I stood before this huge driftwood log two years ago, it hasn’t budged. The wild north Washington coast is the land of big driftwood beaches. We’ve gone out here every February for about 4 years, and somehow we luck out with the weather. Sure it’s cold, but clear and sunny? That’s not normal, it’s a treat. The afternoon we arrived I asked the woman manning the front desk of the Oceanside Resort if she had seen any sunshine that day. She laughed like I was a crazy person. But sure enough the sun came out for our visit. We visited the beach at Oil City (not really a city at all, but reportedly the beach with the most driftwood in the world.) It’s a ten mile drive from the highway, then a 1 mile walk to the beach, which is at the mouth of the Hoh river. Part of Olympic National Park, Oil City is a starting point for hiking the Olympic Coast up to Third Beach which is near La Push. That would be a rugged challenge, bring your tide chart for sure. Instead of roughing it with a backpack, we stayed comfortably in deluxe cabins and drove south to Ruby Beach, pictured below, to enjoy the sunshine and search for the perfectly shaped rock.
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Same big driftwood at La Push on the Washington Coast
Really big drift wood at La Push Washington
That’s me standing in front of the driftwood log. The weather was spectacular for the 3 days we were there, not what you expect in February, or anytime of the year actually. Including a ferry ride, La Push is about a 4-5 hour drive from Seattle. The Ocean Park Resort is the place to stay, owned and operated by the Quileute Tribe, they offer lots of cabins on a beautiful beach. Go for the deluxe modern cabins, they’re wonderful. No TV, internet or cell phone access, this is a place to get away from technology and connect with nature. Olympic National Park is nearby with more spectacular beaches and the Hoh rain forest. I’m looking forward to our next ocean getaway.
