Allens Bay Route

This is a true wilderness route linking Allen’s Bay on Lake Ozette to the remote Pacific shoreline near the Norwegian Memorial. Expect an unmaintained path, overgrown sections, and classic Ozette mud—this is for experienced hikers who want solitude and a raw coastal experience, not a manicured boardwalk. Scenery swings from dense temperate rainforest to surf, sea stacks, and tidepools, with the memorial itself commemorating a 1903 Norwegian shipwreck.

Distance is roughly 4.4 miles total (about 2.2 miles each way) from Allen’s Bay to the Norwegian Memorial, with minimal elevation gain (on the order of a couple hundred feet) and a travel time of 2–4 hours round-trip depending on conditions. The footing can be soggy and slick, with blowdowns and brushy stretches that slow you down. Navigation is not obvious—this is a route, not a signed, maintained trail—so bring a map, compass, or GPS and be comfortable using them.

Access is most commonly by boat to Allen’s Bay (canoe/kayak across Lake Ozette). If you paddle, be ready for sudden winds and rough water on the lake. It’s also reachable via a much longer beach approach from elsewhere along the coast, but that turns the day into a serious undertaking. Near the coast, timing with tides matters—high water and storms can make shoreline travel dangerous or impossible.

Highlights include tidepools teeming with life, offshore sea stacks, and the stark, driftwood-littered beaches typical of the Olympic coast. Keep an eye out for bald eagles overhead and river otters working the shoreline. The Norwegian Memorial marks the wreck of the Arther in 1903—somber history in a wild setting.

Come prepared for mud. Waterproof boots and gaiters pay for themselves in the first ten minutes, and quick-dry layers are smart. If you’re camping, a bear canister is required—bears are active here—and camping is strictly primitive. This route sees very little traffic; don’t expect help if something goes sideways.

Best time to go: late spring through early fall, when storms are less frequent and conditions are marginally drier. Winter and early spring can be an endless mud slog, and both lake travel and coastal sections can be hazardous in storms. Always check the marine forecast and tide tables before you go.

If you want a more straightforward Ozette-area introduction, pick a maintained coastal loop instead. But if you crave solitude, don’t mind a fight with mud and brush, and want the coast to yourself, this one delivers.