Two miles of empty sand and 30 stone towers wait at the edge of Washington state

It’s pronounced “shy-shy”

Shi Shi Beach sits at the far northwest tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, protected inside Olympic National Park’s coastal wilderness. No road reaches the sand.

You hike in, and what you find is two miles of empty shoreline backed by giant rock towers and open Pacific. The name comes from the Makah language, and most people say it wrong the first time.

Getting here takes effort. What waits at the end of that muddy trail makes the effort worth every step.

The Makah have called this coast home for millennia

You reach Shi Shi Beach by crossing the Makah Indian Reservation near the village of Neah Bay. The Makah people have lived on these lands for thousands of years, and the coast still belongs to their story.

Pounding waves and shifting earth along the Cascadia subduction zone carved the sea stacks and rocky shoreline you see today.

Before you hit the trail, the Makah Cultural and Research Center in Neah Bay shares the tribe’s history and artifacts. It’s worth a stop.

Two miles of mud, moss and Sitka spruce

The hike to the beach runs about two miles each way.

You start on wooden boardwalks and bridges over marshy ground, then pass under tall Sitka spruce and hemlock draped in moss and ferns. The trail darkens under that canopy.

About halfway, the boardwalks end and you’re on a muddy old road bed where waterproof boots earn their keep. At the end, the trail drops down a short, steep bluff, and the ocean opens up in front of you.

Driftwood logs line two miles of dark sand

The beach stretches nearly two miles, wide and dark. Huge bleached driftwood logs pile along the high-tide line like bones of old ships.

Waves crash against rock towers just offshore, and the sound fills the air in every direction.

Shells, smooth stones and kelp wash up along the waterline, so beachcombing here turns up something new every few steps. You can walk the full length of the shore and not see another person.

Rock pillars stand like sculptures in the surf

Sea stacks are what’s left when the softer coast wears away. Here, tall rock pillars rise straight from the water and dot the beach in every direction.

Some sit close enough to walk around at low tide, and the surf has hollowed many of them into arches and caves.

They’re among the most photographed sights on Washington’s coast, and up close, the scale hits different than any photo you’ve seen. Each one looks carved on purpose.

Point of the Arches has over 30 sea stacks

Walk about 1.5 to two miles south from where the trail meets the sand and you reach Point of the Arches. More than 30 sea stacks and stone arches cluster across a full mile of coastline here.

At low tide, you can walk among the towers and through natural tunnels cut into the rock. Rocky shelves hold some of the richest tide pools on the coast.

Watch the tide closely, because rising water can cut off sections of the point fast.

Orange sea stars and green anemones fill the pools

When the tide drops, shallow pools appear among the rocks at Point of the Arches. Orange and purple sea stars cling to the stone.

Green anemones, hermit crabs and sea urchins crowd the crevices. The colors look almost tropical against the dark rock.

The surfaces are slick and the creatures are fragile, so step carefully and leave everything where you find it. Time your visit around low tide for the best viewing window.

Bald eagles circle above the sea stacks

Look up along this stretch of coast and you’ll likely spot bald eagles gliding above the rock towers. Seals haul out on the offshore rocks to rest, and if you’re lucky, sea otters float just past the surf line.

During migration season, whales and orcas sometimes pass far offshore. Seabirds gather along the sand and cliffs year-round, filling the air with noise.

You don’t need binoculars to see most of it, but they help.

Stone tunnels and hidden coves at low tide

The surf has carved caves and passageways straight through the rock at Point of the Arches. At low tide, you can step through stone tunnels and come out the other side.

Small coves sit tucked between the rocky headlands, quiet and cut off from the main beach. Round the point when the water is low and you’ll find a stretch of sand most people never reach.

Keep one eye on the tide the whole time so you don’t get trapped.

Sunsets turn the wet sand into a mirror

Shi Shi Beach faces west over the open Pacific, and at sunset, the sky lights up behind the dark silhouettes of the sea stacks. The wet sand catches the color and doubles it beneath your feet.

It’s one of the most popular spots for coastal photography anywhere in Washington. You don’t need a fancy camera.

Just stand on the beach at the right hour and the whole scene does the work for you.

Stars fill the sky from horizon to horizon

The beach sits so far from any city lights that on clear nights the sky fills edge to edge with stars. No streetlamps, no headlights, no glow on the horizon.

Campers watch the show right from their tents or stretched out on the driftwood. The remote setting makes this one of the strongest stargazing spots on Washington’s coast.

If you time it with a new moon, the Milky Way runs directly overhead.

Fall asleep to waves crashing 50 feet away

You can pitch a tent right on the beach above the high-tide line or tuck into the forest edge for shelter from the wind. Bear canisters are required to keep food safe from raccoons and bears.

Campfires are currently prohibited on Olympic National Park beaches under the 2026 fire restrictions, so plan for a camp stove.

Falling asleep to the sound of waves hitting sand is the kind of thing that sticks with you long after you pack up.

Hit the trail to Shi Shi Beach in Washington

You need a Makah Recreation Permit before you start, available online or in Neah Bay. Overnight campers also need an Olympic National Park wilderness permit through Recreation.gov. The drive from Seattle takes roughly 4.5 to 5.5 hours, and some routes include a ferry.

There’s no overnight parking at the trailhead, so use nearby private paid lots.

Bring and filter your own water, check a tide table before you go, and never turn your back on the surf. Pets can use the Makah trail section but can’t enter the park.

Drones and wheeled devices are prohibited.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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