the beach - in retrospect, the beach was indeed remarkably pristine! Point of Arches is visible in the distance ~2 miles to the south, and the hike down the beach is mostly easy, especially a couple of hours after high tide with hard sand to walk on (and fresh footprints to lay down!); the beach itself has stunning sand and surf with sea stacks framing either end; wildlife included eagles, hares (so of course coyotes and cougars are probably around) and seals (see video, I was "stalked" by two playful seals in the surf for about a mile); no bear cubs and mama on the beach this time (probably too many campers), unlike our last trip to Ozette Triangle; there were campers on the beach, but it was not crowded by any stretch of the imagination; we were prepared to navigate in the dark this time out (once at Ozette Triangle, we had to return in the very dark woods by the tiny lights in our watches - oops!) No doubt - this is a special place :)
• Takeaway: This is an ideal sunset hike with a fine beach and not a lot of obstacles to navigate after sunset, unlike my experience at Ozette Triangle, which at least the north end was somewhat more rugged; I must return to camp on the beach and enjoy both a sunrise and sunset! CAUTION: During a very high tide, this beach could be dangerous and likely impassible due to the log debris high on the beach and the steep cliffs fronting the bluffs - link to tide charts below

The cabins at Hobuck Resort are very nice, and close to the trailhead (~10 min by car). The attached video showing the changing nature of the beach from arrival to sunset and beyond. This video could just as easily be Hawaii :)

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9443090&legacy=1
• https://www.instagram.com/wta_alpinewanderer/