Dungeness Spit + National Wildlife Refuge

We discovered the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge while researching family-friendly hikes around the Olympic Peninsula. This day trip to the Dungeness Spit has quickly become one of our favorites. A place we take many of our visitors in order to give them a true taste of the Olympic Peninsula.

To access the Refuge simply pay $3 in cash at the entrance. There is plenty of parking, water fountains to fill bottles and restrooms at the trailhead. Volunteers are around to answer any questions, talk with you about possible wildlife sightings, and keep you apprised of the tide schedule. Check out the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge website here to learn the details for your trip.

We have been lucky on 3 of our 4 visits to hit low tide. You can always check the tide here before you go if you prefer not to chance it like we tend to do. In order to have a sandy beach on the Spit to play and walk you want the tide will be at 6.0 feet or below. Spring and Summer offer the best days for longer hikes, as the lowest tides are during the daytime. So now (being July) is the time of year to go check this place out!

The half-mile trek through the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge leads to an amazing bluff overlooking the Dungeness Spit. Follow the trail down a quick but steep descent down to the Spit.

FUN FACT: I have to be honest if we learned about the landform, spit in school I have no recollection. It wasn’t until moving here that I “encountered” spits. So in case you are as clueless as me, a spit is a narrow coastal land formation that is tied to the coast at one end. Spits are formed by the movement of sediment. 

According to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge brochure the Dungeness Spit formed about 10,000 years ago due to melting glaciers leaving thick deposits of sand and gravel along the shoreline while waves carved steep bluffs from these deposits. Stretching into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Dungeness Spit measures 5.5 miles and is one the longest natural sand spit in the nation.

The Dungeness Spit is part of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, a haven for wildlife. More than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals, and eight species of marine mammals have been recorded at the refuge including several that are threatened or endangered. Bring your binoculars!

Looking for more adventure? Continue walking along the beach 4.5 miles to one of the oldest Northwest operating lighthouses. Tours are offered daily, or you can even sign up to be the lighthouse keeper. It is over a 10-mile roundtrip venture to hike to the lighthouse and one that we have yet to make happen. Perhaps one day when the kiddos get a bit older, or our arms are feeling extra strong!

Being new to the area we are excited to be getting out and exploring all the Olympic Peninsula has to offer outdoors. The Dungeness Spit is a perfect family-friendly adventure for a summer day on the Olympic Peninsula. Another favorite day trip of ours is Salt Creek Recreation Area. If you like the drastic landscape and exploring the beaches we highly recommend checking out our post with more info on Salt Creek. Have a great summer exploring the Olympic Peninsula. Hope to see you out there.