They say a rainy day at the beach beats a sunny day in the office. In other words, there’s never a bad time to visit the beach. However, certain times are better than others, and one of those special can’t-miss times is during the lowest tides of the years. To make the most of this year’s only -2 early morning tide, I awoke at the crack of dawn eager to start my exploration. I wasn’t disappointed, even though one of the places I visited was Cape Disappointment State Park on the Long Beach Peninsula.
Cape Disappointment State Park
My first stop was Cape Disappointment State Park, home of a genuine working Lighthouse and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I bypassed both of those sights though and headed directly to a place I know is only accessible during low tide, a giant cave on the south side of Waikiki Beach. Yes, Washington State also has Waikiki Beach, and it’s much less busy and every bit as beautiful as its Hawaiian cousin!
The Giant Cave
No one seems to know the name of the big cave that is only accessible during extremely low tides. There is actually another cave just past the first, but I think the only way to that one is by kayak. I was astonished at the sheer size of the cave! It’s probably at least 80 feet tall and maybe 30 feet wide. I wished I had a kayak or raft because there was water further in, so I couldn’t go back very far. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one that awoke early to check it out. Along with a couple of seals that were making a racket, I also ran into one of my yoga students who was also there clicking photos!
As I turned to leave and head to my next destination, a woman was approaching, and I immediately recognized her as an accomplished local photographer that I follow on Facebook. It was the one and only Nellie Hux! She was particularly interested in the busy Cormorants that were perched high on a cliff nursing some chicks.
Beard’s Hollow
The tide was beginning to come in, so I managed to pull myself away from all of the stunning beauty and headed next to Beard’s Hollow, only a few miles north. There is a clear sign marking the entrance to the park from the highway. Note, you need a Discovery Pass to park at both Beard’s Hollow and Cape Disappointment. It’s about a half-mile walk out to the beach down a paved path that meanders through a lush forest.
The tide was so low that all the jagged rocks and small sea creatures were clearly exposed. Seagulls swarmed overhead and gorged themselves on a leisurely breakfast of starfish, clams, and sea urchins. I headed for the rocks, easy to explore the virgin territory. I climbed over bird poop and seaweed, gaining elevation until I was high above the ocean waves. I continued as far north as I could and was thrilled to discover that I could see the top portion of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse in the distance! I sat and enjoyed the spectacular view of the Oregon Coast Range, the waves crashing below, and birds swarming above me.
I never did find any secret hidden treasure during my excursion, but Mother Earth showed me the best of her bounty that morning. It was a spectacular day!