Surf: A small, relatively sheltered cove at the end of La Push Road. (Route 110) about 15 miles from Highway 101. Sand and gravel at the mouth of the Quillayute River (La Push comes from la bouche or ‘the mouth’) creates several distinct, fat peaks on the outside with reform sections working into the beachbreak. Mid tides, all swells from S to NW. James Island, the rugged mass that frames the north side of the cove, jumbles up a full N swell — try the beachbreak on the north side of the rivermouth for some clean winter barrels. Environment: Summer is best here, but if it’s not an El Niño year, it’s plenty cold. Surf: General: Aside from one public access featuring the sandbars of La Push, the stretch of coast from Ruby Beach to Neah Bay is generally no-man's-land, and one may be inclined to say mediocre surf spots outnumber the good ones. Located within Olympic National Park, La Push is home to some decent but fickle beachbreak. The crescent of First Beach is the main spot, offering erratic sandbars with a steep beach drop-off. Basically only rideable during summer and early autumn, La Push is an average beachbreak that has some good days and a lot of bad days.

Above La Push, the Olympic Peninsula's Cape Flattery is the northwestern-most point of land in the contiguous United States. Here lies a north-northeast-facing surf reality a world away from the exposed coast. Maddeningly fickle and working only during large NW swells are a handful of rideable breaks. Tides: Medium Size: Waist-head high Wind: NE Swell: SW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Not too bad. Spot Rating: Kinda fun. Access: At the north end of Forks, exit Highway 101 onto Highway 110, aka La Push Road, and take it to the end (14 miles). Crowds: Crowd Factor: Maybe a couple of surfers, but no problem. Local Vibe: Mellow. Environment: Clean. Hazards: Isolation and loneliness. Season: June-August