
Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary photo
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:
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