Damon Point
IBA (Important Birding Area)
Directions: From Hoquiam, head west for 16 miles on SR 109 turning left onto SR 115. Continue south 2.2 miles turning left at the entrance gate to Ocean Shores onto Point Brown Avenue. Then proceed south for 5.1 miles bearing right onto Discovery Avenue. In 0.2 mile come to the trailhead.
Ownership: Washington Department of Natural Resources
Trail Distance: more than 4 miles of beach
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Fees/Permits: None
Notes: kid-friendly, restroom available; Dogs must be leashed and are only allowed on the western .5 mile of beach near the trailhead. Interior of point is closed from Mar 1–Sept 15 to protect threatened nesting streaked horned larks and snowy plovers.
Hike around this protruding land mass in Grays Harbor for sweeping views that include Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. Observe scores of shorebirds, and sometimes in winter—snowy owls. Damon Point is on what was once Protection Island. But through accretion the point is now on a 1.5 mile long spit. Years ago Washington State Parks built a road up the middle of the spit. But storms have washed it out and it was closed. The spit is now managed by Washington DNR to protect its aquatic resources. Respect all closures to help protect nesting threatened birds. Best hiked at low tide, follow a short access trail to the beach. It’s then about a 4 mile journey around the 61-acre spit.
Along the shorelines watch for dunlins, semipalmated plovers, golden plovers, snowy plovers, least sandpipers, western sandpipers, American pipits, horned larks, and Lapland longspurs. In the harbor look for loons and scoters. Throughout the spit watch for bald eagles northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, peregrine falcons, and merlins. Brandts and snow buntings winter at the point.
