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Shi Shi Beach 8/4-8/6

Posted by Martell (2006-08-07)

Shi Shi Beach is located in the NW tip of Washington, just about as far west as you can go in the state, adjacent to the Makah Indian reservation.   It is 5 hours from Seattle, including the ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston.   From the Makah reservation trailhead near Neah Bay it is a 2.2 mile hike to the northern tip of the beach.

Day 1:
The trailhead parking lot is only for day hikers, so we dropped the car off about .6 miles before the trailhead at a house where you pay $5 a day to park.

The hike in is quite level, and begins with a series of boardwalks through forested reservation land. After a while the boardwalks disappear and there is some mud to slog through. The approach into the beach is the only difficult part of the trail, as you basically climb straight down a cliff. However, my mom, who was on her first backpacking trip ever, was able to make it just fine, so it is pretty doable if you take it slow.

We hiked into the beach Friday afternoon and got there before most of the crowds arrived.   The weather was beautiful and sunny and there was a lot of visibility. The best water access was towards the South so we headed that way.

Day 2:
We walked about a mile south from our camp to the Point of Arches- a very scenic area that would be great for tidepooling at a minus tide. The low tide was about 3' so we weren't able to get to the best pools, but still saw some sea stars, assorted crabs, sculpins and small anemones. Continuing around over the rocky pools, you can get to a couple coves that are protected from the winds and are quite a bit warmer than the point. Also, the waves break quite a ways out, so there is an area of calm ocean spreading out from the beach, with thick layers of kelp swaying back and forth underwater.

A few of us went back north from the point, about .3 miles (just past a creek), on a side trail. This 1.2 mile trail leads away from the beach to a lake surrounded by dense vegetation. The trail itself is not well maintained, and is only a couple steps above bushwacking. It travels by some massive old-growth Cedars. Some of the giants have fallen over the trail and steps are notched into the logs. The lake itself is neat, but getting a good view of it is difficult.

Day 3:
We had an uneventful hike out, followed by a stop in Neah Bay for smoked salmon, before the long drive back to Portland.

Water Access: Water access was sketchy on the north end of the beach. It adds about a mile to your trip, but there are two better and bigger creeks to the south. Also, if you use the big creek near the driftwood jam, there is a path just to the south that allows you to pass around the driftwood jam (it's nice if you have to carry a huge bucket of water like I did- very difficult over the logs). Bring a large water container so you can camp away from the crowds (which probably means a decent walk to water).

Crowds: On the way out on Sunday, the crowds were insane. At the north end of the beach there was tent after tent, with very little space in between- another point in favor of adding some extra mileage and hiking south. There are also two toilets to the south and only one in the north.

Fire: You can have fires at Shi Shi, as long as you use driftwood. You are supposed to have your fire below the high tide line, so make sure to check the tide charts before you leave. We did not see this practiced by very many, but it wouldn't be a horrible trend to start.

I can't wait to check this place out in winter when the crowds would probably be less, especially if I could coincide it with a good minus tide. After a storm would be fun too, because there is a TON of stuff that washes up on this beach. I'm not sure if it is because it is so far west, but there is junk all over the place.

I would highly recommend this place for people who want to go to a very scenic beach and hang out and relax by the fire.   It's quite a drive from Portland, so save it for when you are already up in the Seattle/Tacoma area, or when you have a couple nights to spend there. Kids would love it too I am sure.

The slightly less scenic :) rock formations at the northern end of the beach:

The Point of Arches at night (I was just messing around with my camera so this is off center (no tripod), and they do look like actual arches during the day):

Into the mist:

Purple Sea Star:

A calm little cove just around the Point of Arches:

Willoughby Lake, a 1.2 mile adventure from the beach:

A funny note, the last two pictures were taken within a couple hours of each other, so you can see there is quite a difference in the inland weather.

Re: Shi Shi Beach 8/4-8/6

Posted by Jane (2006-08-09)

Very "other-worldly" ...great report and photos! Sounds like you had a bit of everything, what a great destination, thanks Martell!

Re: Shi Shi Beach 8/4-8/6

Posted by jeffstatt (2006-08-11)

I'd be interested to check that out in the fall - just to scout it out for a potential future family backpack opportunity. I've head a lot of great things about that beach. From your trip report it sounds like a lot of people have heard great things about it! Thanks for sharing and for the atmospheric photos!

How long was the drive back to pdx? I'm thinking 7-8 hours?

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