Trips on a Tank: Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge | Kitsap Week

One tank of gas will get you to and from one of the most beautiful beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. And, if you don’t mind some visitors, the lighthouse at the end of the spit can be all yours.

July 24, 2015 7:45 pm

Tags: North Kitsap

SEQUIM — One tank of gas will get you to and from one of the most beautiful beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. And, if you don’t mind some visitors, the lighthouse at the end of the spit can be all yours.

At 5.5 miles in length, Dungeness Spit is the world’s longest naturally occurring sand spit and home to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a sanctuary for more than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and eight species of water mammals. Its trails and picnic areas offer breathtaking views of the beaches, Dungeness Harbor and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

If you’re up for the hike or a paddle to the end of the spit, visit Dungeness Lighthouse, built in 1857 and now on the National Register of Historic Places. The New Dungeness Light Station Association has manned the lighthouse since 1994. If you join the association, you can stay a week in the lighthouse keepers’ quarters for a relatively low fee: A family of four can rent part of the keepers quarters for $350; a larger group can rent the entire house for $2,100.

“When you stay at the lighthouse, it’s yours for a week,” said Chad Kaiser of the association. During the day, you’ll help the association maintain the lighthouse by caring for the grounds and giving tours. Your last day, you’ll make sure you leave the house and grounds the way you found them. Otherwise, it’s just you and the eagles, harriers, otters, orcas … and the stunning sunrises and sunsets.

There’s wireless Internet and satellite TV. But, really?

“You are as isolated as you want to be,” Kaiser said.

The association will give you a lift to and from the lighthouse. Otherwise, access to the lighthouse is limited to hikers at low tide and small boats in calm seas. Boats and kayaks need to call ahead for reservations, as water access is limited to minimize the disturbance to marine mammals and birds. (360-683-6638, www.newdungenesslighthouse.com).

Designated as a refuge in 1915
President Woodrow Wilson established the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 20, 1915 as a refuge, preserve and breeding ground for native birds. Dungeness Spit protects nutrient-rich tideflats for migrating shorebirds in spring and fall; a quiet bay with calm waters for wintering waterfowl; an isolated beach for harbor seals and their pups; and abundant eelgrass beds for young salmon and steelhead nurseries.

Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public year-round. Hiking, wildlife viewing and photography are popular activities. Pets, ball-playing, bicycles, camping, kite flying, Frisbees and fires are not permitted, as they are a disturbance for migrating birds and other wildlife.