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If you're dreaming of a warm turquoise sea with gentle waves lapping at a palm-lined crescent of fluffy talcum-powder sand, this wild and windblown stretch of Pacific coastline is probably not where you'll want to spend your summer vacation. But at Cape Alava, the remote westernmost point of the contiguous United States, hardy travelers can enjoy a profound sense of separation from the stresses and anxieties of modern life, against a humbling backdrop of dramatic coastal rock formations, crashing waves and cool temperate rainforest. Here you won't have to worry about annoying phone calls from the office — cellular coverage in Olympic National Park is spotty at best — and unless you have a laptop with a direct satellite link, you won't be able to monitor the stock market or check your e-mail. Load up your backpack, lace on your hiking shoes, and rest assured that the barking sound you hear is not your boss busting a vein over last month's cost overruns, but an insouciant sea lion sunning itself on a nearby boulder.

Orientation

As the crow flies, Cape Alava is only about 130 miles northwest of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but with 200 miles of circuitous driving to get around Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, you'll need at least half a day to reach the trailhead at Lake Ozette. From the Ozette Ranger Station it's another three miles or so on foot to the beach, following either of two raised boardwalk trails through the coastal rainforest. For a longer trek, hike the Cape Alava Trail to the beach, then follow the coastline for a few miles before returning via the Sand Point Trail. This 9-mile circuit can be covered in a single day, but to fully appreciate the isolation of Cape Alava, bring backpacking gear and plan to spend at least one night in the wilderness.

Information

www.nps.gov and www.olympicpeninsula.org

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