Ediz Hook is a
sand spit
A spit (cognate with the word for a rotisserie bar) or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drif ...
that extends from northern shore of the
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is a large peninsula in Western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...
at
Port Angeles
Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,960 at the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in the county, as well as the most populous city on the Olympic Peninsula. T ...
in northcentral
Clallam County, Washington
Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 77,155, with an estimated population of 77,616 in 2023. The county seat and largest city is Port Angeles; the county as a whole comprises th ...
,
USA
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
, northeasterly into the
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Canada–United States border, international boundary between Canada and the ...
, located about west of the larger
Dungeness Spit
Dungeness Spit is a sand spit jutting out approximately from the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula in northeastern Clallam County, Washington into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. Th ...
. It is relatively narrow at points, but broader toward the base and the northeast tip.
Much of the spit is accessible by car on the Ediz Hook Road (1.5 to 2 miles), which passes several turnouts and picnic areas, with broad views of Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains, notably the peaks of
Mount Angeles
Mount Angeles is located just south of Port Angeles, Washington in the Olympic National Park. It is the highest peak in the Hurricane Ridge area. The summit, which offers panoramic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and many of the peaks of ...
and Klahhane Ridge. To the north marine traffic can be observed, and
orca
The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...
pods,
harbor seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...
s and other marine life can be spotted. Several long stretches of public beach facilitate beachcombing and birdwatching. The end of the spit is used by the Coast Guard and not accessible to visitors.

"The Hook" was created by wind and tidal action along the southern edge of the Strait, that carried sediment from the delta of the
Elwha River
The Elwha River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Mountains, it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river's co ...
eastward. The presence of the sand spit creates a natural harbor to the south, with the spit sheltering the area off Port Angeles from the large ocean-sourced swells that roll eastward down the Strait.
The calm waters of the harbor and sandy beaches attracted people to the area long before the appearance of European explorers and settlers. Recently uncovered archeological evidence indicates that a community, known today as
Tse-whit-zen, was occupied for generations by the
Klallam
The Klallam (; also known as the S'Klallam or Clallam) are a Coast Salish people Indigenous to the northern Olympic Peninsula. The language of the Klallam is the Klallam language (), a language closely related to the North Straits Salish lang ...
Native American people.
After white settlement, the
Ediz Hook Light
Ediz Hook Lighthouse was a lighthouse in Port Angeles, Washington, United States. Originally constructed in 1865, the lighthouse structure was later replaced in 1908 by a new structure, and finally in 1946 by an automated beacon on the United Stat ...
was established to guide ships safely by the spit in low-visibility conditions. Currently, the end of the spit serves as home for the
Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles. It is also the base of operations for the Puget Sound Pilots.
For the past few decades, notable erosion of Ediz Hook has occurred. This is believed to be caused by the presence of the Elwha River dams, which have reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river. The
Elwha Ecosystem Restoration
The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project is a 21st-century project of the U.S. National Park Service to remove two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington (U.S. state), Washington state, and restore the river to a natural st ...
project has completed a program of dam removal that has restored the original flow patterns of the Elwha river and is expected to diminish this loss. Several projects have added large boulders to the northwest side of the spit to slow its erosion and protect the Port Angeles Harbor.
"Final Environmental Impact Statement - Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration"
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References
External links
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{{Coord, 48, 8, 29, N, 123, 26, 15, W, display=title
Spits of the United States