The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is located in Sequim WA, just north of US 101 along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The refuge protects over 250 birds and 41 land mammals that call this coastal area home at some point in their life cycle.

Dungeness Bay and the Dungeness River estuary support waterfowl, shorebirds, eagles, seals, shellfish, and salmon. The lowland forest above draws black tailed deer, bobcat, and owls.

The DNWR is an important staging ground for migratory birds, which can number 3,000 - 5,000 by April. Many birds that stop here breed as far north as Alaska, and migrate as far as South America. Harbor seals depend on the Dungeness Spit for haul-outs and pupping.

A spit is a deposition land form connected to the coast that projects into open water. Spits typically form where longshore ocean drifts meet a section of land with contours greater than 30 degrees.

Bent sharply and receding perpendicularly from the shore, these currents lose momentum and deposit sediment in their wake down the shore. Spits shelter backwaters from wind and waves, enabling estuaries to form.

The Dungeness Spit extends over 5 miles northeast from coastal bluffs out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It's comprised of sediments carried out from eroding bluffs and the Elwha and Dungeness rivers.

The Dungeness Spit is one of the longest such formations in the world, and grows 15" every year. The lighthouse was once 1/6 of a mile from the tip when constructed in 1857; it's now over half a mile.

The New Dungeness Lighthouse caps the spit, and is still operable and integral to navigation in the strait.

The lighthouse tower now stands at 63' (though only 12' above sea level) after being reduced from 100' in 1927 due to hazardous conditions.

The Coast Guard removed its last keeper in 1994, but The New Dungeness Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society formed that same year to protect, preserve, and man the facility. Volunteers live on the spit year round and offer free daily tours.

The 10.8 mile roundtrip hike to the lighthouse is a unique experience. A paved path drops through coastal woodlands to the spit (.5 miles), where you'll head 4.9 miles out to the lighthouse.

Travel is restricted to the outer strait side, as the inner harbor, Graveyard Spit, and area beyond the lighthouse on the very tip are fully protected. The lines are clearly marked and should be honored.

Still, there are very good vaiews of all land and water features from the spit's subtle middle ridge, and from the lighthouse tower. En route you'll see scores of birds and bobbing harbor seals just offshore.

The spit is completely exposed to sun and wind - multiple layers and sunscreen are recommended, even on seemingly cloudy or calm days. Travel is possible at high tide, though you may be pushed up onto rocks or driftwood during surges.