Oregon Hikers

I did my annual trip to the beach of the Olympic Peninsula. Spent a few nights.

View from campsite: My campsite: I took the shortcut. 1.5 mile before Third Beach trailhead, take dirt road 1.5 miles. Trail is 1.5 miles to beach. It avoids all those difficult spots where you have to go from beach up to the trail.

Because of covid you have to reserve at recreation.gov. "Olympic National Park Wilderness Permit". "check availability". "south coast". I chose Strawberry Point which I think is better than Toleak Point and has more availability. They tend to be full on weekends. $6 plus $8 per person per night.

My campsite was 0.5 mile south of Strawberry Point. Another nice site 0.1 mile further south.

Beautiful. Looks like you had good weather - one nice result of our unusually dry April.

yeah

we'll pay for it this summer? when we have big fires?

My partner and I have reservations for the area just before Memorial Day, one night at Toleak and one night at Strawberry. That's just how it had to work, unfortunately... no two consecutive nights available at either spot. The campsite you stayed in, south of Strawberry, do you think it's midpoint enough between them to count as both areas (so we wouldn't have to pack up and move 1/4 mile between nights)? It looks like a great spot!

And that shortcut road/trailhead, since it is on DNR land, I assume a Discover Pass required to park there?

I am a known rule breaker, so....

I think those spots are midway enough between Strawberry and Toleak. There are enough other spots so if on the Toleak night, any Strawberry point reservation people would be able to find a spot.

At the alternate trailhead, I once saw a Discover Pass required sign on a tree but it was no where near where I parked. This time, I saw no Discover Pass required signs anywhere on that road.

I've asked the National Park people about using that trailhead. They were familiar with it. Their response was that you still need a permit. I suspect they prefer people not to use it. I used to go to the Third Beach trailhead and get the self issue permit but since covid, you have to register on line, and they have a limited number of reservations allowed. Maybe they'll just never go back to self issue permits and unlimited number of people.

cool mannnnn!

Thanks for the post, Jerry. I'm wondering about the condition of that road - do you think it's suitable for a passenger sedan (Ford Focus)? Or if not, did it seem like parking on the highway and walking the road in would be a good option?

the road is pretty easy for most any vehicle. A few potholes. Only 1.5 miles so just go slow

Awesome - thanks much.