Cline Spit offers easy access

Cline Spit has its advantages over much larger and longer Dungeness Spit nearby.

It has a boat ramp while Dungeness does not, it is free to walk on while Dungeness is not -- and it is much easier to get to.

Rather than taking a long walk through the woods to get to the beach, you simply drive down a small hill, park, get out of your car and you are there.

And the view isn't bad either.

Look east on a clear day and you can see snowcapped Mount Baker in the distance beyond a wetland and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Look west and you can see the sun trailing across Dungeness Bay or even a sunset if it's later.

To the south is a wooded bluff with wind swept fir trees, and to the north, west and east is log strewn Dungeness Spit in front of the horizon line.

And instead of offering a miles long beach hike like Dungeness, Cline Spit County Park is packed into just less than the length of a football field at 80 yards of beach front.

The park encompasses two acres in all.

Rows of boulders separate the beach from the parking lot, and provide a place for youngsters to climb and make up their own adventures.

Or adults and children can walk the beach and listen to the sounds of the lapping waves, screaming seagulls and gravel crunching under their feet.

The ramp can launch vessels up to 17 feet in length.

Aside from boats to fish from and explore with, the adventurous can launch sailboards, kayaks, rafts and jet skis.

Call Clallam County Parks at (360) 417-2291 for more information on Cline Spit.

How to get there:

Cline Spit County Park is located at 199 Cline Spit Road No. 1, Sequim, WA 98382.

Cline Spit Road is accessed off Marine Drive on the bluff to the south.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.