Where to go & What to do in Neah Bay…

Visitor Center
Join us at our new Neah Bay Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in the middle of Neah Bay, WA.
Stop by to get information for your visit, find out about attractions to see, obtain directs, purchase your required Recreational Permit. On site we offer permanent and rotating exhibits, maps and plenty of brochures to take along with you. Pick up a souvenir to remember your stay!
We are open Tuesday-Saturday. 10am-4pm during Summer months, 10am-2pm during the Winter. Find out more on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/neahbaychamberofcommerce/ or email us directly: neahbaychamber@gmail.com

Beaches
Spend the day on Hobuck beach, breathing in some of the world's freshest air. You will find yourself staying until the sun sets. You can find camp sites at Hobuck Beach Campgrounds. Walking along the water’s edge you can lose yourself in the rhythmic crashing of the waves. Hobuck is a popular spot for ocean-kayakers, longboard, or surfing. The breeze blowing in off the ocean is perfect for setting a kite to flying.

Cape Flattery
The trail head is northwest of Neah Bay. Follow the double-yellow line from the Museum right to the trailhead! The trail will lead you through lush forests of old-growth trees 200+ years old. Boardwalks cover marshy areas of the trail. After a short hike the trail ends with platforms for viewing the magnificent rocky cliffs and a wide variety of birds. View caves, sea birds, sea-lions on the off-shore rocks, whales following their migratory route and see where the Pacific Ocean and the entrance of the Straits of Juan de Fuca meet. From this very northwestern tip of the continental United States is a platform for viewing Tatoosh Island. It may feel like you’ve reached the end of the road, but turn around and look – it is just the beginning! Stay a short while and change your perspective.

Fish Hatchery
The Makah National Fish Hatchery is located south of Hobuck and Tsoo-yas beaches and the route is clearly marked with signs. You’ll pass the trail head to Shi-shi Beach and Olympic National Park just before arriving at the Hatchery entrance. Chinook and Coho salmon are raised, along with steelhead. These are released into the tsoo-yas and wa-atch Rivers, which flow through the reservation, into the Pacific Ocean. The fish spend between one and four years at sea before returning. Visitors can watch the fish climb the hatchery's fish ladder into the holding ponds.
Makah National Fish Hatchery
P.O. Box 730 Neah Bay, WA 98357
897 Hatchery Road Neah Bay, WA
www.fws.gov/fish-hatchery/makah/
Hatchery Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
kristin_bates@fws.com

Best time to visit: October thru November, during the primary spawning months.


Marina
The Makah people have a centuries-long association with the sea and fishing. This tradition continues with the Makah Marina, which provides protected moorage for commercial fishing boats, fishing charters and sports fishermen. A tug waits in the harbor to come to the rescue of ships in distress, thus helping avoid disasters.

Museum
The Makah people have lived in the area of Neah Bay for thousands of years. There are four other main, winter villages and numerous summer village sites, but Neah Bay is the center of life in modern times. Makahs graciously share a portion of their heritage at the Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC).
Visit the Makah Museum, the nation's sole repository for the 500 year old Ozette artifacts. The village of Ozette was located 15 miles south of Neah Bay and served as a year-round home for Makahs until the early 20th-century. A group of longhouses had been covered in a mudslide, perfectly preserving the houses and their contents for several centuries.
Beginning in 1970 and continuing for 11 years, the Makah Tribe and Washington State University excavated 55,000 artifacts that illustrate the Tribe's fascinating history as whalers, sealers, fishermen, hunters, basket weavers, spinners, artists and warriors. The 500 best examples of the Ozette collection are on display, along with dioramas and replica canoes and a full-sized longhouse.
The museum is open year-round, 7days a week from 10AM to 5PM. Guided tours are available for groups, upon request. Exhibits are rotated periodically so visit us often.

Admission: $10 Adults, $8 Students & Senior Citizens
Free for Children under 5
Website: www.makahmuseum.com

Immerse Yourself in the Culture
Makah culture centers around family, tribal ceremonial tradition, the sea and distinctive native art. You can learn more about this centuries-old culture by visiting the Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center, and by attending Makah Days, which is held each year on the weekend closest to August 26th.

Wildlife Watching
The northwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula teems with wild life. The dense forests, sparse human population and abundant rainfall provide excellent habitat. There are several large elk herds close to Neah Bay. Deer, bear, cougar, coyote and bobcat are common. Less seen, but hiding in the undergrowth are smaller animals such as river otter, muskrats, and raccoons.

Beach Study
The sandy beaches and rocky tide pools that surround the Makah reservation abound in sea creatures. On the ocean side, olive snails are harvested by Makahs to be used for traditional jewelry and ornaments for dance regalia.

Tide pools are the home of sea urchins, sea anemones, sea stars, starfish, sand crabs, hermit crabs, bullheads and a host of sea snails. Adults and children both enjoy turning over rocks or piles of beached bull kelp and seeing critters scurrying for hiding places.

Be sure to bring your nature books along so that you can identify what you see. Help us and the next generation renew their commitment to preserving this fragile costal environment.

Wildlife Watching
The Makah Indian Reservation has 44 square miles that are bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It offers rocky shoreline, sand dunes and offshore islands to many species of birds. The coastal forests, lowland valleys and wet meadows also attract many nesting, wintering and migrating species.
This list includes 239 species of birds that are found year round or seasonally on the Reservation or in the adjacent waters. It is by no means an exhaustive list. We would appreciate reports of sightings of unlisted birds to neahbaychamber@gmail.com

Sport Fishing
Neah Bay is a Mecca for sports fishermen. With its excellent moorage, access to the straits and ocean without going over a river bar, and variety of Coast Guard certified fishing charter operators you are assured of the best possible chance of having a memorable experience! Salmon, halibut, ling cod, and a variety of rock fish await your bait.

Hiking
The Neah Bay area has many trails and beaches for hiking. The three most famous trails are to Cape Flattery, to Shi Shi Beach, and the trail from Lake Ozette to the Pacific Ocean. If you are a strong hiker, or a hiker that appreciates an easy trail with beautiful scenery, you will be thrilled by what you find here.

Kayaking
With miles of coastline, containing kelp forests, sea caves, islands, sea stacks and pristine beaches, Neah Bay is a paradise for kayakers. You can lose yourself in this aquatic wilderness for a week and still not explore all its wonders.

Marine Tours
Neah Bay is located on the land boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. You can take your own boat into the sanctuary, or you can book a tour with one of the several charter fishing businesses which offer marine tours. Check the Sport Fishing page for a listing of those who offer tours. The pictures on this page are representative of what you may see in the waters off Neah Bay. Many sports fishermen see these sights as a bonus to their fishing experience.

Storm Watching
Neah Bay is located on the very tip of the Olympic Peninsula, where winter storms often strike with gale force winds and torrential rain, leaving forests littered with downed trees. Storms on coastal waters and shorelines are awe inspiring. Huge waves batter the beaches and wash up piles of shells and debris. Species of birds normally seen off shore move into the relative shelter of the Straits. Once you have experienced these storms, hopefully from the safety and warmth of lodging overlooking the water, you will never forget their wild beauty.

Surfing/Scuba Diving
Neah Bay shores are ideal for a variety of water sports. In the summer Hobuck Beach attracts surfers and kite boarders. In the winter surfing moves to the relative shelter of the beaches around the corner inside the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Neah Bay is also known for its beautiful under water scenery. Scuba divers come from all over the Northwest, and from many farther locations, to enjoy clear waters and abundant sea life.