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Pro
Can be a good place to visit and watch for birds, especially in winter and early in the morning.
Con
It is a popular recreational area, including among those who don't care if their visit makes so much noise it scares away the wildlife that others would like to enjoy.
In a nutshell
Preserved natural areas, some primarily for wildlife, while surrounding Sequim is turned from farmland into a sprawling suburban tangle of houses and streets.
glabah Says: Constructed in 1857, it seems odd that one of the oldest lighthouses in the Pacific Northwest would be called the New Dungeness Light. However, the New Dungeness name actually comes from the fact that what we now call Dungeness Spit was originally called New Dungeness Spit...
Trails in the Dungeness Recreational Area
glabah Says: While not officially part of the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge, the Dungeness Recreation Area is the property that abuts the refuge directly to the south, and together make up a continuous preserved coastal ecosystem, though the recreational area has had some compromises made to...
glabah Says: Until late in 2011, the entrance pavilion for the refuge itself from the county park was a small wooden kiosk that featured only a simple map and the pay station for those paying their fees.The pay station box and the form for paying the fee is the same as before. They are a...
Dungeness Landing: Parasurfing and Wind Surfing
glabah Says: I don't know anything about parasurfing, wind surfing, and the various other sports that involve blasting across the water on a small wind driven floating object.I can tell you that Dungeness Spit has quite a lot of wind, and there are people who participate in this sport in...
glabah Says: If you read through the literature, you will wonder just how long Dungeness Spit really is. Some places say it is some 7 miles in length, while others say it is 5.5 miles in length, while others give various other lengths.The 5.5 mile figure is reasonably close. The 7 mile...
GuthrieColin Says: The Dungeness Spit is an ever growing (about 15' or 4.5 m per year) natural wonder. It is the longest natural spit in the united states and it protrudes just over 5 miles (8 km) into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. In some places the spit can be as narrow as 50 feet in high...
GuthrieColin Says: The Dungeness Lighthouse lies near the end of the 5+ Mile Spit. It has been in operation since December of 1857. It has been remodeled a few times and is currently 30 feet (9 m) shorter than the original 92 foot (28 m) tower. It was shortened in fears it may collapse when...
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
Carmanah Says: Five and a half mile spit, providing habitat to more than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals, and eight species of marine mammals.
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
GuthrieColin Says: The Interesting ecosystem that is created behind the spit is called an inner bay tide flat. It creates an ideal environment for many species of birds (appx 250), crabs, and many other types of shellfish. In 1915 the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect...
DSwede Says: OK, everyone will come here and walk the shores or sit on the drift wood and gaze over the waters. Absolutely nothing wrong with that!However, if you have a taste for something a little more active and do not want to go hiking, grab a shovel and start digging.The clams in...
Dungeness Recreation Area Campground: Stay On The Hill Above the Spit
glabah Says: Clallam County Parks operates a campground within the Dungeness Recreation Area that is the only place to stay right on Dungeness Spit. While not in the National Wildlife Refuge the recreational area is on land right next to it, forming one large natural area. The campground...
Every year, the fences along the bluff have to be moved back a little ways, as the number of people visiting the lower base of Dungeness Spit at the Clallam County Parks end of things cause the vegetation to wear away, thus causing the sand to wear away.
In the long term, this means that the next generation of visitors to Dungeness Spit may not have anything left to visit, if the trend continues. While the erosion of the spit is a natural process, hundreds of visitors causing the natural vegetation to wear away is not a natural part of the process, and have severely increased the speed of this process.
However, there is another caution even for those who don't care if there is anything left for their children or grand children to visit: the sand cliff is severely unstable in its current condition, it is a very long and steep fall to the bottom, and in many places the erosion has left the cliff unsupported and undercut. See photo 2 of the undercut sand cliff, and photo 3 shows the 200 foor or so drop down to the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the trail, and how a recent sand slide has nearly undercut the existing trail and fence.
Therefore, for your own safety please stay back behind the fence, if not for your children's sake (and leave them some of Dungeness Spit left worth visiting) but please don't risk your own neck here.
Written Jul 29, 2012
Helpfulness
Technically of course, the Dungeness Spit isn't located in the town of Sequim, it's located 'off the beaten path' from Sequim. However, because Dungeness is a major attraction and Sequim is so close, it's really not that far away to be classified as 'off the beaten track'. ;)
Written Oct 4, 2002
Carmanah Says: is being on the actual sand spit at Dungeness. Here I am with my mom and my sister. Keep in mind I was 12 years old and very tall for my age in this picture! It was taken back in 1992.
visit Dungeness Spit, a long...
Carmanah Says: visit Dungeness Spit, a long narrow length of sand and beach at the foot of the Dungeness River. The Dungeness Spit reaches out for miles into the water. This is the region famous for Dungeness crab. When you first arrive at the Dungeness Spit and you park your car in the...
Carmanah Says: getting to the actual beach at Dungeness. Here's what it looks like when you finally emerge from the trail. The atmosphere is amazing, especially if there's a bit of fog.
Carmanah Says: visit the nearby wineries. Here's a picture of me and my sister infront of the Neuharth Winery. Our dad is a huge wine fan, and therefor if there's a winery located nearby during our vacation, our dad will make sure he stops by for a quick wine sampling or tour. Neuharth...
An afternoon spent at the Dungeness Spit
In the summer of 1992, my family decided to spend a week on the Olympic Peninsula. This is the north-west region of Washington State, located on the west side of Puget Sound. It's known for its parks,...
Long Line of Sand and Rocks Stretching to Distance
I don't know that there are very many places that are so synonymous with sea creatures as to have an entire species named after it, but such is the case of the Dungeness crab. Such is the case of...
One of the longest natural spit's in the world (over 5 miles). It is also a habitat for over 250 species of birds and many types of shellfish and other sea life. Dungeness Links:...
How far North-West can you go?
Truely one of my favorite places to do a day's hike or a long weekend camp. Along the mind boggling lengths of sand spits and tidal areas, there are countless pieces of driftwood, crabs, clams,...
What a gorgeous place! I could have walked for ever all the way to the end of the spit but we set out too late. It was so relaxing to just sit on a huge driftwood log and gaze at Canada in the...
Build your own Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge page
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