Last updated: October 10, 2024
Place
Marsh Boardwalk
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot
Get a glimpse into the active salt marsh habitat at the marsh boardwalk between the Dungeness ruins and beach crossing. Leave the tree line and experience the change from maritime forest to sand dune and salt marsh.
The marsh boardwalk provides great wildlife-viewing opportunities. Cord grasses thrive on this western side of the island and provide many ecological benefits. Manatees can be seen feeding on the these grasses during high tide in the summer. Wading shorebirds probe the mud flats at low tide in search of small fish. Fiddler crabs in the hundreds scurry about- feeding, courting, and defending their territories.
Include the marsh boardwalk if hiking the South End Loop. There are places visitors should avoid when temperatures are soaring. The beach crossing at Dungeness traverses is one of them. A dune field begins as you step off the marsh boardwalk going toward the beach. The soft sand here can be 150 degrees in the summer. There is no tree cover. We do not recommend this dune crossing in the summer.
Instead, access the beach from Sea Camp. When in the Dungeness Historic District, hike the main road or River Trail north, through the shaded maritime forest. Hike the path past the Sea Camp Campground, over the dune boardwalk out to the beach. This is a much more shaded option and one where you do not have to hike through soft, hot sand.
The marsh boardwalk provides great wildlife-viewing opportunities. Cord grasses thrive on this western side of the island and provide many ecological benefits. Manatees can be seen feeding on the these grasses during high tide in the summer. Wading shorebirds probe the mud flats at low tide in search of small fish. Fiddler crabs in the hundreds scurry about- feeding, courting, and defending their territories.
Include the marsh boardwalk if hiking the South End Loop. There are places visitors should avoid when temperatures are soaring. The beach crossing at Dungeness traverses is one of them. A dune field begins as you step off the marsh boardwalk going toward the beach. The soft sand here can be 150 degrees in the summer. There is no tree cover. We do not recommend this dune crossing in the summer.
Instead, access the beach from Sea Camp. When in the Dungeness Historic District, hike the main road or River Trail north, through the shaded maritime forest. Hike the path past the Sea Camp Campground, over the dune boardwalk out to the beach. This is a much more shaded option and one where you do not have to hike through soft, hot sand.