Damon Point State Park

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Damon Point State Park

Phone: (360) 289-3553

City: Hoquiam

Address:

148 Sr 115,

Hoquiam, WA

Located in the town of Ocean Shores, Wash., on the Pacific Coast in Grays Harbor County.

This park features a one-mile walkable strip of land to the end of Damon Point, the southeastern tip of the Ocean Shores Peninsula. It offers spectacular views of Grays Harbor, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier. The point contains one of the few remaining nesting sites of the snowy plover, and is a textbook example of accreted land and natural plant selection. This is a popular site for bird watching and agate rock collecting.

Park Overview

Damon Point, a 61-acre day-use park, is the southeastern tip of the Ocean Shores Peninsula. The park consists of a one-mile-long, half-mile-wide stretch of land jutting out into the sea. Damon Point is a textbook example of accreted land, and is one of the few remaining nesting sites of the snowy plover.

Marine Park: No

Park Hours

Damon Point State Park is currently open to the public, but parking within the park is unavailable. There are no restroom facilities.

The park is open year round for day use only.

Summer: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Winter: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Significant History

Beginning in 1925, the S.S. Catala plied the Canadian coastal waters carrying miners, loggers and adventurers. The Catala was retired in 1958 and was used as a floating hotel at the 1962 WorldÕs Fair in Seattle and also at Ocean Shores in 1963. A winter storm grounded the ship at Damon Point in 1965, and sand accreted around the rusting relic, eventually burying it.

Winter storms in February 2006 revealed part of the wreck, and oil was found in the hull in April 2006. The wreck of the SS Catala is completely removed and the beach at Damon Point State is on its way to a full restoration thanks to a 17-month multi-agency effort to protect the sensitive area from the threat of a major oil spill. For more information, visit the Department of EcologyÕs Web site.

Major Landmarks

The point is a textbook example of accreted land. Accretion, the opposite of erosion, occurs when sand accumulates over the years, forming land where there was none.

Interpretive Oportunities

The Ocean Shores Interpretive Center, in the town of Ocean Shores, displays some detailed history and photos of the Point.

Directions provided by the state parks department are given below the map, or you can try to have google create the directions from the coordinates we have on file.

[[Google map coming soon.]]

Directions

From Hoquiam:
Take SR 109 and SR 115 to Point Brown Ave. in the town of Ocean Shores. Proceed south on Point Brown Ave. through town, approximately 4.5 miles. Just past the marina, turn left into park entrance.

Mammals	Birds	Fish & Sea Life	Plantlife
Rabbits	Crows/Ravens Ducks Eagles Geese Gulls Hawks Herons Osprey Owls Wrens	Sea Birds Seals Whales Perch Salmon	Spruce Foxgloves Lupines Moss or Lichens Seaweed

General	Trails	Freshwater Activities	Saltwater Activities
Swimming Beachcombing Bird Watching Wildlife Viewing			Fishing Clamming Crabbing
Rock collecting is also a popular activity, as is the one-mile hike to the tip of the point. There is room for six vehicles to park just outside the park entrance. Past this point, vehicles may not proceed (due to road washout). Visitors, however, may enter the gate and walk the road to the end of the point. Picnic Notes The park has five unsheltered picnic tables with no dump station availability. Visitors are expected to pack their garbage out when they leave. Picnic sites are first come, first served.

Park Services	Area Services
	Auto Repair Airport Camping Area Diesel Fishing and Hunting Supplies Gasolene Gifts Golfing Groceries Hardware Horse rental Overnight Accomodations Pay Phones US Mail Propane Recreational Equipment White Gas Wood

Southwest Washington

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