Friday, August 13, 2010

Dungeness Rec Area at Sequim, Washington

Located just a few miles from Sequim, Washington at the crest of the Olympic Peninsula, the views are varied and impressive.



Looking to the south you'll take in the vista of the Olympic Mountains and looking north you'll see the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island. Mt. Baker and other peaks of the Cascade Range are visible to the east; and to the west, Port Angeles.




We hike the short 0.5 mile trail to get to the 'spit' from the parking lot.


The spit is part of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to more than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and eight species of marine animals.


If you care to walk the entire length of the spit, you will come to the new lighthouse that was recently opened to the public.
Dungeness Spit is one of the world's longest natural sand spits, growing at a rate of about 20 feet per year.



The first half-mile of the refuge is a picturesque trail through the upland conifer forest before reaching a pair of overlooks that give a spectacular view of the narrow ribbon of the sand spit.




The inner shore of the spit is a wildlife refuge for nesting birds and lucky hikers will be favored with seeing a variety of feathered critters. At its highest point, the spit is about 15 feet above sea level and parts of it are under water during winter storms.
See ya down the road !




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