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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Neah Bay
Go for one night, two if you hike Shi Shi Beach: Cape Flattery is a 20-min walk, the museum 1 h, and you need a $20 vehicle permit.
Neah Bay is a town of about 900 people on the Makah Indian Reservation, at the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula and the most northwesterly town in the contiguous United States. It faces the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Vancouver Island, and Cape Flattery — the northwesternmost point of the lower 48 — is a short trail from the road end. Almost everything here is tribal land: you need a Makah Recreation Permit for the attractions, alcohol is banned on the reservation, and cell signal is patchy. Come for the coast, the museum and the smoked fish, not for nightlife.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (storms, mudslides, closures)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–5 |
| Sandwich or frybread taco | $10–16 |
| Wood-fired salmon plate | $22–32 |
| Smoked fish, per pound | $25–40 |
| Gas, per gallon | $4–5 |
| Makah Museum entry | $10 adults, $8 students, seniors and military, free under 5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SEA · Seattle-Tacoma International
- Nearest big commercial airport; about 4.5–5 h by car via US-101 and WA-112 (check)
- YYJ · Victoria BC
- Closer by water but needs a ferry and border crossing; check current schedules
- 11S · Sekiu Airport
- General aviation and air taxi only; short runway
Typical fares
- Makah Recreation Permit
- $20 per vehicle, valid one calendar year
- Overnight parking near Shi Shi trailhead
- $10 cash (check)
- Clallam Transit Route 16, Sekiu to Neah Bay
- check current fare and timetable
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town itself is walkable. Cape Flattery, Shi Shi Beach and Hobuck Beach all need a car. The Makah Tribe runs a single local bus route; Clallam Transit Route 16 links Neah Bay with Sekiu, Sappho and Forks, and Route 14 connects Port Angeles with Sappho for the transfer.
See and do
Known for
- Cape Flattery, northwesternmost point of the contiguous US
- Makah Museum and Cultural & Research Center
- Shi Shi Beach and its sea stacks
- Smoked salmon and frybread
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Flattery | Drive Cape Flattery Rd to the end, then a 0.7 mi forest trail | About 30 min from town |
| Shi Shi Beach | Drive to the trailhead, then a 2 mi overland hike | About 1 h plus the hike |
| Sekiu and Clallam Bay | WA-112 east, about 30 min | About 30 min |
| Forks | WA-113 to US-101, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Port Angeles | WA-112 to US-101, about 2 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Neah Bay town centre (Bayview Ave)
- Walk to the museum, marina and most food; motels and cabins here.
- Hobuck Beach / Makah Passage
- Quieter beach area south of town; cabins, RV hookups and tent sites.
- Clallam Bay and Sekiu
- About 30 min east on WA-112; more beds, alcohol served, cheaper in winter.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there a permit required? | Is there a permit required? |
| Where is the nearest ATM? | Where is the nearest ATM? |
| Is there cell signal here? | Is there cell signal here? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- A Makah Recreation Permit is required for every vehicle visiting the attractions: $20, valid one calendar year, sold at the marina, museum, mini mart, tribal centre and resorts.
- Alcohol and marijuana are prohibited on the Makah Reservation even though both are legal in Washington state.
- Some dog breeds are banned from roaming the reservation, and dogs are not allowed on Shi Shi Beach (Olympic National Park).
- No big-bank ATMs; small ATMs at fuel stations. Carry cash — some parking is cash-only.
- Mobile signal is spotty near Cape Flattery and phones may lock onto a Canadian network: turn off roaming.
- Winter brings rain, high wind, power cuts and mudslides; check forecasts and road status before driving.
Very low crime; the real risks are storms, mudslides, power cuts and getting caught out without a permit or cash. Alcohol is banned on the reservation, and signal can vanish near the cape.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Neah Bay yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cape Flattery, northwesternmost point of the contiguous US
- Makah Museum and Cultural & Research Center
- Shi Shi Beach and its sea stacks
- Smoked salmon and frybread
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Makah Tribe — attractions and recreation permits: makah.com/attractions/recreation-permits/
- Clallam Transit Route 16: www.clallamtransit.com/route16
- Clallam Transit Route 14: www.clallamtransit.com/route14
- Makah Marina: makah.com/attractions/marina/
- Makah Public Transit: makah.com/transit/
- Cape Flattery Trail: makah.com/attractions/cape-flattery-trail/
- Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park: www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/shi-shi-beach-olympic-wilderness.htm
- Sekiu Airport, WSDOT: www.wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/Sekiu_Sekiu.htm
- Wikivoyage: Neah Bay, revision 5313210 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5313210
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Neah Bay
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies here; nearest consulates are in Seattle. US visitors: your own embassy is not relevant.
Alcohol is banned on the reservation — do not bring it in.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/neah-bay). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.