Washington’s wildest coast hike has 50,000 buried treasures and ancient rock carvings

One of Washington’s most loved coastal hikes

Out on the far northwest edge of Olympic National Park, a roughly nine-mile loop called the Ozette Triangle waits for you. The trail starts near Lake Ozette, deep on the Olympic Peninsula.

It runs in the shape of a triangle, with two forest paths joined by a long stretch of beach. The walking stays mostly flat, with little climbing the whole way.

But what you find along this stretch of wild coast goes back hundreds of years.

A storm uncovered a village buried for centuries

For hundreds of years, the Makah people lived in a village right here by the sea. Then in 1970 a storm tore away a bank and uncovered old longhouses buried under the ground.

Over about 11 years, teams dug up more than 50,000 well-kept items from the site. You can see many of them today at the Makah Museum in Neah Bay.

Along the way you also cross Ahlstrom’s Prairie, a wetland where Lars Ahlstrom once grazed his livestock on a homestead.

Wooden planks wind through cedar and mist

For hundreds of years, the Makah people lived in a village right here by the sea. Then in 1970 a storm tore away a bank and uncovered old longhouses buried under the ground.

Over about 11 years, teams dug up more than 50,000 well-kept items from the site. You can see many of them today at the Makah Museum in Neah Bay.

Along the way you also cross Ahlstrom’s Prairie, a wetland where Lars Ahlstrom once grazed his livestock on a homestead.

Stand at the edge of the lower 48

One leg of the loop leads you out to Cape Alava, the westernmost point of land in the lower 48 states. The rocky point opens to a wide view of the Pacific, with small islands sitting just offshore.

Few places make a better spot to watch the sun drop into the ocean.

You stand on the very edge of the country, water stretching past the horizon, and the only thing west of you is open sea.

Rock towers and pools full of life

Tall rock towers called sea stacks rise straight from the water along this coast. Time your walk for low tide and the beach opens up, with tide pools full of small sea creatures clinging to the rocks.

Smooth, round stones shaped by the waves dot the shore near Cape Alava.

Low tide gives you the best window to explore this rocky beach, so check the chart before you set out and plan your hours around the water.

Whales and faces carved into the boulders

Between Cape Alava and Sand Point you reach a cluster of boulders called Wedding Rocks. Dozens of carvings, called petroglyphs, sit cut into the stone, and many of them show whales and faces.

People believe the carvings go back several hundred years. You will find them easiest at low tide, when the water pulls back from the rocks.

These carvings are sacred, so look all you want but keep your hands off the stone.

Listen for sea lions barking through the night

The waters here pull in seals, sea otters and sea lions.

The sea lions often bark from the rocky sea stacks, and people camping nearby sometimes hear them through the whole night.

Look up into the trees above the shore and you might spot bald eagles perched high in the branches. Down along the water, long-legged herons wade through the shallows and hunt.

Few coasts pack this much wildlife into one short walk.

Deer, elk, and bears share the trail

The forest and prairie hold plenty of life too. Deer turn up often along the trail, and elk move through the open prairie.

Come at early morning or evening and you stand the best chance of spotting a fox or coyote. Black bears live out here, so store all your food with real care.

Watch the raccoons near the coast as well, because they grow clever and bold around anything that smells like a meal.

Walk the open shore with no path

The third leg of the triangle is the beach itself.

You walk the shore between Cape Alava and Sand Point with no built trail to follow, just the open coast in front of you.

The footing keeps changing under your feet, from firm sand to slippery seaweed to rounded rocks that roll.

This wild stretch feels remote and untouched, the kind of place where you go a long while without seeing another soul.

Rest on the easy sand at Sand Point

Sand Point sits at the southern corner of the triangle, named for its long, sandy beach. After the rocky stretches, the sand here gives you a far easier walk.

Climb the short rise nearby and the view opens wide in every direction, ocean on one side and forest behind you.

People love this corner as a place to drop their packs, rest their legs and take in the water before they turn back into the trees.

Where the loop begins and the salmon run

The whole loop starts and ends at Lake Ozette, one of the largest natural lakes in Washington. An arched wooden bridge crosses the Ozette River right near the start of the trail.

People come to fish the quiet water and paddle across the lake. Lake Ozette sockeye salmon live here too, swimming between the Ozette basin and the Pacific.

Spend a few minutes at the bridge before you start and you set the right tone for the walk.

A coast that still belongs to the Makah

The land just north of Cape Alava is part of the Ozette Indian Reservation.

That area, including a nearby island, stays closed to the public, so respect the closure and keep to the public trail. This whole coast holds deep meaning for the Makah people, and it has for a very long time.

Tread lightly while you walk it. Small care from every hiker is what keeps this wild place whole for the next person.

Visiting Cape Alava in Washington

You reach Cape Alava on foot, hiking the trail from the Ozette Ranger Station out to the coast, a little over three miles each way.

The point sits inside Olympic National Park, so you need a park pass, and the America the Beautiful pass works fine.

The trail stays open year-round, but winter brings rain and slick boardwalks, so summer makes for the easier trip.

Check the official website for current road conditions, tide charts and any closures before you drive out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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