Ozette Beach Loop

Tuesday August 1, 2017

I loved this loop which contained two of the major ecosystems of the park. The first and last three miles brought me through a beautiful rainforest. The coast is the main attraction with its islands and pillars rising. Though lengthy, this is an easy hike due to how flat it is and the abundance of boardwalks in the woods.

I chose to do this hike counterclockwise and turned right at the intersection a short way into the hike. I started with three miles through the rainforest. Though it is not quite as lush as the Ho, these first three miles were a lovely walk on mostly boardwalk trails. It occasionally opened to marshy terrain as I neared the beach.

When I emerged from the forest I was greeted my a multitude of life. I could hear, what I assumed to be, sea lions barding off in the distance. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see them since they were probably on an island. I then witnessed a cool scene for an instant as I happened upon a weasel, or mink, wrestling with a snake. It happened so fast and once they noticed me the skirmish moved to the brush.

This was my first visit to the coast of the pacific northwest and it felt so much different from the Atlantic Ocean. It was completely wild, such a rarity along coastlines in my experience. The abundance of islands and pillars rising from the ocean also stood out. The tidal rocks teemed with life (this was significantly better experienced later on my hike of the South Wilderness Coast).

Throughout my coastline experience I had my eye out for the perfect two trees to hang my hammock, as I always am when making the most of nature. I found one of my favorite spots, up from the beach on two trees and overlooked the rocky shore and some nearby islands. I enjoyed my book for awhile before continuing my hike.

After finishing the three miles of coastline I returned to the woods and made quick work of the boardwalks. I set up camp at Ozette Campground for the night, but still had plenty of daylight. I decided to make the 75-minute drive to Cape Flattery for the sunset to complete my Pacific Northwest coastal experience.