Cape Alava
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes to this destination:
- Cape Alava Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 48.16417, -124.73359
- Elevation: 0 feet
Description
Cape Alava is the westernmost mainland point in the lower 48 states. It is less than three miles from the Ozette Trailhead on the Cape Alava Trail. At low tide there are interesting tide pools to poke around in. Also, there are several offshore sea stacks and islands. These are off limits to visitors as they're part of the Washington Islands Wilderness and Flattery Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.
There is a camping area with about 10 sites. Many of them have views to the ocean. There's a pit toilet. There's also a bear wire, but you're supposed to bring a bear canister to prevent critter problems. In the summer (May 1st to September 30th), you need reservations to camp here. Summer weekends get fully booked almost immediately. Because of the site's popularity, this area is a bit trashy and is a little overrun. The national park has attempted to limit this by putting logs to keep humans at the official campsites. Also, a lot of trash floats in from the ocean.
More Links
- Cape Alava (Wikipedia)
- Flattery Rocks National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
- Washington Islands Wilderness (Wilderness Connect)