Clallam Bay Spit Community Beach County Park

Clallam Bay Spit Community Beach is a unique, 1.2-mile stretch of shoreline 50 miles west of Port Angeles towards Neah Bay, perfect for stretching your legs, bird watching and beachcombing for ocean treasures. Quietly tucked into a curve on SR-112 as you enter the quaint town of Clallam Bay, it offers year-round restrooms and a dog-friendly place to picnic, walk and learn about local shipping history.  

The 33-acre park rests where the Clallam River spills into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, presenting views across to Vancouver Island and the possibility of catching a glimpse of an osprey in flight or a sea otter bobbing in the waves. The beach itself is made of a dark, smooth aggregate any rockhound would love to explore and the remains of barnacles, sea urchins and mollusks will keep you fascinated while listening to the melodic sound of the waves brushing the shore.

An old coast guard station and lighthouse anchor the east end of the beach at Slip and Tidepool Points where vibrant tidepools and derelict dock footings engage your curiosity at low tide and the west end leaves you pondering a ford of the Clallam towards Middle Point.  

This isolated beach is accessed from the community park on a wide, 250-foot paved path that passes by picnic tables and a gazebo to a seasonal bridge over the Clallam River.  The bridge is typically pulled up in the winter months and you will find short paths at the end of Salt Air and Frontier Streets if that is the case, be respectful of private property.

WTA Pro-Tip: You can combine this hike with a short stroll at the nearby Salt Creek Recreational Area on the Bluff Trail to Tongue Point.  Be sure to stop by the Sunsets West Co-op for refreshments and if you have time, there is a seating area where you can nosh and even put a needle to an LP for your listening pleasure.