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Dungeness Wildlife Preserve is located on the Olympic Penisula west of Seattle. There are several miles of almost deserted beaches backed by a 100 foot high bluff. The beach changes from sandy to rocky as the tides flows. The best spots for sunning can usually be found near the bluff.
DIRECTIONS: From Seattle, either take a ferry boat or drive south through Tacoma and then go north on Route 101 toward Port Angeles. About 17 miles east of Port Angeles, you will reach a little town called Sequim. Look for the signs to the Dungeness Wildlife Preserve and head north to the state park. From the park, take one of the paths down to the base of the bluff to the beach and turn west. This is a popular area, so continue on untill the crowds thin out and no one will bother you if you wish to shuck your clothes. About a mile down the beach, you will cross a creek where a lot of folks usually are picnicking on the weekends. Beyond the creek are several miles of virtually deserted beaches backed by the 100 foot bluff.
SITE REVIEWS:
Subject: Dungeness Spit Beach Walk
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999
From: Buff Beachwalker
Visited Dungeness Spit on a July Friday and had a great day hike. Parked in the visitor parking area and paid the $3.00 Wildlife Refuge entrance fee and proceeded down the trail until arriving at the beach.
Most of the textiles were combing the beach out towards the spit. I turned left and headed down the beach by the bluffs. I came across a few other textiles but after about 1/4 mile, I was absolutely alone except for the seagulls. I hiked nude for about 1 1/2 miles in the bright sunlight occasionally stopping to get out of the 5 to 10MPH breeze and soak up some rays along the sandy area by the bluff. Lots of interesting wind erosion and geology in the area. About a hundred seagulls eyed me as I hiked along the sand and rock strewn beach.
About a mile and a half down the beach a creek flows into the Strait of Juan D'Fuca. After I crossed a bridge formed by a single log across the creek and rounded the creek bend behind the bluff, I noticed a trail into the forest. The walk through the forest o'natural was quite refreshing front the somewhat windy beach walk that had left me somewhat shriveled. I walked this trail for about 1/4 mile over a couple wooden bridges until the trail ended in an area of summer homes. I turned back and continued the route back.
A moment of anguish came when I returned to the tail entrance and reached into my backpack to pull out my shorts for the re-transformation to textile life. They were gone! Considering they contained my wallet and keys to my car I had no alternative but to retrace my steps. My footprints were plainly visible since I was just about the only one that had walked the beach since the last tide change...but tide was coming in and would soon cover my footsteps. I retraced my steps for about a mile until I thought I saw my shorts in the sand in the distance. I ran to them only to find a dead baby seal. Disheartened, I continued retracing my steps. My footprints lead to a sandy area were I had reclined to soak up the sun. In doing so I had used my shorts as a pillow and did not pick them up but there they were! Wheweww!
I continued back for another buff walk to the textile world. Had a great time but I was always paranoid since I wasn't sure if nude beach walking is permitted. It would be great if the authorities would put up a sign to the effect warning textiles that they may encounter nude beach walkers beyond this point.
I did see a Park official drive by on an ATV. Since I was clothed at that point I just waved an he passed me by.
Why should naturists have to be paranoid to roam the beach in designated areas in the nude? Were we not all born this way? What better way to get back in touch with our natural way of life. If you feel the same way, write your US Congressmen demanding your right to walk nude in designated areas of Government property in Washington State. This is your country and we all have the right to enjoy it as long as we preserve the natural beauty and do not disrupt others. Nude beach walking has no more impact on the environment than any other activity, probably less. If an area is designated as clothing optional and so marked, we will truly be free to enjoy this activity without fear.
I just returned from a trip to New Jersey and had a great experience on a clothing optional beach on Sandy Hook recreation area. If New Jersey can have a designated area, why can't Washington? Maybe our politicians just aren't ready.
P.S Please do not use my email name, just call me
Buff Beachwalker
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997
From: sun_tan@geocities.com
Greetings:
Visited the Dungeness Wildlife Preserve on Sunday, August 17, 1997. A glorious day with clear skies, about 85 degrees in the parking lot. A light breeze from the water, but warm and pleasant. I would estimate at least 500 people out on the spit, but to the West under the bluffs, 100 yards put us past all but one lone beachwalker returning. After 1/2 mile, we were in total isolation. I would point out that there are viewpoints on top of the bluff for the first 1/2 mile or so where people can see the beach below so I would recommend traveling a bit further even if the beach itself is isolated.
Because of the incoming tide, didn't get as far as I wanted to, and returned to the spit area for lunch to avoid being stranded. However, I realized I dropped my camera down the beach and made a second trip right at high tide. There was no problem as it was only a 4.9 foot tide with no wind to push the tide higher. So, check the tide tables and if no higher than 5.0 ft or so - with no wind, don't worry about getting stranded. A good web source for Port Angeles tides can be found at: http://www.dairiki.org/tides/monthly.php3/ang . Some tides are higher and you would have to do some wading - or sit it out.
Fortunately, I found my camera in dry sand so I'll send you some photos when I get them developed and scanned.
Howard
From: VPCondor@aol.com
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 1997
Dear Moon,
I visited Dungeness Spit Wilderness Preserve June 21, 1997 and here are a few observations. As far as directions go, going north on 101, you want to go through Sequim (about five miles north from the town depending) to Kitchen-Dick road (hey, I don't make the names) pointed out by one of those green highway signs. Take a right onto Kitchen-Dick and go about three miles. You'll take a sharp right corner and about 1/8th of a mile past the sharp right see a large blue sign that is the turn for the preserve. Continue past the picnic area turnoffs to the preserve parking area. There you need to pay 2-3 bucks per family in one of those drop off boxes. The trail head down to the Spit is right there and it is about 3/8ths of a mile and kind of steep in some areas but easily walkable in tennis shoes or sandals. Like you said, you want to turn west (or left). The creek that you talked about is 1.5 miles according to a park official and, unfortunately, I did not walk that far. However, given it was slightly overcast and a little cool, once I got about 300 yards away from the end of the trail there was nobody as far as the eye could see west and very few people behind me. I assume it would be a little more crowded with better weather. I walked about a mile and still saw no one with the bluffs on the left and the incoming tide breaking 4-5 foot waves almost right on the sandy flotsam and jetsam strewn beach head. There were ATV tracks in the sand and I did see a ranger on an ATV earlier but never saw him down on the beach that day.
Here is a seriously important note: At the trail head, the high tide time is annotated. With two hours to high tide, the water gives as little as about ten feet of space to maneuver as you walk at times and I was warned by a ranger earlier that the possibility of being cut off from the trail head back to your car is very real especially if the wind picks up and pushes the waves against the bluff even further. If you are agile enough, in a pinch you could scale the sandy and root strewn bluff and walk along the crest of the bluff back to your car but that option is not available to the less than healthy or very young.
Lastly, (yeah, I know you're relieved!) if someone had a problem with the sans clothes attitude, you could pick up your stuff and easily move half a mile and be completely alone again. Lots of shoreline.
Okay, that's it,
Rick and Jean
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