New Dungeness Lighthouse

BOU AVENUE
New Dungeness Lighthouse

With an unsettled weather forecast on 13 April 2023, Zosia Zgolak and I opted for a long but uncomplicated beach hike to New Dungeness Lighthouse located at the end of Dungeness Spit in Washington's Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Aiding maritime vessel navigation through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the lighthouse has been in operation since 1857 but has undergone some structural changes over the years. It is currently maintained by volunteers who belong to the New Dungeness Light Station Association.

From Highway 101, turn north onto Kitchen-Dick Road, 16.0 kilometres east of the highway split (near McDonald's) in Port Angeles or 5.0 kilometres west of the River Road interchange in Sequim. Drive 5.2 kilometres to where Kitchen-Dick Road bends eastward and becomes Lotzgesell Road. Drive another 270 metres and turn left onto Voice of America Road to enter Dungeness Recreation Area. Drive 1.8 kilometres past a campground to the trailhead parking lot at road's end inside Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge charges a daily entrance fee, but the America the Beautiful Annual Pass (US National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands) is valid here.

Starting at the signed trailhead, Zosia and I walked along the main forested pathway for about 650 metres before descending past a couple of interpretive viewpoints to the beach at the start of Dungeness Spit. We then settled into a long and, at times, monotonous walk along the spit to the lighthouse about 7.5 kilometres away. Fortunately, the sand on the beach was firm enough to allow for generally easy walking, and the antics of a variety of seabirds provided occasional sources of amusement. About 2.5 hours after starting out, we arrived at the lighthouse facility where we were greeted by one of the volunteer keepers. Volunteer keepers pay to book a one-week stay at the lighthouse where they help with simple maintenance and provide free tours to day visitors. Zosia and I spent over an hour touring the lighthouse and learning all sorts of fascinating things about its history and operation. This was clearly the highlight of the trip for me. When our tour finished, Zosia and I bade our excellent tour guide farewell, and we wandered out along an interpretive trail to as far as we were allowed to go toward the end of the spit. We stopped for a short break here before commencing our return trip.

Ominous clouds had already rolled into the area by the time Zosia and I left the lighthouse, but luckily, we were spared from any rainfall throughout our entire hike. Low tide provided some opportunities to explore some unremarkable tidal pools and to walk on exposed sandbars, but for the most part, the hike back to the mainland felt much the same as before. It took us just as long--2.5 hours--to return to the trailhead.

The lighthouse is 7.0 kilometres away as the crow flies from here. Dungeness Spit stretches out into the distance. New Dungeness Lighthouse (L) is barely visible on the right horizon.

The view doesn't really change for the next 2.5 hours!
Zosia walks along the beach on Dungeness Spit.

Stay to the left of the driftwood!

Public access to the south (right) side of Dungeness Spit is mostly prohibited in order to provide sanctuary for wildlife.

	Marine birds such as seagulls are quite common on Dungeness Spit. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Parts of Vancouver Island are visible on the horizon across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
	Sonny finds some crab claws that still have some meat in them. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia arrives at New Dungeness Lighthouse. Electricity is supplied by an underwater cable that runs across Dungeness Bay while fresh water comes from an artesian well that is over 200 metres deep. A convenient bathroom is also available for day visitors.
	Zosia enters the lighthouse building which also has a museum on the ground floor. The original tower was lowered by about 11 metres in 1927 due to structural instability. The lantern room at the top was then transplanted from the deactivated Admiralty Head lighthouse on Whidbey Island.
	On display in the lighthouse museum is a 4th Order Fresnel lens similar to one that was installed in the lighthouse from 1927 until 1976. That lens is currently on display in the U.S. Coast Guard Museum in Seattle. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	A room on the upper floor of the lighthouse building is full of items picked up from the surrounding beach.
	After climbing up into the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse, Zosia peers into the current rotating beacon known as VRB-25 which was installed in 1998. The Fresnel lenses here are made of acrylic instead of glass.
	This is looking back along Dungeness Spit to the mainland from the top of the lighthouse.
	This is the view of the end of Dungeness Spit which is closed to public access. At bottom right is the Keeper's Quarters where volunteers reside for their week-long stays.
	While volunteers maintain the upkeep of everything else at the lighthouse, the U.S. Coast Guard has the sole responsibility of changing the beacon light bulb. The VRB-25 has a rotating carousel of six bulbs which, in theory, means that a maintenance visit is only required roughly every three years, but in practice, the U.S. Coast Guard makes more frequent service visits.
	Zosia exits the lantern room and descends the lighthouse tower.

We're always pushing the limits!

This interpretive trail is as far as the general public is allowed to go past the lighthouse.

	Dark clouds roll into the area as Zosia walks back to the mainland.
	A bald eagle sits watchfully on a piece of driftwood along Dungeness Spit. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance: 17.9 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 6 hours 30 minutes GPX Data

	Dungeness Spit stretches out into the distance. New Dungeness Lighthouse (L) is barely visible on the right horizon.
	Zosia walks along the beach on Dungeness Spit.