It was a long road to Cape Flattery–almost five hours from my doorstep to Neah Bay, including a ferry ride across the sound. After stopping at the Makah Museum to pick up a recreation pass (required to park and hike on tribal land, and good for the entirety of the year in which it’s purchased), I drove the winding forest roads to the trailhead. From the trailhead, it was a short, easy hike to several viewpoint areas…and there I was, on the northwesternmost point of the continental United States, the deep blue-green waves relentlessly pounding on the sandstone cliffs, the distant Sitka trees blanketed in fog, a gentle rain falling, the few other people there also in silent awe of the beauty of the cape. On the way out, I saw deer calmly cropping on the side of the road and bald eagles circling in the sky. I hope to go back soon to hike the other, longer trail on Makah land: Shi Shi Beach.