Hoh River Delta and Middle Rock
As soon as we turned north on the coast and left the Hoh River behind, we found ourselves walking on an immense beach. We could see far in the distance plenty of rock formations at sea. Our first highlight came shortly after that when we got to Diamond Rock, a conical rock right on the shore. We were close to the lowest tide of the day so we were able to get really close to it. Right after we had our first challenge, a rocky section that requires the tide to be below 2 feet to pass. Jumping from rock to rock, we made that section while watching the waves break into the rocks. It was quite the spectacle and soon enough, we were on the other side, walking on a sandy beach. Although Jefferson Cove is very inviting, it’s easy to see that staying there for the night could be a bit problematic if the tides get high enough. At the northern end of the cove, we found or first set of ladders, the other repeating theme of this trip. Looking at a map, you can see that there are numerous heads with rock cliffs down to the ocean. The only way to pass those is to climb over, hike on the forest and then climb down on the other side. Due to erosion and the steepness of the terrain, there are rope ladders on all these sections. After climbing the first section, we had a second where only the rope was available. Right after that, we landed on mud, deep mud. For the following couple of hours, while we hiked thru the forest to Mosquito Creek, we passed numerous muddy sections where our sandals would get caught forcing us to dig in and pull them out. This made our pace go a bit slower as we needed to keep our balance while sliding everywhere. Along this trail we got numerous views of little bays bellow us and a very lush forest. Finally we made it to Mosquito Creek were we found a nice, occupied campsite right next to the creek. We hiked back a bit to another big campsite right above the coast line to stay the night where we had some really nice views of the coast.
Looking South towards Hoh Head from the campsite
After setting up camp, making a run to get water and having dinner, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset. Mark and I, looking for better or different views, climbed down to the beach and follower it south to the end and climbed over a small head to a small cove on the other side. It was a perfect way to end the first day of our trip.
On Saturday, we started by climbing down to the beach and hiking north on the soft sand. We crossed Mosquito Creek and continued on with looming grey clouds above us. On this long walk we passes more rock formation on the coast, one resembling a fin and others looking like spears. As we walked, the weather seems to be unsure of what to do, whether to give us some rain or some sunshine. Towards the end of the beach, we passed by one of the bigger rock outcrops that looked like a little island. On this rock, some vegetation was able to grow and you can easily see a complete ecosystem surviving right there. We got to the end of the beach roughly at noon so instead of going ahead and climbing the stairs, we decided to explore a small cave on the left side and have lunch in it. That proved to be a wise decision as it started raining while we were there.
Mark and Brian in the cave where we had lunch
After lunch and the rain, we headed up the rope ladder as we needed to hike around the head and cross Goodman Creek. This section of the trail is probably the most beautiful coastal forest I’ve seen. Not only has some of the biggest trees I’ve seen but also lush greens.
On our way to Goodman Creek
Once we got close to the creek, the trail got interesting. We had to switch back and forth many times as we walked on downed trees that have been carved to form the path. At some point, almost on top of the creek, we found ourselves climbing down next to a fallen tree that almost seemed like it was put there so you could climb down. We passed a small tributary to the main creek and more huge trees before we actually made it to Goodman. After crossing the creek a couple of times, we heard a small waterfall nearby and decided to walk upstream to find it. Looking at the map latter we learned that this is Goodman falls, a small multiple stream waterfall that probably dries up in the summer. After that, we continued walking thru giants and mud and eventually passed by the biggest tree I’ve seen. This particular tree had roots that actually looked like separate trees attached to the main trunk. Looking up, you could see other plants growing from the branches of the massive tree.
The biggest tree
Soon after, we were back on the beach walking towards Toleak Point. This point is a very shallow head that, when the tide is low, rises above the surface showing a big field of rocks. We made a stop here to explore a bit while enjoying the views to both sides. Towards the south, we could see the head where Goodman Creek is and the rock with the natural arch. To the north, we could see Strawberry point and the Giants Graveyard. While we were sitting on the rocks, we noticed a couple of seal popping their head above the water and looking at us.
Toleak Point
We continued on the beach passing Strawberry Point, another huge rock formation on the coast line and headed towards Scotts Bluff where Scotts Creek dumps its waters into the sea. I can say this last section is probably the iconic part of this trail where you have the bulk of the rock formations out at sea. Being Saturday, we got to Scott Bluff only to find most, if not all of the campsites already taken by weekend warriors that come here just to spend a night in the coast. Just before the trail turns back and goes uphill, we found a small space, big enough for our tents where we were able to set up camp. The advantage was an incredible front seat view of the ocean and another spectacular sunset.
Early morning view towards the Giants Graveyard from my tent
Sunday came and our time to hike the last portion of this trip. Since we were almost right next to the next head, we started hiking up gaining considerable elevation and then descending on the other side to Second Beach. Here we got more great views and more rock formations until we got to Taylor Point. I did remember from my first failed attempt that at this point, you had the chance to go over the rock formation using rope ladders or actually hike around the rock, getting your feet wet and crossing a small cave. Having very adventurous friends with me, we opted for the later. We found a tree that had fallen into the mouth of the cave so before we could even get in, we had to break a lot of branches and clean the path to climb down to the cave and walk around it. Once on the other side, we sat for a while in a tiny rocky cove before heading up the rope ladder. While resting, a deer came down from the mountain and passed by and around us and then climbed back up on the other side. Although it’s known that there’s deer in the coastal forest, is not a sight we were expecting. Then we climbed up on got our last view of second beach and Strawberry point. Half way thru the forest we got a glimpse of Third Beach, our last section of coast line before hiking out to our car.
Third Beach
Once at third beach we felt like the hike was over. Being the first beach you get to from the trailhead, we found a lot of people that erased from our minds that sense of wilderness we had the previous two days. Still it was a comfortable hike to the trail and then back to the car.
You can check the pictures here
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