Shi Shi Beach

Caught the view from the trail just before you cross into the national park, weather was less than ideal, will need to return to hike to point of arches.

Iconic Pacific NW beach. Daytime access via trailhead and parking, overnight need to work on private property. .6 miles along the road. Well advertised. Need overnight pass from NP as well as Makah tribe pass ( purchasable at Neah Bay)

Like all of the beaches along the western coast of Washington, this did not disappoint. Beautiful hike - and yes, muddy as everyone else has said, but worth it.

We walked from the Shi Shi Beach trailhead parking area to Shi Shi Beach. It was about 2.3 miles one way. The trail was very muddy after about the 1st mile. Most of the mud spots had walk arounds that allowed you to bypass most of the mud. There was a stairway that went down to the beach. It was probably 70 or 80 feet straight down so obviously coming back up was a little work. The 5 mile round-trip had about 500 feet of elevation gain. My wife and I are 66 years old and handled it with no problems. Strongly suggest that you wear hiking boots that are waterproof and also have walking sticks to help with your balance on the areas where you have to bypass the mud Boggs. The beach itself was very beautiful. The waves were quite high. It was a real adventure and we had a great time.

4.5 hours and 9.6 miles. Forecast called for rain but it was sunny! We were the only people on the beach. You NEED muck boots for the 2 miles in the woods. Once you hit the beach for the remaining 3 miles is a little rough. Walking on sand will get you feeling the burn but it is so worth it. Nothing note worthy in terms of tide pools but the rock formations are just stunning. Look up tide charts and plan to arrive at point of arches an hour before low tide so you can spend as much time there as you want. Always wanted to do this hike. I am so grateful that I finally went!

This trail is quite a gem, a bit muddy in certain areas, but it's incredibly scenic. And, the beach is an absolute great! However, I found the hike to be a bit challenging. Google Maps wasn't particularly helpful in getting there, so, just follow the main road. If you're visiting earlier in the spring, be ready to embrace the mud. This final stretch is quite steep, and the mud can be a significant obstacle at times. However, the reward of reaching the beach an hour and a half.

We camped at the beach for a night and were completely enthralled by the experience. The Shi Shi beach trailhead starts on the Makah reservation so you need Makah Recreation Permit ($20) as well as proper Olympic NP permits. The hike through the forest is easy that includes a steep decline when you reach the beach. Overall an easy hike, the beach provides a wonderful view of the sunset, Point of Arches, and marine life. We saw whales blowing water in the distance. Olympic National Park is truly one of the most diverse National Parks in the country and Shi Shi beach is a must if you are hiking in the area.

The trail was about 2.5 miles. It was really relaxing. But in the middle of the hike it started to look like a really muddy swamp. It was so wet. There were puddles everywhere. There it was the muddiest trail I have seen in summer. It got a lot better at the end. The beach was worth the muddy hike. The beach was the prettiest thing ever. It looked like the Reels from instagram. It was unreal. It was so preety. Especially the sunset. It was so preety. Shi shi beach is the best beach ever. It was worth the 5 hour ride there.

2 mi hike through reservation owned land to get to the beach. The trail as others have mentioned is really muddy. The steep part at the end now has a staircase built instead of a rope as one of the old reviews mentioned from a few years back. Did I enjoy the hike and beach, yes. Would I recommend or choose to do this particular hike again, I would say no because of the mud and there are other trials that are less muddy that will take you to beautiful beaches in the area. Like beach 4 is a wonderful beach.

Even when the sky is grey and the weather isn't too warm, Shi Shi Beach was definitely worth the 4hr drive from Seattle. If you're looking for a family friendly hike or something causal to do, I recommend coming here. To get to the actual beach, you will have to go on an adventure (aka Shi Shi Beach Trail). The hike itself isn't too strenuous from the beginning to middle. Towards the end of the trail, when you begin the descent down to the beach, the trail does get super steep. Afterwards, the trail flattens out and you'll hit the beach soon after. Hiking boots aren't required but I highly suggest wearing them for ankle support. Parts of the trail was super muddy and having boots on helped. Also, keep in mind that you'll be walking on wooden planks along the way, so do be careful since some of the wooden pieces are loose / unsteady. Things to take sight of: -On the trail, look at the plants! Tons of interesting mushrooms. -On the beach, if you hike at least 1-2miles to the far end of the beach, you should see some pretty cool haystacks + tidepools. Make sure to check the tide report since the water level can rise pretty quickly. As for restrooms, there's not a lot of private areas.....So make sure to keep an eye out since there are quite a few campers and such. Overall, definitely enjoyed my time here. :) Can't wait to revisit when it's sunny with blue skies!

Come explore. Camp. Just breathe. Breathe in the heaven. Amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding forest. Don't expect a sandy, warm beach like California. Wear tennis shoes, pants and dress in layers. If you are here in July-August, you can venture out to swim without the water being ice cold, but it's still a "AHHH!" when it first hits you. Fires are allowed on the beach, using the driftwood that is there, or in the fire pits. There's always an abundance of driftwood so don't worry. Overnight parking isn't allowed on this beach, only in parking lots that state it's OK. If you want to camp overnight on the beach in a tent, etc., then a permit is required. See website: https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/shi-shi-beach-olympic-wilderness.htm

My wife and I enjoyed this gorgeous hike. A National Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required for this hike. The parking lot holds about 10-15 cars (day use only). If you plan to stay overnight, there are two private parking lots along the way that can be parked at for $10 (cash only). At the trail-head, there are two large outhouses to use before and after your hike. This hike showcases several cool bridges and boardwalks. Some parts of the trail are muddy but can be navigated around for the most part. Navigation made for a fun game for us. It's still a good idea to bring some plastic bags to place muddy shoes in when completed. There is a steep descent that needs to be completed in order to actually get to the beach. There are several ropes tied to trees to assist those that need it. If you don't work for it, you don't deserve it. The reward, is long stretches of clean sandy beach. The sound of crashing waves. Sightings of a variety of birds. And in our case, we were also lucky enough to witness a pod of Hunchback Whales frolicking in the sea. Reminder, if you pack it in, pack it out. Respect Mother Nature in her glorious beauty.

NPS's Shi Shi beach is unforgettable, amazing, and breathtaking. The NPS land has well maintained trails with basic campsite amenities (privy at each site) and amazing views. The beach is amazing and Point of the Arches is out of control breathtaking. The Makah Reservation owns the land for the roughly 2 mile hike to get to NPS Shi Shi areas. Their trail is a miserable slosh of mud that is horrifically maintained and is gutted out by ATV tracks. We get that this is a rainy place, but we have been hiking for 1 week on NPS land without anything even remotely close to this messy, and there was no recent rain. What makes it even more pathetic is that you have to buy a $10 permit to hike the trail and then they have the audacity to charge $10 per day for overnight parking. Total racquet!!! All that being said, NPS Shi Shi is a 100% must see. Just hike up the coast from Ozette or further North to avoid the Makah racquets and fees, and their pathetically maintained trails.

Mudddy- overgrown. Bugs. It's a long walk to a nice beach but the mud is constant. An easy hike if you don't mind getting dirty. Buy a $10 parking pass

DISTANCES: The hike TO Shi Shi Beach is about 2 miles through beautiful dense forest. Part of the walk is regular forest floor and small areas have well-built quality boardwalks that take you over small streams or gullies. The hike ON Shi Shi Beach is about 2 more miles to the Point of the Arches. We added about a mile onto our hike because we chose to pay a $10 fee and park on the property of a nearby resident (about 1/2 mile away) who provided space for those not wanting to park at the trailhead. Reports of vehicle vandalism kept us from wanting to chance having our car windows broken. TIDES: One needs to check on the tide tables to be able cross the streams that run from the forest to the ocean. Otherwise you may get stuck on the wrong side of the stream at high tide. The day we went in early September, I think high tide was at about noon. We started our hike around 11am, and though we had no problems, we probably could have benefited from starting later to experience the lowest of low tides (around 530pm). SHOES & MUDDY TRAIL: Based on what we'd read, we had a hard time deciding what kind of shoes to wear because we'd heard that part of the trail is very muddy. Verdict: it is. Though the day we went was forecast to be rainy, we went anyway and it was sunny and beautiful. But a large portion of the approximate 2-mile trail--maybe about the last 1/4-mile--was very muddy. However, for much of it, if you look closely, there is a trail directly off to the side that is a bit higher and perfectly useable and keeps you out of the mud. I wore Keen waterproof sandals (no socks) and my husband wore regular hiking boots. Both worked fine. The benefit to mine was that they were easily removable for walking barefoot on the beach and crossing the little streams mentioned above. Also, I accidentally in deep mud once and those shoes washed off easily. FINAL DESCENT TO BEACH: The final part of the trail, after the mud, is fairly steep. You just have to watch your step. Someone(s) has tied sturdy long ropes around tree trunks that are great to hang onto and work your way, hand over hand, down the trail using the ropes as a sort of handrail. It works great going down and coming up again. Shi Shi is a beautiful beach. Sadly, it is somewhat marred by debris from the Japanese tsunami, so there is quite a bit of junk washed up mostly at the top of the shoreline--rope, fishing line/hooks, boat bumpers, huge styrofoam chunks. But it is still stunning. Because of the effort it takes to get to it, it isn't crowded, though we did go on an off-day (school back in session; not on a weekend). There were a couple of tents pitched with overnight campers; a few backpackers; and a few people like us just there for the day.

After reading hike reviews on other sites, I thought that this would be a lot cooler considering the 7 hours in the car that day. I was a bit boned that the tides were wrong when I arrived. Try not to make the same mistake that I did and refer to a tidal reference. Like this one, perhaps: http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/4085.html I thought that it was a bit strangely maintained. No ranger or crew had been through in a while. There was some maniac putting up a large monument to a friend or something consisting of parts of a boat, a huge cross, some sailing lines and a main sheet all on a large cross. Freaky. The trails are also very muddy in parts, so you had better dress for it. When we were leaving, the Neah Bay cops were entering the trail with someone else and looked pissed. Sketchy business. Seems like there are lots of desperate people out here and quite a bit of broken auto glass where people park their cars to enter the park. I suggest planing accordingly.

No ranger or crew present. Odd parking lot. Windy, long drive. Sketchy town (Neah Bay) BUT, SO WORTH IT. Prepare to ruin any shoes you are wearing in mud! A walking stick or two may be a good addition if you want to get through the trail quicker but my boyfriend and I enjoyed trudging through or making ways around it! There are a lot of overnight campers (and these campers should really pick up their bottles/cans upon departure!) Anyhow, have a good camera handy, water, snacks, a sweater, and be ready to get dirty! :)

Fun, beautiful hike that my family took in the morning. The final destination to the beach was very steep. Be prepared for a workout. Scenic view was worth it.

This truly is possibly the best hiking trail in the US. It has a lot of variety, has some challenge and offers a huge payoff at the end. I will start by saying that this is not a bike trail nor is it wheelchair friendly. This also is not a trail that has ample signage, so you may find yourself a little lost at two points or more, but just notice the small sticks on the ground of the trails and generally if the small pile of sticks are in front of a path at a fork in the trail, that means don't go that way. I also wanted to note that I had a COMPLETELY different experience than some of the horror stories that I heard about or read on here, so I hope to be the calming coice to some that may have been intimidated by what they've read or heard. I started my hike around 7:30AM on a Monday in mid July. The hike started out foggy, but as you go along the trail it begins to clear. I didn't experience the horrific mud moments that others have mentioned since it hadn't been too rainy in a while before I arrived. However, I can see how wetter weather will lead to further caution, so do come prepared if you plan to hike during wetter weather. It took me about 4 hours total to do the hike one way beginning in the trail parking lot all the way to the point of the arches and back to the parking lot. Started around 7:30 and ended around 11:30 almost exactly. I took tons of pictures and videos on the entire way in (including my hike to point of the arches), but I walked briskly on the way out. Be SURE to look at the tide charts for the shi shi beach in advance to get the most out of your trip. There are many areas that are only visible and walkable during low tide and this can change and enhance your entire beach experience. Depending on what time of day/year/weather condition you go in, if it is foggy when you began the beach hike to point of the arches it will clear up and they will be visible at about 40-50 minutes into the beach hike. Don't give up. Keep going! I almost turned around because I thought that it wasn't going to be visible, but I am so glad that I did not end early. The point of the arches is possibly the best part of the trip and so worth it like others have mentioned. You will have tons of photo opportunities but don't forget to actually enjoy the view yourself. I wanted to end by saying that the steep section of the end of the trail onto the beach in which many people have mentioned may have scared others from doing the hike now has stairs and is much more user friendly than it appears to have been in the past. This does not mean that it still is not scary because it is. But in my opinion, I was more afraid of peoples stories than my own experience. Go early for the smallest crowd and best views. Bring water, bring essentials if camping/staying a while and do your research beforehand to come fully prepared. Everyone should go at least once!

The first part of this trail is newly restored and a delightful walk through beautiful northwest forest. Much of the next section is very muddy which was no fun. Wear high ankle boots to avoid that awful overflow of mud in your shoes. The views at the end are magnificent. We didn't go down to the beach because we arrived at the end of the day. Worth the walk.

Gorgeous beach! Short and flat hike to get there and wonderful place to stay the night. It is 2 miles long so even though it is a very popular destination it does not feel too crowded.