Olympic Coast itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Olympic Coast route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Olympic Coast Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Olympic Coast. One reservation is an ordered sequence of nights at named sites, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Shi Shi Beach Trailhead is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 7
- Across the markers
- 34.0 mi
- Published route length
- 32 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 15 ft
How long it takes: 5-6 days, per the NPS allowances of 2 days for Shi Shi to Ozette and 3-4 for Ozette to Rialto. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
These two figures disagree. The mile markers run to 34.0 miles, past the 32 miles published for the route. Both are printed as recorded.
The Olympic Coast route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
150 ft
Shi Shi Beach Trailhead
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Starting point with descent through coastal forest to the beach.
2.0 miles · 145 ft down to Point of the Arches
Mile 2.0
5 ft
Point of the Arches
Spectacular collection of sea stacks and arches—one of the most photographed spots on the coast
13.0 miles · no net change to Ozette River
Mile 15.0
5 ft
Ozette River
Major river crossing, potentially dangerous at high tide or high water
3.0 miles · 6 ft up to Cape Alava
Mile 18.0
11 ft
Cape Alava
Westernmost point in the lower 48 states, site of important archaeological finds
2.0 miles · 4 ft down to Wedding Rocks
Mile 20.0
7 ft
Wedding Rocks
Petroglyphs carved by Makah ancestors hundreds of years ago
8.0 miles · 1 ft down to Chilean Memorial
Mile 28.0
6 ft
Chilean Memorial
Memorial to victims of an 1897 shipwreck, a sobering reminder of the coast's power
6.0 miles · 9 ft up to Hole-in-the-Wall
Mile 34.0
15 ft
Hole-in-the-Wall
Natural arch accessible at low tide, marking the trail's end at Rialto Beach
Getting a Olympic Coast for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Olympic Coast dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Olympic Coast around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.