A Visit to the ‘Beginning of the World’ at Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery stretches into the Pacific Ocean from the Makah Reservation in the northwest corner of the contiguous 48 states. The indigenous people call it “The Beginning of the World.” The geographic distinction alone sold us on a visit. But we found lots to do at this remote outpost on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula:

  • A rustic 1.5 mile boardwalk through a rain forest to the cape.
  • A stunning museum with an extensive collection of Makah artifacts from the nearby Ozette Archeological Site.
  • A yummy dining scene.

The 70-mile drive on State Route 12 from Port Los Angeles along the Strait of Juan de Fuca is slow and sometimes winding. The natural, cultural and culinary points of interest made it well worth the effort.

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New Dungeness Spit, Sequim, WA

A Hike to the Light at the Tip of the Dungeness Spit

Some people bag peaks. We bag lighthouses. The New Dungeness Lighthouse off the coast of Sequim, WA, poses a unique challenge.

The light station sits in the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the end of the Dungeness Spit – the longest sand spit in the United States. Lighthouse visitors must make the 10-mile round-trip trek at low tide or get swamped in a jagged thread of tumbled rocks and driftwood that crown the spit’s high water mark.

Dungeness Spit Trail (Aug. 25, 2022) – 10.2 miles

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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park

A Trail Less Traveled in the Hoh Rain Forest

A glacial valley that boasts 140 inches of rain per year cradles the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. Moss and lichen-covered spruce, hemlock, fir and other native tree varieties rise from the valley floor along the banks of the Hoh River and its South Fork. A layer of ferns and shrubs undergirds the canopy. The South Fork Hoh Trail is a less-traveled alternative to the Hall of Mosses and other trails located near the Visitor Center on the Hoh River’s main branch.

South Fork Hoh Trail (Aug 20, 2022) – 8.1 miles, 265 feet of elevation gain

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