Olympic National Park's Best Kept Secret - The Ozette Triangle Trail

Of all the hikes in the Olympic National Park of Washington State, one of my favorites is the Lake Ozette Triangle. This 9 mile loop includes some of the world's most beautiful hikes through rainforests and over beaches and headlands. There are even petroglyphs (ancient rock art) located on the beach on the second leg of the triangle. Some of these glyphs are centuries old and were created by the Native Americans living in the area.

Permits

In order to obtain a wilderness camping permit to camp on this hike you'll need to contact the Olympic National Park's Wilderness Permit Center in Port Angeles. These permits are extremely limited and anyone planning on heading out to the Ozette area should call a couple weeks in advance to ensure that they can obtain the appropriate permits. Once the appropriate permits have been obtained you can camp on the beach at both Cape Alava, the northern-most point of the triangle, or at Sand Point, the southern-most point. Be sure to attach your permit to your tent once you have set up camp.

Getting to the Trailhead

The trailhead for the Ozette Triangle hike is located south of the fishing resort town of Sekiu, Washington. From Port Angeles you can take HWY 101 to Sapho and then HWY 113 North to Sekiu or you can get there by taking HWY 112 East from Port Angeles to Sekiu. Once in Sekui, head east toward Neah Bay and turn south on Ozette-Hoko Road. Follow this road for 21 miles to the Ranger Station and Trailhead.

The Trail