We started out early on Wednesday morning with the hope that we'd glimpse some eagles at the Big Beef Creek in Seabeck. We got there at low tide, but no eagles were to be found. We did see a lot of Great Blue Herons patiently fishing near the mud flats.
Our next stop was the Guillemot Cove hike, which we had never tried. The parking lot and trailhead were fairly non-descript and we didn't think we were in the right place, but a quick look at our guidebook "Day Hiking the Olympic Peninsula" reassured us.
http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Parks/Documents/Trail_Maps/GuillemotCove_TrailMap.pdf
The trail down to the beach wound through a great patch of evergreen and Alder tree forest. The sun was shining and the birds were especially joyful.
The trail was in pretty good shape, though there were a few trees across the path and a few narrow areas on the steepest descent to the water. Portions of the trail are an easement on private property and as you reach the bottom there is a home at the base. The public access to the cove is off to the left, though the original path is overgrown and under water. Luckily, someone had posted a handwritten alternate route:
It was still a muddy mess getting through the marsh to the beach trail, but along the way is great for bird watching! We saw Stellar Jays, Red-Winged Black Birds, Sparrows, Swallows, Ducks, and lots of fat Robins!
The views from the beach were amazing. "The Brothers" (Olympic Mountains) loomed across the water and due to the time of the year, the iffy weather and the fact it was a Wednesday, we had the place all to ourselves.
There are several abandoned buildings around the property and it is fun to imagine their history. There is also a little outhouse located on the trail right before the beach. We didn't track this hike, but according to the book it's 2.5 miles round trip. There are a few other trails past the beach which we haven't yet explored, but we plan on going back soon!
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