A winter visit to Washington’s Olympic Coast provides opportunities for a unique and rewarding experience. You will likely encounter few visitors, giving you an even greater appreciation for the remote wilderness of our rugged coastline. Winter storms create fascinating wave-watching conditions, with wind, rain and high tides yielding dramatic scenes of waves crashing against the rocky shores, as well as the numerous seastacks dotting the nearshore environment. Dress for the weather and make it a memorable day reveling in one of nature's best winter wonders. The winter is also a popular time for marine debris to wash up on shore. This is the perfect time for beach combing. If you feel like doing something wonderful for the environment, bring gloves and disposable bags to collect trash from the pristine environment you are enjoying and help keep our beaches clean and our marine organisms safe. You may even be rewarded by finding a rare item while beach combing - such as a prized glass float. Particularly high, or “King Tides”, during this period take place on the following dates (based on  December 23 high tide of 9.71 ft at 10:07am  December 24 high tide of 9.84 ft at 10:55am  December 25 high tide of 9.81 ft at 11:41am  December 26 high tide of 9.59 ft at 12:25pm  January 9 high tide of 9.2 ft at 11:24am  January 10 high tide of 9.37 ft at 12:06pm  January 11 high tide of 9.37 ft at 12:48pm  January 21 high tide of 9.16 ft at 9:54am  January 22 high tide of 9.27 ft at 10:45am  January 23 high tide of 9.28 ft at 11:31am  January 24 high tide of 9.17 ft at 12:14pm For more information and locations of King Tides, visit:

Tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

Remember to stay safe while enjoying the moody beauty of our Olympic Coast!

For more information about Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, visit: OlympicCoast.noaa.gov Facebook at www.facebook.com/usolympiccoastgov/

Twitter at Twitter.com/OlympicCoast

Thanks to Karlyn Langjahr, guest Blogger:  Olympic Coast Discovery Center Manager