Daily Archives: August 6, 2018

Clallam Bay, WA AUG 2, 2018

After a week at Salt Creek Recreation Area it was time to move on.  On the way out we were treated to the sight of five beautiful deer grazing in the campground field.  They are used to having people around and didn’t pay any attention to us. 20180802_101639

We made the hour drive west to Clallam Bay, Washington (pop 363) for a three night stay.  We were glad it was a short drive because the road was very curvy and hilly with lots of bumps and waves that swayed the RV from side to side. Our campground in Clallam Bay was not fancy, but nothing in this rather remote section of Washington state is fancy or developed.  Pretty much nothing in the way of stores or restaurants which was fine with us because we had stocked up on groceries in Port Angeles. Fishing, logging and tourism are the main industries in the town. IMG_3261IMG_3260

Our main reason for coming here was to visit nearby Cape Flattery, the most northwestern point in the lower 48 contiguous states.  On our drive to the Cape we had beautiful scenic views of the Cape of Juan de Fuca, including a couple cruise ships heading east to either Victoria, British Columbia or Seattle. IMG_3268

The land at Cape Flattery is owned by the native American Makah Indian Reservation and we had to buy a $10 annual permit to hike on their land. IMG_3270IMG_3272 The two mile round trip hike was not easy with narrow, uneven boardwalks and tricky tree roots just waiting to trip the unsuspecting hiker. The worst part of the hike was how crowded the trail was and since the boardwalks were narrow, we often had to stop to let someone pass.  We were also not thrilled that it was mostly uphill on the way back! IMG_3274IMG_3278IMG_20180804_155007IMG_3315IMG_3280IMG_3319

There were three viewpoints along the way, each breathtaking.  IMG_3282IMG_3284IMG_3286IMG_20180804_162258IMG_20180804_162324IMG_3290IMG_3295IMG_3298

At the last viewpoint we could see the Cape Flattery lighthouse located on nearby Tatoosh Island.   Built in 1854, it is a deactivated lighthouse and is the northwesternmost lighthouse on the West Coast in the lower 48.  In 2008 a solar powered beacon fitted with six year batteries was installed by the Coast Guard and the lighthouse was turned over to the Makah tribe which also owns Tatoosh Island. The lighthouse is closed to the public and special permission must be given by the Makah tribe to visit the island. IMG_20180804_163615IMG_3299IMG_3306IMG_3307IMG_3311IMG_3312IMG_3314IMG_3320

This tree looked like an elephant. 

Next stop:  Forks, WA