Tides today
- Low 4:54 am 0.8 ft
- High 9:32 pm 6.7 ft
Today's range is about 6 ft.
Weather
This Afternoon: Sunny. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 82 in the afternoon. North wind around 2 mph.
Tonight: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 59°F.
On the water
- Wave height: 1.0 ft
- Pressure: 1014 hPa (falling)
- Readings from NDBC buoy 46088, out in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca; Morse Creek sits on the open strait just east of Port Angeles and catches the same weather, though its beach is small and tucked at the foot of the trail.
Air quality
AQI 44, Good (PM2.5).
Planning ahead
- Tomorrow (Thursday): low 5:45 am (0.2 ft)
- Friday: low 6:32 am (-0.3 ft)
Tomorrow's forecast: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high near 73°F.
Birds this week
31 species have been logged this week at the nearest eBird hotspot, a private pond just inland; the tally reads on the wider area's birdlife rather than the shore itself.
Recently seen: Mallard, Anna's Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Willow Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher.
ID what you spot with Merlin (free, from the Cornell Lab). Bug and plant IDs with FriendOrFoe, coming soon.
Marine mammals
No recent marine-mammal sightings near here. Whales move through the strait, so scan the water on calm days.
Recently observed nearby
Wildlife: Mule Deer (17), Snowberry Checkerspot (15), Steiroxys (12), Great Blue Heron (9), Olympic Marmot (8), Black Slug (8), Bald Eagle (7), Yellow-pine Chipmunk (7).
Plants and fungi: Woodland Beardtongue (13), mountain owl's clover (9), California Jacob's ladder (9), Parry's Campion (9), fireweed (9), Silverleaf phacelia (8), common woolly sunflower (8), Columbia lily (8).
Logged near here in the last week, via iNaturalist.
Sun and moon
- Sunrise 5:38 am · Sunset 9:01 pm
- Golden hour from 8:15 pm
- Moon: Waxing Gibbous 🌔 (68% lit)
- Dark-sky quality: Excellent (5/5)
- Active meteor shower: Southern Delta Aquariids, Perseids
Aurora
Planetary Kp is around 3.67. Below the threshold to expect aurora here tonight. We flag it when activity climbs.
ISS passes
- Wed 9:51 PM, WNW, max 46°
- Thu 9:03 PM, WNW, max 69°
- Thu 10:40 PM, W, max 14°
The green mile down to the beach
Morse Creek is a creek mouth on the Strait of Juan de Fuca just east of Port Angeles, reached on the Olympic Discovery Trail. From the trailhead the paved trail crosses the old railroad trestle, with its gorgeous view down at the creek, then runs about a mile north down the gentlest of grades to the water, an easy walk, run, or roll through lush green woods with big trees on both sides; there is a good chance of a deer along the way. Plenty of folks make it a ride down, a snack and a walk on the rocks, then a ride back up.
The low-tide beach
Today's lowest low is around 4:54 am (0.8 ft); the lower the tide, the more of the small beach opens up. Aim for a daytime low, and a minus tide if you can, to find the sand under the rocks.
Tide times here come from the NOAA Port Angeles station about four miles west, in the harbor; no station sits at Morse Creek itself, and on this open stretch of strait the times run within minutes of it.
A small, rocky beach
The beach is small, and rocky most of the year, with lots of rocks; it takes a very low tide to uncover the sand, so it is a shore to comb and clamber rather than a clam flat. Think of the trail and the westbound waterfront as the public route: coming down from the trestle the east side on your right is private the whole way, set back behind a buffer of greenery, and the beach at the bottom is public but turns private as you walk east toward the mouth of Morse Creek, while west toward Hollywood Beach stays public. Stay on the trail and the westbound beach, and respect the private gates and signs.
The creek
Up at the trailhead, where the trail crosses the creek under the trestle, you can get down to the creek itself, dip your feet in the icy cold water and step out onto the river rocks; this is up top by the parking, not down at the beach. When the salmon are coming upstream it is an incredible place to watch them run. A mile away, down where the creek meets the strait, the riprap at the mouth is a local spot for casting to coho when the run is in; if you fish you need a Washington license, so check the current regulations and seasons first.
Getting there
Morse Creek is a beach you walk or ride down to: from the trailhead it is about a mile of the Olympic Discovery Trail down to the water, and a mile back up, an easy grade but a real outing, so come ready for the round trip. The trailhead is about three miles east of Port Angeles, where US Highway 101 crosses the creek; park at the Morse Creek trailhead on Strait View Drive just north of the highway, a small gravel lot with a port-a-potty, and searching 'Morse Creek trailhead' in your maps app brings you straight to it, free public access. From the lot the Olympic Discovery Trail crosses the old railroad trestle over the creek, then heads north and down a gentle grade to the beach on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The land on the east, your right heading down, is private property the whole way to the water, set back behind a buffer of greenery, and a few parcels have their own gates onto the trail, so stay on the path.
Access and fees
The Morse Creek trailhead and the Olympic Discovery Trail here are free public access, with a small gravel parking lot on Strait View Drive just north of US Highway 101; there is no entry fee. More on the Olympic Discovery Trail segment page.
Know before you go
- The restored railroad trestle just north of the trailhead has a gorgeous view down at the creek, and from there it is the tiniest grade down to the water, so legs cruise easy and a bike or scooter coasts the mile to the beach. The trail runs through lush green woods with big trees on both sides, popping with new growth in spring and turning lovely with the fall colors, and there is a good chance of a deer along the way.
- The beach is small and rocky most of the year, with lots of rocks; it takes a very low tide to uncover the sand, so time a visit to a daytime low (check today's low on the Conditions tab). Plenty of folks make it a mile ride down, a snack and a walk on the rocks, then a ride back up.
- Think of the trail and the westbound waterfront as the public route. Coming down from the trestle, the east side on your right is private the whole way to the water, set back behind a buffer of greenery; the beach at the bottom is public, but it turns private as you walk east toward the mouth of Morse Creek, while west toward Hollywood Beach stays public. Stay on the trail and the westbound beach, and respect the private gates and signs.
- Up at the trailhead, where the trail crosses the creek under the trestle, you can get down to the creek itself, dip your feet in the icy cold water and step out onto the river rocks; this is up top by the parking, not down at the beach a mile below. When the salmon are coming upstream it is an incredible place to watch them run.
- The riprap at the creek mouth is a local spot for casting to coho when the run is in; if you fish you need a Washington license, so check the current regulations and seasons first.
Plan a trip: find a place to stay nearby on Hipcamp, or get the Olympic Discovery Trail map on AllTrails+.
On the map
Morse Creek, answered
Where is Morse Creek?
Morse Creek is about three miles east of Port Angeles, where US Highway 101 crosses the creek and the Olympic Discovery Trail runs down to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Park at the Morse Creek trailhead on Strait View Drive just north of the highway, a small gravel lot; searching 'Morse Creek trailhead' in your maps app brings you straight to it.
What is the Morse Creek trestle on the Olympic Discovery Trail?
The Morse Creek trestle is a restored old railroad trestle, part of the abandoned Milwaukee Road grade the Olympic Discovery Trail follows here, just north of the trailhead. It carries the paved trail high over the creek and has a gorgeous view straight down at the water; from the trestle the trail drops on the gentlest of grades the rest of the way to the beach.
Can you walk the beach at Morse Creek?
Yes. From the trailhead the Olympic Discovery Trail crosses the trestle and heads north, down a gentle grade through lush green woods about a mile to the beach on the strait, an easy walk, run, or roll. The land on the east side of the trail, your right heading down, is private the whole way to the water, some of it with its own gates onto the path, so stay on the trail. The beach at the bottom is public: west toward Hollywood Beach stays public, while walking east toward the mouth of Morse Creek crosses onto private property. The beach is small and rocky most of the year, with sand showing only at a very low tide, so time it to a daytime low.
Where do you park for Morse Creek and the Olympic Discovery Trail?
Park at the Morse Creek trailhead, a small gravel lot on Strait View Drive just north of US Highway 101, with a port-a-potty and free public access; searching 'Morse Creek trailhead' in your maps app routes you there. From the lot the trail heads north over the trestle and down to the beach, and climbs east toward the Deer Park gateway. We don't print a fee here since there isn't one for the trail; it is free public access.
What are the tides at Morse Creek today?
Today's tides at Morse Creek: low 4:54 am (0.8 ft), high 9:32 pm (6.7 ft). Today's range is about 6 ft. Tide data comes from the NOAA Port Angeles station, the nearest reference, about four miles west in the harbor; no NOAA station sits at Morse Creek itself, and on this open stretch of strait the times run within minutes of it.
Can you see salmon at Morse Creek?
Yes, in season. Up at the trailhead, where the trail crosses the creek under the trestle, you can get down to the creek itself, dip your feet in the icy cold water and step out onto the river rocks, and when the salmon are running upstream it is an incredible place to watch them; this creek-side spot is up top by the parking, a mile above the beach. Morse Creek is a salmon and steelhead stream; the run timing varies by year and species, so there is no fixed date, and any fishing is closed unless a season is open with a Washington license.
Can you bike the Olympic Discovery Trail at Morse Creek?
Yes. The Olympic Discovery Trail here is paved and runs on the gentlest of grades down from the trestle to the beach, so a bike or scooter coasts the mile down and it is an easy pedal back up; plenty of people make it a quick ride down, a snack and a walk on the rocks, then a ride back. It is a shared path, so keep right and mind walkers and runners, and stay on the trail: the east side of the descent is private property the whole way down, some of it gated onto the path.
How is Morse Creek different from Hollywood Beach?
They are different kinds of beach a few miles apart. Hollywood Beach is the in-town downtown beach on Port Angeles Harbor by the City Pier, sheltered behind Ediz Hook, that you walk straight to from downtown. Morse Creek is the wilder one east of town: you ride or walk a green mile of the Olympic Discovery Trail, over the creek trestle and down to a small rocky beach on the open strait, with the salmon creek alongside. Come to Hollywood Beach for the easy in-town stroll and the pier, to Morse Creek for the trail, the woods, and the creek.
How is Morse Creek different from Salt Creek?
Different stops on opposite sides of Port Angeles. Salt Creek, west beyond the city at Tongue Point, is the bigger destination, with a campground and the region's marquee tidepools in a no-take marine area. Morse Creek, east of town, is a trail-and-creek spot: the Olympic Discovery Trail down to a small rocky beach on the strait, the old creek trestle, and salmon in the creek, with no campground and no tidepool sanctuary. Come to Salt Creek for camping and the famous pools, to Morse Creek for the green ride down to the water.
What birds and wildlife can you see at Morse Creek?
The green corridor down to the strait is alive: big trees and ferns line the trail, with a good chance of a deer, and the strait shore brings gulls and cormorants, bald eagles, and loons and ducks on the colder-month water. The creek draws kingfishers and dippers, and the salmon runs bring eagles and gulls to the mouth. This week, 31 species have been logged at the nearest eBird hotspot, a private pond just inland, so the tally reflects the wider area's birdlife rather than the shore itself; there is no public eBird hotspot at Morse Creek, so just watch the trail and the beach as you go. Bring binoculars, and the free Merlin app from the Cornell Lab is great for IDs.
Whose ancestral land is Morse Creek?
Klallam land, within the territory the Klallam describe as their own: village communities along both shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from the Hoko River east into Hood Canal. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the nearest of the three Klallam nations today, lives just west at the mouth of the Elwha River (elwha.org).
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
This shore lies within the homeland the Klallam people describe for themselves: roughly 33 village communities on both sides of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from the Hoko River east into Hood Canal. That homeland is present tense: the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the nearest of the three Klallam nations today, lives just west at the mouth of the Elwha River, where its people have been since time immemorial.
In their own words: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Nearby places
- Hollywood Beach / City Pier · 4 mi
- Ediz Hook · 5 mi
- Elwha River Valley · 13 mi
- Dungeness Spit · 15 mi
- Hurricane Ridge · 18 mi
A heads-up when it's a good day at Morse Creek: a daytime low to open the beach, calm strait water, and the trail lit up green. Coming soon.