After backpacking the Lost Coast Trail in northern California, I wanted to hike on the North Coast Trail in Olympic National Park. I was lucky; I had timed this trip for a week when the tides were very favorable, and when I was on my way north for a short sea kayaking adventure in the Deer Group Islands off of Vancouver Island. So I was able to combine these two trips with some careful planning. The North Coast trail was supposed to be more rugged and challenging than the Lost Coast trail, and as a lover of the ocean, I was eager to experience this remote coastal trail. There was rain in the forecast, but that was to be expected in this rain forest.

This last week in May was quite favorable for the tides, with much of the daylight hours having tides below 4 feet.

I drove up from the San Francisco Bay area with my backpacking gear and my sea kayaking expedition gear. When I arrived in Forks, Washington on the second travel day, I met up with the very kind folks at Forks Ministorage, where I had arranged to store my kayaking gear securely during the backpacking trip. They were very helpful and kind enough to come back on a rainy afternoon when I forgot to keep some necessary items. After a stop at the grocery store, I checked in at the Mora campgrounds near the beach, and explored the coastline before sunset. Light rain was forecast for the next day, and intermittently throughout the week. I had brought an inexpensive, lightweight rainsuit to try out for this trip.

Day 1: Ozette Trailhead to N. Wedding Rocks: 5 mi* / 8 km

The shuttle from Rialto Beach to the Ozette Trailhead was run by The Olympic Hiking Company, and wasn’t cheap at $75 / passenger. However, they require a minimum of two, so solo hikers have to pay for two and hope to get reimbursed when the shuttle fills up. However, I was to learn to my dismay that all the other hikers had cancelled their shuttle that day, perhaps because of the rainy forecast. Oh well, live once and you can’t take your money with you! There are online reports of crime at the Ozette and Shi Shi beach trailheads, thus most opt to take the shuttle. The shuttle trip is long (at least two hours on windy roads), gas isn’t cheap these days, and the shuttle driver was a knowledgeable local, so I thought the shuttle was worth the cost of a single passenger. The morning started out a bit wet, but cleared as the day progressed, with afternoon sun.

I started hiking a bit after 1 p.m., and stopped on the westbound boardwalk trail to check out an old, abandoned homestead cabin I was alerted to by a geocache. It’s fascinating to think of living here in the early 1900’s or even earlier, before the European arrival.

After an easy and pleasant hike on the boardwalk, I emerged on the beach near Cape Alava. A camper there said that 14 people had reserved sites there, so I was glad I had chosen to trek just a bit further south down the trail. There was no water at Wedding Rocks, so after gathering 3 liters of tannin-filled water from the creek, I set off. The first ~ 0.3 miles south of the Cape were more challenging, with boulders and deadfall, before getting easier as I approached North Wedding Rocks. I set up my tent in a protected spot and was delighted to have the entire area to myself!

Day 2: N. Wedding Rocks to Yellow Banks: 7.5 mi* / 12 km

My first stop after setting out from Wedding Rocks was to look for the petroglyphs just a bit further south (downloadable waypoint below). Fortunately the tide was sufficiently low to allow going around the point. The approach to Sand Point was enjoyable, with quite a bit of exposed beach at this low tide. I spotted a young deer exploring this part of the beach, as well as a couple campsites that required climbing with a rope to access.

The approach to Sand Point was fairly easy, and Sand Point itself was a delightful spot! It was far enough from the trail head to have few people, and there were many campsites spread along the peninsula, each offering nice privacy. I later learned that many folks hike the North Coast Trail from Ozette only out to Sand Point and back, staying a couple days at the point. I could certainly understand why, especially after completing the trip!

Once south of Sand Point, there were a couple sections within a mile or so that were not so much fun. I had to pick my way carefully over a stretch of mossy, wet, slippery rocks that made for challenging hiking, even with rubber-tipped trekking poles. I fell once, but fortunately sustained no injuries. I was relieved to get back onto the sand as I approached Yellow Banks. Some of the campsites near Yellow Banks required climbing up steep cliff sections with the assistance of ropes, in order to find a narrow perch on a hillside. I labelled one site “Tarzan camp” on my GPS. Fortunately I found a more flat protected spot that was easier to access and still above the high tide line. An active creek was nearby, providing fairly clear water.

Once camp was set up I walked the length of the beach, watching some scurrying whimbrels, and the many robins I had seen at each beach area. Sunset was late, not until 9:30 p.m., or so, so I had time to finish dinner before taking some sunset photos.

Day 3: Yellow Banks to Cedar Creek: 6.4 mi* / 10.3 km

This was a low-mileage day, but a pretty challenging trek. It seemed that most of the mileage south of Yellow Banks to the Norwegian Memorial was full of boulders and wet slippery rocks, which made for precarious footing in some locations, and slow going. The tide was quite low, but the terrain was simply reef-like or with large, slippery boulders that had to be traversed. I began to understand why there were so few other hikers out here! There was also a great deal of beach debris, most of which seemed to come from fishing vessels or from offshore. But with so few visitors, and the challenges of hauling heavy backpacks over the terrain, there were likely few beach clean-up efforts. It was sad to see so much litter in such a wild and remote environment. I was relieved to arrive at the Norwegian Memorial area, where the terrain was more beach-like. I explored the campsites and saw quite a few nice ones in the tree-covered area.

The relaxing beach at Norwegian Memorial ended too quickly, and was followed by a couple of areas that were full of boulders and rocks, and made for slow going. This got worse in some tidal-dependent areas that were impassable at any tide (or certainly seemed to be), and required scaling a steep cliff with the use of a rope, hand over hand. I had been warned of this during my reading of the forums and trip reports, and fortunately had brought a pair of gloves to avoid rope burn, as suggested by some weary backpackers. The cliffs were wet, muddy and slippery from the recent rains, and climbing up with a loaded backpack was not such an easy task. I first packed up all my external gear (camera, water bottle, GPS), then re-sized and packed my trekking poles before beginning the climb. However, I found getting back down even more challenging. The cliffs were just as steep and had suffered recent landslides from the spring rains. On one cliff I had to angle over to avoid a steep drop, and on another I simply threw my trekking poles down the cliff and slid part way on the slippery parts, so I could hang on to the rope and roots to avoid going over the edge. Needless to say, my cheap rain pants started to shred, but at least they offered some protection. It did not escape my attention that no one was around for miles: if I fell or got injured, I might not be found for many hours or days. I was both keyed up and exhausted by the time I made it to the easy beach walking that preceded Cedar Creek. I was more than happy to make camp at Cedar, where I once again had the entire area to myself. I chose the best site on a point of the bluff, and bundled up to avoid the cool wind that had picked up.

Day 4: Cedar Creek to Rialto Beach Trailhead: 9.5 mi* / 15.3 km

There was a slight drizzle overnight, but I felt rested and ready for the day’s challenge. But if I thought Day 3 was challenging, Day 4 was even worse. Only a limited part of the trek was easy beach walking. There were several points that protruded out into the ocean, many of which were exposed to tides, covered with mossy, wet boulders after the rain, or required scaling more cliffs to avoid, even during low tides. Between the weather, the slippery boulders, and the cliff climbs, I barely removed my camera from my pack the entire day. I stopped briefly at the Chilean Memorial, but did not linger. At that point realized I had quite a bit of mileage to cover at a much slower pace than usual. Rounding the point at John Peak and the last point before the Hole-in-the-Wall area were particularly challenging. At the latter, I didn’t see a marker for an overland trail, so I was scaling rocky boulders, partially sitting and edging, and partially rock-climbing over tidal areas. Where alternative routes were visible (they were poorly marked or not marked at all), they involved scaling wet, muddy, steep cliffs to ascend, hand over hand on the rope, and then descend over the tidal areas. As I rounded that last point, I finally saw other people, but for the entire day I had seen no one. While I normally enjoy the solitude, the likelihood of an injury on this more remote and treacherous terrain had dampened my enthusiasm.

Although I had considered camping somewhere in the Hole-in-the-Wall area to prolong my enjoyment of the coastal hike, I was feeling far more enthusiastic about completing the trek. When I saw quite a few tourists visiting the Hole-in-the-Wall beach, it was an easy decision: I chose to continue hiking back to my car to look for a hot shower in Forks. I stopped briefly at the tidepools and to check out a virtual geocache, before hiking the remining 1.5 miles. Frankly, I was immensely relieved I had completed the hike without injury, especially as I was hiking solo almost the entire trip. Besides, in the next few days I would be picking up my brand new sea kayak, a Pilgrim Expedition, and going on a short kayak camping trip!

The North Coast Trail indeed offers a windswept and wild remote coastline, and a beautiful one for experiencing the glory that this coast has to offer. The trek from Ozette to Sand Point was pure bliss, and I see now why this is the more popular part of the trip. The remote coastline, the tidal-dependent areas, and the frequent rain and land erosion make this journey not very suitable for beginning backpackers or for less fit or more frail hikers. The need to frequently climb up cliffs via hanging ropes, even at low tides, means that hikers should keep their pack weight low and as compact as possible. And the remote area means one can’t escape human-generated beach detritus, and in arguably greater amounts than more frequented coastlines where clean-ups can occur. Nevertheless, it is a once-in-a-lifetime coastal trek that is unmatched by many others in the U.S. for its remoteness. I found this trek more wild and scenic, and far more challenging, than the Lost Coast Trail in northern California. In spite of the popularity of this trek, solitude was easy to find, given the long expanses of beach and the separation of tent areas. I recommend this trek for hardy, fit and adventurous backpackers. Pack lightly!

Photos by Cris Lewis, Sony alpha 6600, 18-135 mm Sony lens

LOGISTICS

• *Mileages marked with an asterisk are measured from a GPS track, and likely to be an overestimate of official mileage.

• The main shuttle service is The Olympic Hiking Company, which offers quite a few shuttle options for the length of the coast, as well as the Sol Duc and Hoh Rainforest area. They also offer guided trips and custom tours. This trek can be extended by starting north of Shi Shi Beach, or by exploring the southern portion of the Olympic Coastal Trail. The shuttle services all of these locations. I learned that this shuttle does not operate in October, unfortunately, as that can be a great time to visit the coast. Note that solo travelers will need to pay upfront for two seats, and then request a reimbursement by email after the trip if there are more travelers.

• The recommended map for the North Coast Trail is the Custom Correct map. The National Park Service and the maps they provide issue numerous warnings about the importance of avoiding the tidal-dependent areas during specific tide levels or during high surf. Some trekkers have died or been seriously injured from high waves or dangerous conditions, so the tide tables and guidance maps are essential. Of course, bear canisters are required, as black bears inhabit the coast.

• This NOAA Tides and Currents website offers an easy way to assess tide levels for your desired trip dates. Set the threshold direction as <= and the threshold value as 4 feet( the lowest across the entire distance, although some points allow higher tides) to obtain a plot showing which time windows allow passage of tidal-dependent areas.

• Bring rain gear and sturdy clothing for this trip. My cheap rain gear suit was completely shredded by the end of the trip, and literally hanging off of me in tatters. Definitely bring gloves (and your bravest persona if you are fearful of heights) for climbing the cliff faces with the ropes.

• I purchased some rubber tips for my trekking poles, and I was very glad I did. Trekking poles are very helpful on the rocky cobblestone areas, where there is little or no flat sand, and the rubber bumpers were much better than the standard slippery steel points on the wet rocks. I had chosen a very favorable week with low tides for much of the daylight hours, yet I was still trekking for many miles on wet, mossy cobblestones, boulders, or other more perilous terrain.

Feel free to download this GPX file of campsites and features