Damon Point is the Ocean Shores we send people to when they say they want the wild version. This mile-long sandy spit at the southeast corner of the peninsula — jutting out where Grays Harbor meets the ocean — is the town’s untamed edge: no boardwalk, no snack bar, no crowds, just wind-sculpted dunes, silvered driftwood, gravel beds hiding agates, and some of the best birdwatching on the Washington coast. If your idea of a perfect afternoon is a long, empty beach walk that ends with sandy pockets full of found treasures, this local tips guide to Damon Point in Ocean Shores is for you.
What Makes Damon Point Different
The rest of our shoreline faces the open Pacific in one long, six-mile sweep. Damon Point is another world: a low, hooked spit of sand and dune grass reaching into the mouth of Grays Harbor, with the ocean on one side and calmer harbor water on the other. Because it points east-southeast, its beaches collect what the ocean side scatters — driftwood by the acre, gravel beds that concentrate agates, and quiet water where loons and grebes ride out the swell. It feels remote in a way that is hard to earn five minutes from town.
The point is also serious wildlife habitat, which shapes how we walk it: parts of the interior are posted seasonally to protect nesting shorebirds, and the local etiquette is simple — stay on the open shoreline, read the signs, and let the wild parts stay wild.
The Walk
There is no formal trail at Damon Point, and that is the charm: the route is the beach itself. From the access at the southeast corner of town near the marina, most walkers follow the shoreline clockwise, out along the harbor side and around the tip, for roughly four flat miles round trip. Firm wet sand makes for easy walking at lower tides; higher tides push you up into softer sand and driftwood, which is slower going and, in a few pinch points, can crowd you against the dunes. The move locals use: start out an hour or two after high tide on the ebb, and the beach widens ahead of you the whole way out. Check the tide tables before you go — it is the single best piece of Damon Point planning you can do.
Out at the tip, the payoff opens up: the full mouth of Grays Harbor, ships and fishing boats working the channel, Westport across the water, and — on the clearest days — white volcanic peaks floating above the mainland hills. It is one of the great picnic spots in Grays Harbor County, provided you weight the sandwich wrappers down against the wind.
Beachcombing: Driftwood, Agates, and After-Storm Treasure
Damon Point is a collector’s beach. Storm season piles the shoreline with driftwood — whole trees, polished branches, root wads like sculpture — and exposes the gravel beds where agate hunters do their slow, head-down shuffle. Winter and early spring after a good blow are prime: the surf sorts the gravel, the low winter light makes translucent stones glow, and the cold keeps the competition thin. Sand dollars turn up on the flats, and the wrack line is a rotating museum of whatever the Pacific decided to deliver overnight. Bring a pocket, leave the living things, and see our tide pool guide for more low-tide treasure hunting around the peninsula.
Birds and Wildlife: The Point’s Famous Residents
Among Northwest birders, Damon Point needs no introduction. The open dunes and driftwood perches have made it one of Washington’s storied spots for snowy owls in irruption winters, when Arctic conditions push the great white birds south — some years none appear, some years the point briefly becomes the most photographed beach in the state. Year-round and in migration, expect loons, grebes, scoters, brant, plovers, sandpipers by the hundred, harriers coursing the dunes, and eagles working the tideline. Harbor seals patrol just offshore, and deer wander out from town as casually as they wander everywhere here.
The flip side of great habitat is responsibility. Seasonal closures protect nesting snowy plovers — small, sand-colored shorebirds that nest directly on open ground and vanish against the beach. Obey posted closures, keep to the shoreline, leash dogs where required, and photograph owls from a genuinely respectful distance; state wildlife guidance from WDFW is the standard we walk by. For the wider cast of local species, our wildlife watching guide and birding pages round out the checklist.
When to Go
Winter: the wild season — storm-tossed driftwood, agates, possible owls, and near-guaranteed solitude. Dress for real wind.
Spring: migration pours through; closures begin as plovers nest; the light turns theatrical between squalls.
Summer: the gentlest walking and the busiest days, which at Damon Point still means sparse; morning fog burns into blue afternoons.
Fall: the sleeper pick — settled September weather, returning seabirds, and the first storm-delivered treasure of the season.
Any season, the wind on the spit runs a notch stronger than in town, and there is no shelter, water, or restroom out there. Layers, waterproofs in the wet months, and a check of the coastal forecast cover it. Our beach safety guide applies in full — especially the rules about drift logs and never turning your back on the water.
Getting There
Damon Point sits at the southeast corner of the Ocean Shores peninsula, past the marina at the end of the main road south through town — follow signs toward the point and park at the access area, then walk in along the shoreline. It is a few minutes’ drive from anywhere in Ocean Shores, which is the point’s best joke: the wildest walk on this stretch of coast starts five minutes from your hotel or rental.
Make It a Full Day
Damon Point pairs naturally with the rest of the peninsula’s south end. Walk the point on the morning ebb, then swing past the marina and let lunch in town thaw you out — chowder has rescued many a wind-chilled point walker. In the afternoon, the North Jetty is five minutes away for a completely different mood of coastline: engineered rock and detonating surf instead of soft sand and silence. Photographers often work the two as a pair, the point for dawn’s quiet light and the jetty for afternoon drama. If the weather closes in entirely, the rainy day playbook takes over, and the point will still be there — rearranged and restocked by the storm — tomorrow.
One packing note that earns its sentence: bring more than you think you need to drink and wear, and a bag for treasures. Four miles of wind and wonder goes faster with snacks, and nobody has ever regretted the extra layer out on the spit.
A Local’s Word
Every town keeps one place it mentions quietly, and Damon Point is ours. Photographers chase its driftwood lines at dawn — half our beach photography guide was shot in our heads out there — and locals walk it in weather most visitors sit out. Go on the ebb tide, go slow through the gravel, keep your eyes up for wings and down for agates, and pack out every scrap. The point has stayed wild because everyone who loves it walks it that way. We would like to keep the streak going — and we think that after one lap, you will too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Damon Point walk?
Plan on roughly four miles round trip if you walk the full shoreline loop around the spit, with no elevation gain — it is flat, sandy beach walking the whole way. There is no formal maintained trail; you simply follow the beach. Give yourself two to three unhurried hours, more if you beachcomb, which you will.
Is Damon Point good for agate hunting?
It is one of the better-known spots on this stretch of coast. Winter and early spring, after storms have churned the beach and exposed gravel beds, are the most productive times. Walk slowly along the gravel patches at a lower tide with the light at a low angle, and look for the warm glow of translucent stones.
Can I see snowy owls at Damon Point?
Some winters, yes. Damon Point is famous among Northwest birders as a spot where snowy owls have appeared during irruption years, when food conditions push them south from the Arctic. It is never guaranteed — irruptions happen only some years — but the point’s open dunes and driftwood perches are exactly the habitat they choose. Bring binoculars and give any owl a wide, respectful distance.
Are parts of Damon Point closed seasonally?
Portions of the interior dunes and upper beach can be posted closed, particularly during spring and summer, to protect nesting shorebirds such as the snowy plover. Closures are marked with signs. Stay on the wet-sand shoreline in posted areas, keep dogs leashed where required, and the point stays open for everyone — including the birds.
Is Damon Point safe to walk with kids?
Generally yes — it is flat, open beach with huge sightlines. The usual coast rules apply: watch the tide so the outer shoreline stays walkable, never turn your back on the water, stay off drift logs near the waterline, and dress for wind that is usually stronger out on the spit than in town. There are no restrooms or water out there, so go prepared.
