Point of Arches

Point of Arches is a mile-long line of more than 30 sea stacks at the southern end of Shi Shi Beach, on Olympic's rugged Pacific coast. It is a National Natural Landmark, but this is no roadside stop: reaching it means about eight miles round trip from the Shi Shi trailhead. I'd choose it when the beach hike is the day's plan, not when you're looking for a quick viewpoint.

From the trailhead, a forest path drops to the sand; then you walk south along the beach to the formations. The woods are often muddy, and the descent to shore is steep and worn. The beach walk adds several miles, and you retrace it on the way out. This is a long, uneven hike rather than a step-free visit.

Check the tide chart before you go and be ready to use headland trails when water covers the beach. Some headlands cannot be rounded even at the lowest tides, so low water does not guarantee a straight shoreline route. Tide pools and the spaces between stacks are best explored with plenty of time and a clear way back.

More than 30 stacks stretch along roughly a mile of shore. Walk far enough to see how the narrow spires, broader islands, and wooded headland line up from different angles. At low tide, pools and wet rock add detail in the foreground; sunset turns the stack line into silhouettes over the Pacific.

Point of Arches is one of the Olympic Coast's National Natural Landmark features. Its stacks are harder remnants of the Hoh Rock Assemblage, left standing as waves wore away softer mudstone. The volcanic and marine sedimentary rocks formed offshore 18 to 57 million years ago; movement where the Juan de Fuca Plate dives beneath North America later folded and lifted the coast.

The tide pools are a reason to slow down between the stacks. Bald eagles and seabirds are also part of the coastal scene, with the open water and driftwood beach giving you room to watch the shoreline instead of rushing back through the forest.

The approach begins on the Makah Reservation, where the Makah Tribe manages the Shi Shi trailhead. A Makah Recreation Pass is required before you arrive at reservation trailheads; overnight campers also need an Olympic wilderness permit. The National Park Service lists April through October as the best season and warns that Petroleum Creek can be difficult to cross in winter after heavy rain. Pit toilets are at the trailhead and beach campsites. There is no food service on the beach, and creek water needs filtering or boiling. Dogs are prohibited on the coastal trails and beaches.