FEBRUARY 2017
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| OZETTE BEACH |
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| OZETTE BEACH PETROGLYPHS |
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| OZETTE BEACH PETROGLYPHS |
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| OZETTE BEACH |
Ozette Beach is a beautiful hike through lush rainforest to a beach containing sea stacks and petroglyphs. It is 3.4 miles from the trailhead to Cape Alva, and most people will continue down the beach to Sand Point and return to the trailhead via an alternate trail for a 9.5 mile round-trip hike. This was my plan, however, on my way from Cape Alva to Sand Point I missed the petroglyphs and decided to go back to find them. By the time I found the petroglyphs, it was getting late and I decided it would be best to return the way I came.
The petroglyphs are carved into a group of boulders along the beach. If I remember correctly, the petroglyph area was marked with a sign along the beach containing an orange circle. Not realizing what the orange circle signified, I walked right past it the first time. If you want to see all of the petroglyphs, you will need to visit during low tide. I didn't realize this until after I had visited, so I was only able to see about half of them. I will have to go back sometime. The trail to the beach is very enjoyable as it is through a dense rainforest, and due to the amount of moisture the area receives, a wood walkway had been constructed over much of it.
Due to my late start, the extra time it took to find the petroglyphs and the denseness of the forest, I ended up having to run the last couple miles back to the trailhead in order to beat the darkness. I remember I could barely see the trail by the end. Ozette Beach is a very popular hike, and I was a bit surprised by the amount of people hiking it in February. However, as it is typically done as a 9.5 mile loop hike that includes several miles of beach, everyone gets spread out pretty well.
