Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 275

could you want than four walls, a roof and a small kitchenette? There's also an RV park
and tent spaces are available.
Warm House Restaurant AMERICAN$$$
(1471 Bayview Ave; mains from $10; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Enjoy simply cooked Americ-
an fare like burgers or grilled fish surrounded by windows overlooking Neah Bay.
There's a fireplace roaring in winter to help the place live up to its name.
Ozette
Former home of the Makah tribe, whose ancient cliffside village was destroyed in a mud-
slide in the early 18th century before being unearthed in the 1970s, Ozette is more than
just a well-excavated archaeological pit. It is also one of the most accessible slices of
isolated beach on the Olympic coastal strip.
The Hoko-Ozette road leaves Hwy 112 about 3 miles west of Sekiu and proceeds 21
miles to Lake Ozette Ranger Station ( 8am-4:30pm) , on Lake Ozette. There is no vil-
lage here but, from the ranger station, two boardwalk trails lead out to one of two
beaches at Cape Alava and Sand Point.
The 3.3-mile Cape Alava Trail leads north to the westernmost point of land in the con-
tinental US and is the site of the ancient Makah village, where archaeologists unearthed
55,000 artifacts, many of which are on display at the Makah Museum ( Click here ) in
Neah Bay. The southern Sand Point Trail from Lake Ozette Ranger Station leads 3 miles
to beaches below a low bluff; whale watchers often come here in the migration season.
The two shorter Ozette trails can easily be linked as a long day hike by walking the 3
miles between Cape Alava and Sand Point along the beach (beware of the tides) or over-
land (although the trail is brushy and primitive).
The high point of this hike is the Wedding Rocks , the most significant group of petro-
glyphs on the Olympic Peninsula. Approximately a mile south of Cape Alava, the small
outcropping contains carvings of whales, a European square-rigger and fertility figures.
The site was traditionally used for Makah weddings and is still considered sacred.
The really hardcore can hike the 20 miles from Ozette to Rialto Beach near La Push.
Note that this last hike is dependent on the tides and hikers often have to retreat into the
wilderness, where there's no trail. All hikes require the $15 Olympic National Park fee.
Lake Ozette Campground ( 360-963-2725; campsites $12) The 15 sites fill every day be-
fore noon at the small camp on Lake Ozette, a popular playground for boats and kayaks.