Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park is one of my favorite places on earth.
a new trip to paradise
Tag Archives: olympic national park
Earth Day 2020
Earth Day 2020
Earth Day evokes images of wild places: broad vistas of desert, ocean and mountains.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”[29]
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- North Fork Meadows, North Cascades National Park
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- In the Subway, Zion National Park, Utah
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- Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park
Earth Day is about protecting these places and keeping them wild.
The raw nature of wilderness and its inherent aesthetic beauty often leave me short of breath, amazed at what I see and grateful for the chance to be a part of it.
Baker Lake, North Cascades
Prussik Peak, Enchantments
Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park
In the wilderness is freedom. There is no one to tell you what to do. Knowing these untrammled places are there, and that you can go visit them is integral to sanity, to survival. They say that wilderness can heal a person and I believe it’s true.
Pictures speak words, they say…
Skagit River
Bryce Canyon National Park
Point of the Arches
Artist Point
Double Rainbow, Fir Island
Spider Gap and Upper Lyman Lake
North Fork, Skykomish River
Isolation Lake – Upper Enchantments
Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park includes long stretches of coastline. Its wonderfully refreshing to backpack and camp along the forests edge, on the beach.
Depending upon how far you hike from the car you can find some real solitude out there.
The spot I’ve visited most often is Point of the Arches. It lies along the northern-most section of ONP, just south of Neah Bay. Its now a very popular spot and sees many visitors. These images are from a trip 2 years ago, in January. A window of warm sunny weather was forecast, and I spent two glorious days there with sumptuous light. On this particular sunset the colors were so bright and vivid and the orange glow from the rocks and sand so intense, it was more tricky than one would think to edit these and do the place justice.
North End of Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park
Its almost a 2-mile hike through the forest and mud until you get to the stairs and descend to the beach. Point of the Arches is another 2 miles walk, along the ocean.
Once the sun started to set the shadows and lines were amazing.
As the colors got richer it was impossible to capture enough images.
Every shot looked magnificent, better then the last, and the landscape is so utterly magical…
There you have it! Prints are available here. Info on Photography Tours here!
Spring Trip to the Olympic Coast
Spring Break arrived and we headed west. For us that means a ferry ride and drive along Highway 101, through Olympic National Park, one of the greenest places on earth. We stopped to see Sol Duc Falls along the way.
And after checking into our B&B we headed to Ruby Beach for sunset.
The next morning was rainy, but the skies cleared in the afternoon for a hike along Rialto Beach.
That night we stayed in La Push and enjoyed crazy skies and a lot of hail!
Port Townsend is always a treat for more eye candy.
For information on Photo Tours, Classes and Order Prints its all right here!
Five National Parks: Images from 2018
As I started to review images from this year, the theme of “National Parks” kept coming to me. So here are some of my best images from 5 National Parks this year…
Zion National Park
I visited Zion NP for the 4th time, always a marvel…
Here is an image from a new place, for me: Double Alcove Arch!
And for those who have not heard of the Subway…
“The Subway”, Zion National Park
The Subway, Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
They say the night skies at Bryce are magical…they say right! This is from a short 2 day trip to Bryce in April…
Milky Way, Bryce Canyon National Park
North Cascades National Park
I have visited this park more than all others combined. I made the boat ride this year to Hozomeen, along the shores of Ross Lake near the Canada Border, and spent a night at Hozomeen Lake…
Hozomeen Lake, North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park turns 50 in 2018! Here is a link to a wonderful new book, by Lauren Danner, “Crown Jewel Wilderness: Creating North Cascades National Park” which chronicles the efforts of many to create NCNP.
And a shout out to my all time favorite camping place, Sahale Glacier Camp.
Sahale Glacier Camp, North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
My only trip this year, out west to the Olympic NP was back in February… as always dreaming of my return…
Sea Stacks at Point of the Arches, Olympic National park
Yellowstone National Park
I just returned from a Christmas trip to Yellowstone…Cold, crisp mornings, with no one about…I am still digesting the wonder of the place…
Oh, and here is my favorite image from 2017:
Winchester Lookout and the Aurora Borealis, North Cascades
Star Trails above Winchester Lookout, Northern Lights on the horizon
To purchase prints, here is the link.
For information on North Cascades Photo Tours, this is the place!
And, 2018 Calendars are still available! Get them while they last!.
Shi Shi Beach and Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park
Point of the Arches
Here are a few pics from the sunrise this Sunday morning, Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach.
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach, in Olympic National Park is one of the most visited spots along the Olympic Coast. Seastacks dot the shore. The expanse of ocean call to you as you make your way along the stones.
There are several wonderful beaches here, First Beach with its mammoth driftwood, Shi Shi Beach with its wide expanse and solitude, Point of the Arches with its majesty and life.
Yes, there is a lot to see at the coast in Washington!
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- Early Morning at the Coupeville Ferry
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- Pacific Ocean
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- Ruby Beach
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- Ruby Beach
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- Second Beach
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- First Beach, Olympic Coast
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- Point of the Arches, Olympic Wilderness
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- Shi Shi Beach
Point of the Arches – Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park in Northwestern Washington State contains several distinctly different wonderlands.
The rain forest
, glaciated peaks
Mount Olympus, Olympic Wilderness
and the Pacific coast.
The Olympic beaches are some of the wildest most rugged beaches in the lower 48. I have visited and slept on these beaches many times. There is something truly magical about the ocean.
Last week I spied a window of nice weather forecast for the coast and headed over. I was not disappointed!
Evening light
Lines in the sand
Sunset through the Arch
Arch aglow
Point of the Arches
Evening Light
Point of the Arches Sunrise
Point of the Arches Sunrise
Washington State Ferry Ride: Sunrise
I recently embarked on a trip from my home in Sedro Woolley to my favorite coastal hike and camping spot at Point of the Arches, in Olympic National Park. It’s a long way, maybe 9 hours from start to camp site, and one of the beautiful legs of the sojourn is a ferry ride from Coupeville to Port Townsend. I booked my spot on the Ferry and arrived just as the sunrise was happening.
Washington State Ferry Sunrise
Ferry Drive-in
Inside the ferry
On the Ferry Deck
Washington State Ferry Sunrise
Washington State Ferry Sunrise Crown
Washington State Ferry Sunrise: Looking Out
Washington State Ferry – Coupeville
Washington State Ferry Sunrise light
I knew it was going to be a great trip when the images from the ferry ride were enough to make the entire trip worth while!
Images of the coast to come, but here is just one to whet the appetite!
Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park
North Western Images - photos by Andy Porter 