If you're craving a slice of serene, unspoiled wilderness, Shi Shi Beach on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula is where it's at. But before you hit the road, let’s chat about permits (because nothing says “adventure” like paperwork, right?). Since Shi Shi Beach is part of Olympic National Park and the trail leading to it crosses Makah tribal land, you’ll need both a Makah Recreation Pass and a Wilderness Permit for the national park to camp here. Double the permits, double the fun!
Once you've got that all sorted, you’ll need to get creative with parking. You can park in one of the nearby private lots (aka someone’s yard), which are just 0.6 miles from the trailhead. It’s $10 a day, but think of it as your contribution to someone’s lawn care fund. One tip: try to refrain from sprinting from the parking lot to the trailhead. I did that and burned myself out pretty early on!
Getting to Shi Shi Beach is a bit of a commitment, but totally worth it. We’re talking 7 hours from Vancouver or about 4.5 hours from Seattle, both involving a Washington State ferry ride (which is always a fun mini-adventure). You might want to stay overnight in the area before your hike. Port Angeles has plenty of hotels, and while Neah Bay has a few options too, I’d suggest staying in Port Townsend. That place is a vibe and not too much of a detour!
The first mile of the trail is on solid, recently constructed paths. Easy-peasy. But once you hit the second mile, you’ll encounter the legendary mud bogs. If you don’t feel like starring in your own version of "Survivor: Washington Edition," there are some paths around the sides of the bogs. But if you’re wearing good hiking boots, go full-on adventurer and tromp right through the middle. Mud’s just wet dirt, after all!
After about 2 miles, the trail gets a little spicy with a steep switchback descent down to the beach. Once you’re on the sand, you’ll pass through a camping area before being greeted by miles of beach paradise.
Now that you're on Shi Shi Beach, it’s just you, the waves, and the sand. The beach curves beautifully for two miles, and at the end, you’ll find the stunning sea stacks of Point of the Arches. If you’ve timed your visit right, you’ll hit this spot at low tide, when you can explore tide pools, offshore rocks, and the nooks and crannies of the sea stacks. It’s like something out of a Pacific Northwest fairy tale.
I ended up spending the whole evening among the sea stacks, taking photos, pondering life, and working up the courage to ask someone for a lighter—which, of course, I forgot to bring to light my stove. Being shy is the worst sometimes! I overthought my intro and how to smoothly segue into asking, but eventually, I got my flame.
Hope this trip inspires your next adventure or creative pursuit. Lots of lessons learned on this trip, that’s for sure!