Backpack - Olympic Coast South: The Wildcatter Coast

Meet at the Oil City trailhead by 7 am on Saturday June 22. We have a time-critical departure of 7:15 am to ensure safe passage around Diamond Rock during low tide. Cars left at the trailhead need an America the Beautiful pass or an Olympic National Park vehicle entrance  pass.

Because we have an early departure Saturday morning, it’s a good idea to stay nearby on the peninsula the night before, especially if you are relying on the ferry. Check the campgrounds and hotels nearby.

Oil City TH: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//47.7493,-124.4085/@47.7493,-124.4085,12z?hl=en&entry=ttu

We’ll hike north from the Hoh River  to Third Beach. Along the route there are ladder and rope-assisted climbs up and down from the headlands. Garden or leather gloves recommended. We’ll carefully plan our daily departure times to allow safe passage around points and slippery boulders during low tides. Because we are traveling during a full moon and negative tides, we’ll hopefully have a chance to observe some amazing marine life.

Day 1: On Friday morning we'll meet at the Oil City trailhead and hike north ~6 mi to our camp at Mosquito Creek. After we set up camp we’ll discuss how to plan coastal trips, review how to read tide tables and marine forecasts.

Day 2: We'll hike ~6 mi to Toleak Point and meet a southbound group on the trail to exchange car keys. On this day we’ll be fording Mosquito, Goodman and Falls Creek, so water shoes are required and poles are recommended.

Day 3: Hike out via La Push, Third Beach trailhead and meetup with the southbound group in Forks to exchange cars.

Caltopo GPS route: https://caltopo.com/m/7D7QD

Weather forecast: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?textField1=47.7493459&textField2=-124.408511

Bear cans required in this part of the ONP. Leader will buy the Olympic Park camping permit for the group, so a $17 reimbursement is appreciated.

Expect a Hello Hiker email about a week before the trip with detailed information.