Camping on Shi Shi Beach: 2025 Guide + Insider Tips

For an Instagram-worthy sunset and a bit of adventure, Shi Shi Beach camping should be on every PNW bucket list. We’ve put together everything you need to know for your first time camping on Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park!

Maybe you’ve seen Shi Shi Beach on your Instagram feed, or perhaps you live in Seattle and keep hearing people talk about this somewhat remote destination.

Or, if you’ve never heard of this lovely spot in Washington’s Olympic National Park, allow me to introduce you.

(I think photos are the best introduction, so here ya go…)

There’s no question about it: Shi Shi Beach is a photographer’s dream and arguably one of the coolest places to camp in Washington.

We, too, were intrigued by this beauty and decided we’d make it a destination during our time in the Olympic Peninsula.

Turns out it’s a bit more complicated than just rolling up to the beach with a tent, so we thought we’d share our tips to make your trip there as seamless as possible.

If you’re dreaming about camping on Shi Shi Beach, this guide is a must-read. It’s packed with everything you’ll need to know – from what permits you’ll need, to how to get there, and the best place to set up camp!

Shi Shi Beach Camping Guide

• How to get there
• Camping permits & cost
• Shi Shi Beach hike
• What to pack
• Things to do
• Tips for camping on Shi Shi Beach
• Shi Shi Beach vs. Second Beach
• More things to do in Olympic National Park

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First things first: How do you pronounce Shi Shi?

I tend to pronounce things wrong. A lot. I was corrected when I said “She-She” at the visitors center in Port Angeles, and I thought I’d spare everyone else the eye roll I endured by making sure you have the correct pronunciation: Shy-Shy.

Now you’ll sound like less of a newb than I did. You’re welcome.

How to get to Shi Shi Beach

Shi Shi Beach is located in Olympic National Park; however, the entrance to Shi Shi Beach trail is in the Makah Indian Reservation. As such, you’ll need a National Park permit as well as a Makah Reservation permit (more on that below).

Directions

From Port Angeles, follow these directions to the Shi Shi Beach trailhead. 

If you’re staying overnight, you’ll need to park up the road about 0.6 miles from the trailhead at one of the designated parking areas (i.e. someone’s yard).

Once you’ve parked, head down the road on foot to the trailhead. Follow the trail for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until you get to the downhill before the beach. Then, slowly make your way down. Use the ropes as needed because it can get pretty slippery if it’s wet.

You can camp anywhere along the beach, but we recommend heading south toward the Point of Arches for the best camping site. The beach walk might take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour (or less, if you decide to camp closer to the trail).

Shi Shi Beach camping permits (+ cost)

Obviously, you’ll need a tent and all the other fun stuff that goes along with camping (more on that later), but there are a few permits you’ll need in order to visit this beach.

Let’s go over what exactly you’ll need:

1. National Park Wilderness Permit

• Cost: $8 per person, per night, + $6 reservation fee
• How to purchase: online at recreation.gov
  • Select the number of people in your party and click on the “North Coast” tab to see availability for Shi Shi Beach permits.

2. Makah Recreation Pass

• Cost: $20 per vehicle
• How to purchase:
  1. in-person at any of the locations listed here
  2. you can purchase online; however, you must print your permit and display the hard copy in your car window while on the reservation

3. Overnight parking fee

• Cost: $10 per calendar day* (e.g. if you arrive Friday and leave Sunday, you will pay $30 for parking)
• How to purchase: in-person at the private parking lot (cash only)

*Important note: The above is what we paid when we visited in 2017. At that time, we were traveling in our first campervan build, a low-roof model not much bigger than a pickup or SUV. As campervan travel has become more popular, it’s highly possible that the rates may have changed, so you should be prepared to pay more if you’re driving a larger RV.

**Even if you’re driving a car, keep in mind that the parking lot is on someone’s private property, which means the fees are not regulated and are at the sole discretion of the property owner.

Related: We’ve rounded up the best campervan rentals in Seattle that would be perfect for an Olympic National Park adventure!

Do I need a National Park Pass to visit Shi Shi Beach?

Since Shi Shi Beach is located within Olympic National Park, yes, you should technically have a national park pass.

However, you will not be driving or parking in Olympic NP; rather, you will enter the national park on foot. So unless a park ranger comes to check permits on the beach, you may be able to get away without—but do so at your own risk.

That said, there are tons of other cool places to see and fun things to do in Olympic National Park, and we would highly recommend having the park pass so you can explore more in the area!

Related: We’re sharing everything you need to know about the USA National Park Annual Pass, including how to get it and whether or not it will be worth it for you.

Shi Shi Beach hike

• Distance: 3-4 miles one way, depending on how far down the beach you want to go.
  • Insider Tip: If you have the time, we’d recommend making it down to the far end of the beach to see some of the rock formations!
• Elevation gain: 583 feet
• Difficulty: On AllTrails, this hike is rated as “moderate”, but we would consider it easy. With little elevation gain, the most difficult part is getting through the mud.
• Type of trail: Out & back
• Crowds: Moderate, depending on the time of year
  • Personal experience: When we visited in late May, we only passed by a handful of others on the trail; however, later in the summer it can get busier.

What is the hike to Shi Shi Beach like?

The hike is mostly through the Makah Indian Reservation land. Then, just before you reach the beach, you’ll cross into Olympic National Park. In total, it’s about 2 miles to reach the ocean and another 2 miles to the end of the beach.

While overall an easy hike, the trail can get incredibly muddy. This might slow you down or feel more tiring compared to hiking on solid ground.

You’ll start walking through a lush forest on a well-maintained path with wooden bridges. But after roughly a mile, the bridges disappear and you’re left with mud – and lots of it.

Our experience: I assume the amount of mud changes depending on the time of year, but when we hiked it in May, it was suuuuper muddy. You’ve been warned!

If it gets to be too much, look to the left or right of the path and you’ll usually find an alternative, less muddy side trail. Or, if you have rubber boots, squish and slop your way right down the middle of the trail for a fun, muddy experience!

Eventually, you’ll see the ocean peeking through the trees, signaling that you’re outta the mud (YAY!).

But now it’s time to hike along the beach… and if you’ve ever walked long distances on sand, you know that on its own is a challenge. But, it’s totally worth it in our opinion. There is a reason this is always listed as one of the top Olympic National Park hikes!

Shi Shi Beach FAQs

How much does it cost to camp at Shi Shi Beach?

For 2 people driving a regular-sized vehicle, a one-night camping trip at Shi Shi Beach costs a total of $72 in fees. This does not include your food, gear, transportation, or national park pass (in case you missed it, read our note on that here).

Where can I park overnight?

If you plan to camp overnight, you cannot park your car at the trailhead. Instead, you’ll need to park on private property (here is the location of the lot) about 0.6 miles before you reach the trailhead.

Good to know: When we visited in 2017, we saw 2 properties that advertised parking. One was quite a bit further away from the trailhead, so we’d recommend passing by the first lot you see and parking at the second one (linked above).

You will have to pay for each day your car is there. That means if you stay overnight, you’ll be paying for 2 days (aka $20). Yeah, I know, it’s a bit steep, but it’s really the only place to park. If you are just doing a day trip to the beach, however, you can park for free in the lot by the trailhead.

Related: The eco-friendly packing list is perfect for camping and reducing your impact on the environment.

Can I visit Shi Shi Beach as a day hike?

Absolutely! In total, you’ll want to plan on hiking about 8 miles there and back. Bring some snacks and a blanket to enjoy on the beach before heading back.

While it’s totally possible to see in a day, if you have the time and are able to snag a permit, we’d highly recommend camping overnight. It is a pretty epic experience that you won’t soon forget!

What to pack for camping on Shi Shi Beach

While the hike isn’t anything too difficult, the long and muddy trail will be less comfortable if you’re carrying a ton of equipment. Our advice, as with most backcountry camping trips, is to pack as light as possible while being sure you have all the essentials.

Shi Shi Beach requirements

You are not allowed to camp on Shi Shi Beach without these mandatory items.

• National Park Wilderness Permit*
  • *If you’re just doing a day hike and not camping overnight, you won’t need this permit.
• Makah Recreation Pass
• Bear safe canister: This is required for all campers on Shi Shi Beach (or anywhere in the OP backcountry).
  • Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy one (these babies can get expensive!) – you can rent one for free from the visitors’ center in Port Angeles when you purchase your permit. You can return it to the same place (there is even an after hours drop box), or you can return it to the visitors’ center in Quinault.

Good to know: The park ranger told us that the canisters are not so much to protect from bears on the coast, but from raccoons. And, sure enough, we did see a guy camping near us chasing a couple raccoons down the beach come nightfall!

Camping & hiking essentials

• Hiking backpack
• Lightweight tent: We personally used an older model of this 2-person tent for years and loved it. We’ve since upgraded to this 4-person tent to accommodate our growing family!
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad (optional): We roughed it for the night and didn’t bring pads—we were sleeping on sand after all—but it would have made our night more comfortable.
• Inflatable pillow (optional): We have this one, but if you want to save space, you can ball up clothes to use as pillows.
• Headlamp
• Solar lantern (optional, but we LOVE this one!)
• Lightweight tarp, sarong, or blanket to hang out on
• Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots: The trail can get incredibly muddy. I was okay in hiking boots, but Ben’s sneakers got pretty leaky and damp.
• Raincoat: this is the PNW, after all!
• Sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat
• Toiletries
• Toilet kit: lightweight poo shovel, toilet paper & ziplock bag for storing, second ziplock bag for used TP, Kula cloth
• Bag for collecting waste (yours and any you find on the ground)

Food & water

• Water and/or sterilization method*: We love our Grayl water bottles, which have a built-in filtration system. We also brought our Steripen on this trip (only to realize the batteries were dead)
  • *When camping on Shi Shi Beach, you can choose to pack in all your water, or you must bring a way to sterilize water from the nearby streams (a filter or way to boil it). We recommend you read this important note about water before deciding what to do.
• Camping meals: For a shorter hike like this, you don’t need to go hardcore into dehydrated backpacking meals; however you’ll still want to choose recipes that don’t need to be refrigerated and don’t require heavy or bulky ingredients or cookware.
  • We have a list of our favorite camping meals (with full recipes!), and our sister site has a guide full of backpacking meal tips.
• Jetboil backpacking stove and fuel
• Mess kit
  • Funny story: We forgot to bring utensils on our Shi Shi Beach camping trip and Ben had to fashion spoons out of driftwood and duct tape. I think it’s safe to say we will never forget cutlery again!
• Aeropress (optional): If you’re a coffee drinker like us, you’ll definitely want to bring this!
• Snacks

The fun stuff

These items aren’t essential, but they can definitely help make your visit even more enjoyable!

• Camera and tripod (this is our favorite one for hiking): There are some incredible photo opportunities on Shi Shi Beach, especially at sunset, so don’t forget your camera equipment!
• Surf board: We saw a handful of people carrying their boards to the beach, and if you’re a surfer, you might want to come prepared. The waves looked great for surfing, though I imagine the water is always relatively cold.
• Frisbee
• Cards
• Book or Kindle
• Hammock (this is our tried-and-true fave two person hammock): We saw some guys who had strung theirs up onto two large pieces of driftwood
• Wine: optional, but also kind of a necessity!

Things to do on Shi Shi Beach

Once you’ve hiked in, the day is yours to do what you please! Here are some ideas of how to spend your time while camping on Shi Shi Beach:

• surf (you’ll have to pack in your own equipment)
• play frisbee
• play cards
• explore the tide pools and caves near the sea stacks
• hike to different viewpoints near the sea stacks
• build a fire out of driftwood
• take photos (bing your tripod for some epic sunset photos!)
• meet your neighbors
• relax in a hammock (try stringing it up on some driftwood)
• read

Tips for Shi Shi Beach camping

There were a few things we wished we had know before going to Shi Shi Beach, and some other tips that we just think are helpful for anyone else planning to camp on the beach. 

1. Buy your food ahead of time

Avoid getting all your groceries on the reservation. Just like any peninsula, the prices are inflated. It’s nice to know there’s a place to pick up any last minute items you forgot (the Washburn General Store has a pretty decent selection), but we wouldn’t rely on it if you’re on a budget.

2. It might not be sunny

Even if it is sunny in Neah Bay, it doesn’t mean the sun will be shining on Shi Shi Beach. The marine layer tends to hang thick over the beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, especially in the late spring/early summer months.

Don’t be too bummed though, because sometimes at sunset the marine layer burns off and the colors are magnificent. (The day that we went had a pretty thick marine layer, but we were lucky enough to still see an incredibly beautiful sunset.)

3. Place your tent right

Pitch your tent above the tide line. How awful would it be to pitch your tent during low tide and wake up in the middle of the night during high tide to find your tent getting swept away into the Pacific Ocean?!

Avoid this disaster but pitching your tent right up next to the tree line. The tide doesn’t come in nearly that far, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!  

4. Walk all the way to the end

Set up camp at the far south end of the beach. While we’re on the topic of where to set up camp, our recommendation is to pitch your tent as far down as you can go.

This will give you the most dramatic views and will mean you don’t have to trek down the beach at dusk to capture the sea stacks silhouetted in the sunset. You can simply step outside your tent for a stunning view.

5. Use the driftwood

You can use the driftwood on the beach to build a campfire. I wouldn’t recommend relying on it to cook food though, as the Pacific Northwest is notoriously wet. If it has rained a few days before your stay, it might be difficult to get a big fire going, so make sure you bring a lightweight camp stove.

6. Bring enough water

If you only listen to one tip, let it be this one: we highly recommend you pack in as much water as you will need for the duration of your stay on Shi Shi Beach, even if you have a filtration system.

Here’s why:

We were told by the park ranger that there would be a small stream feeding into the ocean and we’d be able to fill up our bottles there. We packed our Steripen and were fully prepared to purify the water from the stream, as we’ve done many times.

But when we saw – or rather, smelled – the stream, it did not look appealing. It so happened that the batteries in our Steripen were dead, so we didn’t end up filling here. Afterward, I read that the stream is contaminated with human and animal fecal waste and can’t even be treated with iodine or chlorine… so it seems like our dead batteries were a blessing in disguise!

If there were any other clean streams, we couldn’t find them (and trust me, we searched!). We asked all the other campers we saw and nobody seemed to know where to fill up.

I was happy we had brought enough water to last the night; however, in the morning we faced the hike back with nothing to quench our thirst.

Moral of the story: whatever you decide to do about water, just be sure to plan it out so you’re not left without something to drink.

7. Know where to shower

If you need a shower after the hike, the public showers near the Washburn General Store are nice. They were free at the time of our visit (the coin slot didn’t work and the shower turned on without it), and the hot water was a treat after camping on the beach!

8. Refuel your appetite

After your camping trip, head to Neah Bay to grab a bite to eat! There are a handful of options to satisfy lots of different cravings:

• Pat’s Place for Indian tacos and fry bread
• Linda’s Woodfired Kitchen for pizza
• Calvin’s Crab House for seafood

Camping on Shi Shi Beach vs. Second Beach

If you’re considering camping at Shi Shi, you’ve likely also heard of Second Beach, located just a bit down the coast outside of La Push. So what are the differences?

If you only have time for one, should you camp on Shi Shi Beach or Second Beach? We wondered this as well, so we hope our thoughts can help you make a decision that’s best for you.

Shi Shi Beach camping

• Longer trek to the beach (roughly 4 miles to the end of the beach – which is where you’ll want to be!)
• While the trail is easy, it can be very muddy!
• Bigger beach, so it feels less crowded
• More expensive: to camp here, you’ll have to pay $20 per vehicle to visit the Makah Reservation – needed whether you camp overnight or just visit for the day. And you’ll also need to pay to park your car in a private lot, which is $10 per day (so if you stay overnight, it is $20).

Second Beach camping

• Smaller beach, so everyone is closer together
• More of a party/community vibe than Shi Shi, where people kind of kept to themselves
• More easily accessible – only a 0.7 mile (non-muddy!) easy-peasy hike
• Less expensive: you don’t need to pay for parking or for the permit to hike on the Quileute Reservation land.

Alternative: Third Beach isn’t too far from Second, and tends to be less crowded, though it’s not quite as epic (Second Beach has that iconic sea stack!). But with fewer crowds, it is another option to consider.

Final thoughts: Should you camp at Shi Shi Beach or Second Beach?

Shi Shi is much more of an adventure — and you’ll have to be a little more prepared. If you want to really get “out there”, Shi Shi Beach is our pick!

If you’re only doing a day hike and want to spend some time at the beach, we would definitely recommend Second Beach.

Looking for more camping nearby?

Finding the best places to camp can be difficult unless you know exactly where to look. For that reason, we love camping apps that show us GPS pins exactly where we can set up camp for the night (legally).

Our favorite camping app is The Dyrt because they have the largest network of campsites in the USA. Simply set your filter to only show you the free campsites, and voila — free camping is made easy!

Want a major bonus?! (Yes, you do!) Use this link to get 30 days of The Dyrt’s Pro Membership totally FREE (no strings attached).

More things to do in Olympic National Park

We have a complete guide to Olympic National Park for first-timers, including all the adventurous things to do in Washington’s most diverse national park. If you’re looking for some quick answers, here are our top recommended things to do (other than camping on Shi Shi Beach of course — that’s a given!).

• Hike the Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rainforest
• Discover Hurricane Ridge
• Hike to Sol Duc Falls
• Hike Mount Storm King
• Visit Lake Crescent
• Check out some of the other Olympic National Park beaches
• Soak in Sol Duc Hot Springs
• Hike to Marymere Falls

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Planning a trip to the PNW?

• Read this first if you’re planning a trip to Olympic National Park!
• Find out exactly where to stay in Olympic National Park.
• You’ll want to check out the best Olympic National Park hikes.
• And don’t miss the top places to see in Washington State (our favorite US state!).
• Read up on all the fun things to do in Seattle.
• For a taste of #vanlife, choose from the best campervan rentals in Seattle.
• And while you’re in Washington, check out the cutest little town in the state: Leavenworth (we lived there for 8 months and have all the local secrets!).
• Headed south? Check out all the unique things to do in Portland.
• Plus, you’ll want a list of the best places to visit in Oregon!  

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We want to hear from you!

Are you inspired to try camping on Shi Shi Beach? Have you been there before? Leave your comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!