We tagged the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States! This point is located at Cape Flattery, within the Makah Reservation on the Olympic Peninsula. The Makah call this area of Neah Bay “The Beginning of the World.”
Day 2 | Olympic National Park
While not technically in the national park, but rather on a reservation, Cape Flattery was a beautiful place to explore. Entering the Makah Reservation requires an annual recreation permit for non-residents. We obtained our permit for a reasonable $20, and set about exploring!
Cape Flattery Trail
We reached the cape after a short ~1 mile. The trail was mostly boardwalked, and since there were a lot of other hikers, we often stepped off the boardwalk in order to let others pass.
The wood of the boardwalk was worn smooth, but well-maintained.
Cape Flattery
The Most Northwest Point in the Contiguous U.S.
In addition to being the most northwestern point in the lower 48 U.S. states, Cape Flattery is also the oldest permanently named geographic feature in Washington. It was named way back in the late 1700’s by none other than James Cook himself!
We noticed several sea caves on both sides of the cape. We lingered for a long time, just listening to the sounds of the waves continuously crashing along the rocks, and watching the sea foam ebb and flow.
Tatoosh Island
Tatoosh Island is about half of a mile off the coast of Cape Flattery. On it sits a deactivated lighthouse, simply called the Cape Flattery Light.
This lighthouse was constructed in the mid 1850’s at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and owned by the Makah Tribe.
There is no dispersed camping allowed on the Makah Reservation, so we overnighted in the nearby town of Forks, Washington. Forks is a fantastic small town with wonderfully overcast weather.
