Cape Flattery

This is the north-westernmost point of the lower forty-eight states, on the Makah Reservation, and a permit bought in Neah Bay is required to visit - the tribe manages access and the money maintains the trail. A boardwalk of about 1.2 kilometres runs through coastal forest to platforms on the cliff edge, looking out over sea caves, stacks and Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse offshore. The Makah have whaled and fished from here for millennia. The Makah Cultural and Research Center in Neah Bay holds material from Ozette, a village buried by a mudslide around 1750 and excavated in the 1970s, which preserved wooden and woven objects that normally rot - it is among the most important archaeological collections on the coast.

What you actually see

• The north-western tip of the lower 48 - on Makah land.
• A 1.2-kilometre boardwalk - through forest to cliff platforms.
• Sea caves, stacks and Tatoosh Island - off the point.
• The Ozette collection - wooden objects preserved by a mudslide.

When to go

May to September; the coast is wet the rest of the year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

A Makah permit is required and must be bought in Neah Bay - there is no online option at the trailhead. The drive out is long and winding. Fog obscures the view frequently. The tribe closed the reservation entirely at times, so check.

Nearby

Neah Bay is east; Olympic National Park is south.