This 9.4-mile Washington coast loop has almost zero elevation gain, and centuries-old rock art waits at the halfway point

Most of Washington’s best hikes make you earn the view with a few thousand feet of switchbacks. The Ozette Triangle skips that deal entirely. It’s 9.4 miles, almost flat the whole way, and it still delivers old-growth forest, wild Pacific coastline, and rock carvings older than the country itself.

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The loop starts at the Ozette Ranger Station on the shore of Lake Ozette, inside Olympic National Park. From there it splits into two legs of raised boardwalk, each roughly three miles long — one heading northwest to Cape Alava, the other south to Sand Point — connected by about three miles of open beach.

That beach stretch is where the trail earns its reputation. You’re walking driftwood-strewn sand with the Pacific on one side and dense coastal forest on the other, tide pools tucked into the rocks along the way.

Rock art that predates the state by centuries

Roughly halfway down the coastal leg sits Wedding Rocks, a headland carved with Makah petroglyphs estimated at 300 to 500 years old. Whales, faces, and human figures show up etched directly into the boulders — check a tide table before you go, since the carvings are only easily reachable when the tide’s out.

This is, hands down, one of the best introductions to backpacking in the state. It’s short enough to knock out as a long day hike, flat enough for a first overnight, and dramatic enough that it never once feels like a beginner trail.

Where else in Washington do you get flat boardwalk, wild coastline, and centuries-old rock art in one nine-mile loop? (The Park Service still calls it a “triangle,” even though it’s really more of a lopsided loop — nobody said geometry was the strong suit here.)

What it actually takes to go

Day hiking the full loop only requires the standard Olympic National Park entrance fee: $30, good for seven days, or covered by an America the Beautiful Pass. Camping overnight at Sand Point or Cape Alava needs a separate wilderness permit through the park.

Permits for this stretch of coast are limited year-round, and the window between May and September fills up fast — book well ahead if you want a summer overnight instead of a day trip.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel in Forks or Port Angeles before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.

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