Shi Shi Beach

Shi Shi Beach is a wilderness stretch of Pacific shore in northwest Olympic National Park, reached by a forest hike from the Makah Reservation. The draw is Point of the Arches, a mile-long line of more than 30 sea stacks, with tide pools and open surf along the way. Getting to the sand is about 2 miles each way; walking south to the stacks can make the outing roughly 8 miles round trip. Think of it as a hike with a beach at the end, not a quick pull-off.

The trail starts near the fish hatchery at the end of Hobuck Road. Its first stretch crosses a brushy clearcut and Sitka spruce patches on bridges and boardwalks; farther on, the path is often wet and muddy. The final descent to the beach is steep and eroded, so you have a climb back out. Mud can linger even after dry weather.

Check a tide chart and route map before walking along the headlands. Some cannot be rounded at the lowest tides; higher water can send you onto high-tide routes. Low water exposes more tide pools around Point of the Arches, but reaching it means several miles of beach walking. For photos, put a tide pool or wet sand in the foreground and the stacks beyond it.

Pacific waves have worn the shoreline into more than 30 sea stacks at Point of the Arches. When you reach the intertidal rocks, look for seaweed, barnacles and mussels in the pools. Bald eagles and seabirds are part of the coastal wildlife here.

The access crosses the Makah Reservation, where a Makah Recreation Pass is required; buy it in Neah Bay before reaching the trailhead. Day hikers use the trailhead parking area, while overnight visitors must park in designated private lots. There is a restroom at the trailhead and three pit toilets along the beach camping area. There is no food service at the beach, and creek water must be filtered or boiled. Dogs and wheeled devices are prohibited on the beach and its trails.

Overnight stays require an Olympic wilderness permit and a park-approved bear canister for food, rubbish and scented items. Campsites are scattered along the beach and in the sheltered forest. Summer weekends can be busy; on the busiest ones, as many as 250 campers have stayed along the beach.