Shi Shi Beach Trail

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

Makah Indian Reservation

Activity: Day Hike

11 miles, 625’ elevation gain, 5.5 hour duration, rated Moderate

Date: 6-6-22

Starts out with a lovely forest- green and plush, wooden walkways and bridges, really something out of a fairytale and the forest never deviates from that beauty. A walking stick, (Some muddy places such as this have numerous ones available to choose from, which I though was most kind), I think it is a must as much for support and balance, tip toeing across limbs and logs in the mud, as testing just how deep the mud is. However, the trail gets muddier and muddier…  Sometimes it is so muddy that it is better to find an alternate course.  If you are alert and searching you might find a side trail that’s up higher and out of the wetness.  However, sometimes the side trail is just as bad, with the side trail being quite the obstacle course stepping over roots, navigating slog, going over downed trees, limbs and decay.  But, it is an adventure right?

I kept thinking is this really worth it?  This mud sucks! Then I emerged from the woods to the beach and I was rewarded with a splendid Washington wild and rugged coastline.  Then all the way to the rocks, tide pools and the sea stacks at the ‘Point of Arches’, one of the most photographed spots on the Washington Coast.  It’s simply mesmerizing, enchantingly unbelievable, and fascinating.  It makes all that mud worth it. Until you start coming back… but then you remind yourself to just keep concentrating on how beautiful the rocks were.

Be sure to check the tide table as although this is a broad beach there was a warning sign that it could be impassable at high tide and you certainly would not want to get stuck.  You will need a Makah Tribe Pass, which can be purchased at Neat Bay and if you will be backpacking over-night an additional permit is required as well. That can be purchased at the Olympic National Park Visitor’s Center in Port Angeles.  

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“The heart of a man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths, it has it’s pearls too.” —Vincent Van Gogh

Thanks for joining me, and I would say along with my son Alec, but he opted out of a trail of mud and instead caught up on his teenage beauty sleep, back in the rig.  I will say, he missed out to be sure… For more on our trek through the Olympic National Park and beyond be sure to do this:  LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE.  If you go to the menu above, each location or activity is a separate Website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. The menu will verify that PBTA seeks that elusive BALANCE that we all hunger for, to put our busy lives in check, all over this great West of ours.  I hope it will provide some insight and inspiration for your next adventure.  At SHOP APPAREL you will find top quality Adventure Wear with the PBTA logo and mantra.  

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

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