Cape Alava Loop (Ozette Triangle) - Olympic N.P.

Hiked: May 13, 2021

My boyfriend and I arrived the day before and car-camped at the Ozette Lake campground for two nights, completing the Ozette Triangle on the middle day. I highly recommend this strategy because permits for backpacking the trail can be hard to come by in the summer. We were hiking early enough in the season that the campground wasn't busy and the trails weren't too populated. The campground itself had wonderful facilities and great tasting water.

Our day hike around the Ozette Triangle was a mixture of mysterious fog and warm sunshine. The trails and boardwalks out to the coast were in good shape. Most of the rotting boards had been replaced with only a few needing attention, but they didn't disrupt the hike at all. The bridges were also in good condition. There were many beautiful wildflowers blooming and luscious ferns and hemlocks sprouting new foliage. The damp atmosphere really brought out the bright greens of the forest.

Once we reached the coastal section of the triangle, we were met by a large pile of garbage from other hikers doing a beach cleanup. Tons of plastic, fishing boat nets/floats, and styrofoam littered much of the beach where the tides had washed them high up the shoreline. This was a big reminder of how important it is to use reusable water bottles, not single-use plastics, as much as possible and to not consume products in excess. There were also many points along the shore where hikers did not pack out their toilet paper and left it hanging on bushes or in the dirt near campsites. Please pack out all of your garbage, including toilet paper. Leave no trace.

The coastal section of our hike was the most mysterious. The fog crept up behind us, covering our trail each time we looked back. We could see far enough to view the large rocks, though, which were beautiful. Sounds of sea lions could be heard in the distance, mixed with the rolling waves and sea birds. Check the tides before you go out. We hit the beach at the perfect time, with the tides very far out and on their way in. There are two sections that are not passable on the beach at high tide, so if you are hiking then, look out for the two bluffs with trail markers on them and follow the trail over each bluff.

I loved doing this triangle as a day hike, and welcomed our cozy car-home and roasted marshmallows at the end of it.