The ocean at the entrance
A considered day. Real water at the entrance; the people who run it daily make the call. Buoy right now: seas 5 ft at 9 s · wind 2 kt.
Readings from NDBC buoy 46087, the Neah Bay entrance buoy about six nautical miles north of the cape, out in the open water where the strait meets the Pacific; it reads the ocean you would actually run out into, not the sheltered harbor.
Weather at the cape
This Afternoon: Mostly sunny. High near 69, with temperatures falling to around 66 in the afternoon. West northwest wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Mostly Cloudy, 58°F.
The headland is exposed: wind and rain mean more at the overlooks than they do in town, and the boardwalk is the walk in any weather. The overlooks stand at the edge of real cliffs; stay on the trail and boardwalk, as the Makah Tribe asks, and keep children and dogs close.
Tides in the harbor
- Low 2:37 am · 1.2 ft ft
- High 8:39 am · 4.3 ft ft
- Low 12:40 pm · 3.3 ft ft
- High 7:53 pm · 7.2 ft ft
Tide predictions are from NOAA station 9443090 inside Neah Bay's harbor. Out here the tide is a supporting fact, for the launch, the harbor beaches, and the current at the entrance, not the thing that decides the day; the ocean itself does that.
Air quality
No nearby air-quality monitor reports right now.
Seabirds off the point
The cape's decks put you at eye level with the seabird traffic working the water between the point and Tatoosh Island: in summer the island's nesting colonies fill the air off the overlooks, tufted puffins among them, with murres, auklets, cormorants, and gulls year-round, sea otters in the kelp below, and harbor seals and sea lions hauled out on the rocks.
Whales passing
No fresh marine-mammal reports in range right now. Gray whales and humpbacks work this corner of the coast in season, and orcas move through the strait's mouth; a settled day at the overlooks is a genuine watch point.
Birds this week
26 species have been logged at the cape this week.
Recently seen: Tufted Puffin, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, American Crow, Cedar Waxwing, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter.
ID what you spot with Merlin (free, from the Cornell Lab).
Recently observed nearby
Wildlife: Horned Nudibranch (24), Red Sponge Dorid (12), Elegant Aeolid (11), Modest Clown Dorid (10), Yellowhead Aeolid (9), Monterey Dorid (6), Pacific Banana Slug (6), Cockerell's Dorid (6).
Plants and fungi: western redcedar (4), Ghost Pipe (3), red-berried elder (2), Cutleaf Blackberry (2), Douglas-fir (1), hedgehog mushrooms (1), salal (1), common puffball (1).
Logged near here in the last week, via iNaturalist.
Stargazing
This is the far corner of the far coast, about as removed from city glow as the lower 48 gets, and the horizon off the cape is open ocean. Tonight's dark-sky quality reads Excellent (5/5). The honest caveat is the marine layer: fog and cloud off the Pacific claim many nights out here.
Sun and moon
- Sunrise 5:42 am · Sunset 9:08 pm
- Golden hour from 8:21 pm
- Moon: Waxing Gibbous 🌔 (68% lit)
- Active meteor shower: Southern Delta Aquariids, Perseids
The Cape Flattery Trail closes 30 minutes after sunset, so night sky out here means the road pullouts and the beaches, not the overlooks.
Aurora
Planetary Kp is around 3.67. Below the threshold to expect aurora tonight. We flag it when activity climbs.
ISS passes
- Wed 9:51 PM, WNW, max 49°
- Thu 9:03 PM, WNW, max 71°
- Thu 10:40 PM, W, max 15°
The marine forecast
NWS coastal waters forecast for the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, issued 214 AM PDT Wed Jul 22 2026:
- Today: W wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 9 seconds.
- Tonight: W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 9 seconds.
At the entrance buoy
- Seas 5 ft at 9 s
- Wind 2 kt from 90°
- Pressure 1013.8 hPa and falling
Readings from NDBC buoy 46087, the Neah Bay entrance buoy about six nautical miles north of the cape, out in the open water where the strait meets the Pacific; it reads the ocean you would actually run out into, not the sheltered harbor.
Serious water
This is serious water, the strait's mouth meeting the open Pacific, cold enough that going in is a survival event; life jackets on, file a float plan, and when in doubt, watch it from the harbor. There is no casual day at the entrance: an ebb tide against a west swell stands the water up, and the weather window can close on the run home. The people who run these waters daily make the close calls; if that is not you, the harbor and the overlooks hold the same ocean.
Fishing and the Bonilla-Tatoosh line
This is WDFW Marine Area 4, split at the Bonilla-Tatoosh line, the boundary running from Cape Flattery over Tatoosh Island to Bonilla Point on Vancouver Island; seasons, limits, and gear rules differ by species and by which side of the line you fish, and they change during the year. We never quote seasons here: check the current rules and carry a Washington license. WDFW Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) →
The harbor
Neah Bay is a working harbor, and the Makah Marinais its center: moorage, the launch, and the fleet, run as part of the Tribe's own waterfront. Charters operate out of Neah Bay in season. The marina and the town's services are on the Tribe's pages at makah.com.
You are a guest here
You are a guest of the Makah Nation here. Recreation anywhere on the Makah Reservation, including the Cape Flattery Trail and the beaches, requires a Makah Recreation Pass: one per vehicle, valid for the calendar year, printed and displayed in your window. It is the Tribe's own visitor program, in their words: "Please respect the culture of the Makah Tribe and limit your activities to designated visitor facilities."
Buy the pass online from the Tribe or in Neah Bay at the Makah Marina, the Makah Museum, the Makah Mini Mart, Hobuck Beach Resort, and other local outlets; current prices and the full list are on the Tribe's recreation permits page. The Cape Flattery Trail is open daily at dawn and closes 30 minutes after sunset, year-round. Day parking only at the trailhead, with restrooms and no garbage cans: pack out your litter, and stay on the trail and boardwalk.
Getting there: US 101 west from Port Angeles about 5 miles, then SR 112 west about 64 miles to Neah Bay; through town, then Cape Flattery Road to the signed trailhead (search "Cape Flattery Trailhead" in your maps app). Heads up on the drive: as you near Neah Bay, SR 112 at milepost 5.5 is running around-the-clock one-way alternating traffic at 25 mph until further notice.
Access and fees
Cape Flattery and Neah Bay are on the Makah Reservation, and recreation here runs on the Makah Tribe's own visitor program: a Makah Recreation Pass, one per vehicle, valid for the calendar year, displayed in your window. Check the current fee on the Makah Tribe's recreation permits page.
Getting there
Neah Bay is the last town on the strait, about 69 road miles and a solid hour and three quarters west of Port Angeles, and Cape Flattery is the headland beyond it: through town, then Cape Flattery Road to the trailhead. An alternate way in: US 101 west to Sappho, then State Route 113 north to join SR 112 near Clallam Bay.
Know before you go
- The trail is three quarters of a mile each way, downhill going out on boardwalks, stairs, and dirt, about 200 feet of elevation you climb back on the return; four observation decks look onto the sea caves, the reef, and Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse.
- Dogs are allowed on leash. Visitors and pets must stay on the main trail; the boardwalk crosses bog and the overlooks are cliff edges.
- The Makah Marina in Neah Bay is the harbor: moorage, launch, and the fleet. Charters operate out of Neah Bay; if you fish, this is WDFW Marine Area 4, with its own seasons and rules, so check the current regulations before you go.
- Hobuck Beach and the Shi Shi Beach trailhead are nearby on the reservation, each its own trip with its own rules; the Makah Recreation Pass covers recreation on both, and the Tribe's pages carry the current details.
- Cell coverage is thin west of Clallam Bay; download maps before you leave Port Angeles, and fuel up before the drive out.
The Makah Museumat the Makah Cultural and Research Center in Neah Bay holds the Ozette collection and is the place to meet this coast in the Tribe's own words; check current hours on the museum's site before you plan around it.
Plan a trip: find a place to stay nearby on Hipcamp, or get Olympic Peninsula trail maps on AllTrails+.
On the map
Cape Flattery, answered
Do I need a pass to visit Cape Flattery or Neah Bay?
Yes. Cape Flattery and Neah Bay are on the Makah Reservation, and recreation anywhere on the reservation, the trails, the beaches, the camping, requires a Makah Recreation Pass: one per vehicle, valid for the calendar year, printed and displayed in your window. It is the Makah Tribe's own visitor program. Buy it online from the Tribe or in Neah Bay at the Makah Marina, the Makah Museum, the Makah Mini Mart, Hobuck Beach Resort, and other local outlets; the Tribe's recreation permits page carries the current price and the full list.
How long is the Cape Flattery Trail, and is it hard?
Three quarters of a mile each way, downhill on the way out over boardwalks, stairs, and dirt, with about 200 feet of elevation to climb back on the return. Four observation decks look onto the sea caves, the reef, and Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse. The trail is open daily from dawn until 30 minutes after sunset, year-round; dogs are allowed on leash, and visitors and pets must stay on the main trail, both for the bog under the boardwalk and because the overlooks are real cliff edges.
Is the Cape Flattery walk worth it today?
Today's forecast at the cape is mostly sunny, a fair day for the boardwalk. The walk is three quarters of a mile each way on boardwalks, stairs, and dirt to four clifftop observation decks over the sea caves and Tatoosh Island, and it is worth it in almost any weather that lets you stand at a railing. The cape is exposed, so wind and rain hit harder up there than in town; the overlooks are real cliff edges, so stay on the trail and boardwalk, as the Makah Tribe asks.
What is the ocean doing at Neah Bay right now?
Right now the Neah Bay entrance buoy reads seas around 5 ft at 9 seconds and wind near 2 knots, a considered day rather than a calm one, and no advisory is posted. Conditions at the entrance change fast; read the marine forecast the morning you go, and let the people who run these waters daily make the close calls.
Where do I check conditions before fishing out of Neah Bay?
Two instruments carry the honest read, and this page's Ocean tab shows both live: the Neah Bay entrance buoy (NDBC 46087, about six nautical miles north of the cape, in the water you would actually run out into) for measured seas and wind, and the National Weather Service coastal waters forecast for the west entrance of the strait, including any posted Small Craft Advisory or gale warning. A posted advisory is the Weather Service's own call on these waters; treat it as the answer.
What are the fishing rules out of Neah Bay?
Neah Bay is WDFW Marine Area 4, split at the Bonilla-Tatoosh line, the boundary that runs from Cape Flattery over Tatoosh Island to Bonilla Point on Vancouver Island; seasons, limits, and gear rules differ by species and by which side of the line you fish, and they change during the year. We never quote seasons here: check the current Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for Marine Area 4 and carry a Washington license. Fishing under the Tribe's own programs on reservation waters is the Makah Tribe's to govern.
How do I get to Cape Flattery from Port Angeles?
Take US 101 west about 5 miles, then SR 112 west about 64 miles to Neah Bay, then follow the signs through town onto Cape Flattery Road to the trailhead; searching 'Cape Flattery Trailhead' in your maps app routes you to the parking area, which has restrooms, day parking only, and no garbage cans. An alternate way in runs US 101 west to Sappho, then SR 113 north to join SR 112 near Clallam Bay. Heads up: as you near Neah Bay, SR 112 at milepost 5.5 is running around-the-clock one-way alternating traffic at 25 mph until further notice, and cell coverage is thin west of Clallam Bay.
Whose land is Cape Flattery?
The Makah Reservation. Cape Flattery, Neah Bay, and the beaches and trails around them are the sovereign land of the Makah Nation today, not a park. Visitors recreate here as guests under the Tribe's own program: a Makah Recreation Pass displayed in your vehicle, the trail open from dawn to 30 minutes after sunset, and activities limited to designated visitor facilities. The Makah Museum in Neah Bay carries the Tribe's own telling of this coast.
What is the Makah Museum?
The Makah Museum, at the Makah Cultural and Research Center in Neah Bay, holds the Ozette collection: over 55,000 artifacts, 300 to 500 years old, from Makah longhouses buried by a slide that Makah oral history told of long before an eleven-year excavation, begun in 1970, proved it. It is the place to meet this coast in the Tribe's own words. Check current hours and admission on the museum's site before you plan around it.
When is low tide at Neah Bay today?
Low tide in Neah Bay today: 2:37 am (1.2 ft ft) and 12:40 pm (3.3 ft ft). Predictions are from NOAA station 9443090 inside Neah Bay's harbor. Out here the tide is a supporting fact, for the launch, the harbor beaches, and the current at the entrance; the ocean state decides the day.
Can you see whales or puffins at Cape Flattery?
Gray whales and humpbacks work this corner of the coast in season and orcas move through the strait's mouth, so the overlooks are a genuine watch point when the ocean is settled; this page's Wildlife tab shows recent reported sightings. In summer, Tatoosh Island's seabird colonies fill the water off the point, tufted puffins among them, and the decks put you at eye level with the traffic.
What about Shi Shi Beach and Hobuck Beach?
Both are nearby on the Makah Reservation and each is its own trip: Hobuck is the broad surf-and-camping beach south of town, and the Shi Shi Beach trail leaves from its own trailhead toward the Olympic wilderness coast, with its own rules and, for overnights, its own permits. The Makah Recreation Pass covers recreation on the reservation for both, and the Tribe's pages carry the current details.
Is there a Cape Flattery or Neah Bay webcam?
The truest camera here is on the water: the Neah Bay entrance buoy (NDBC 46087) carries a camera that posts six views of the actual sea state about hourly in daylight, and this page shows the latest frame. There is no live streetside cam in Neah Bay or at the cape that we can verify and rightfully use.
What is a phenophase?
A phenophase is a stage in the seasonal life of a living thing: the week the bigleaf maples leaf out, the morning the salmon start running, the first frost on the salal. It's a way of telling time by what's happening outside rather than by the calendar. The study of it is called phenology, the science of nature's timing, of when things bloom, migrate, ripen, and rest. Phenophase brings that down to one place at a time. We read the live signals for a spot, its tides, light, birds, and blooms, and tell you what season it's truly in right now, and whether it's worth the trip.
Since time immemorial
Cape Flattery and Neah Bay are not near a tribal homeland; they are inside one. This is the Makah Reservation, sovereign land of the Makah Tribe, the qʷidiččaʔa·tx̌, whose spoken history tells of a world that revolved around the sea and the land, and who call this coast "the beginning of the world and the home of the Makah", the Cape People. The very name Makah is a neighbor's word, as the Tribe itself tells it: given by the neighboring tribes and meaning "people generous with food" in the Salish language. The Tribe states it plainly: "Whaling and whales are central to Makah culture." In Neah Bay, the Makah Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center holds the Ozette collection, over 55,000 artifacts, 300 to 500 years old, from longhouses buried in a slide that Makah oral history told of long before the eleven year excavation, begun in 1970, proved it.
In their own words: Makah Tribe · Makah Cultural and Research Center
Nearby places
- Murdock Beach · 42 mi
- Salt Creek Recreation Area · 52 mi
- Crescent Beach at Salt Creek · 53 mi
- Lake Crescent · 48 mi
A heads-up when it's a good day at the cape: a settled ocean at the entrance buoy, a clear walk to the overlooks, whales moving past Tatoosh. Coming soon.