But there are times when low tide is still above the chart datum. When the low tide falls below the chart datum, you often will see the low tide height preceded by a negative sign like -1.3 feet. Likewise, the height of a low tide is based on how far it falls below or close to the chart datum. If you downloaded your chart from the Olympic National Park website, you can find chart datum because it is the horizontal line that is labeled “0.” The height of a high tide is based on how how many feet above the chart datum the tide will be at its highest point. Chart datum is the average low water mark. To read a tide chart, you should know what chart datum is. Make sure you have the right chart for your visit to the park. This means that each day the tides will roll in and out at different times and at different heights. Tides change based on where the moon is in relation to the Earth. Never use a tide chart from a different year or week than you plan on visiting Olympic National Park. Verify your chart is for the correct week and yearĪt the top of your chart, you will see the date and year that the chart is covering. Instead, start to look for specific things. ![]() When you pick up your tide chart, you’ll notice there are a lot of numbers on it. You also can see when the full moon is (the white colored moon) and the new moon (black-colored moon). First, you can see how high and low the tides will be, as well as at what time they will rise and fall. On a tide chart, you can learn several critical things. Tide warnings on the general overview map of Olympic National Park (Photo: National Park Service) ![]() ‘Caution’ usually suggests a low tide height below which it may be safe to round headlands.” On the general overview map of the national park, an X means impassable headland ALWAYS use overland trail and a red circle means to wait for low tide or use overland trail if available. One source for topographic maps is Discover Your Northwest at According to the Olympic National Park website, words on maps like ” ‘danger’ usually means that a headland cannot be rounded at any time by walking on the beach. For advance planning, you can download a tide chart for La Push from the National Park Service website ( but note that conditions can change.Ī topographic map will let you know what headlands become impassable at high tide, which ones should not be passed regardless of the tides and what areas to use caution when exploring the beaches of Olympic. Stop by any Olympic National Park visitor center or coastal ranger station to get both a topographic map and tide chart. And don’t assume tides will be the same every day because they are different. Don’t ever assume there will be two low tides in one day. Pick Up a Topographical Map and Tide ChartĪt Olympic, sometimes there is only one low tide on a day, so it is extremely important that you understand how to read a tide chart and have a topographic map with you, as well. People have died in the park because of the tides. If you are unaware of when the tides are coming up or down, you could get trapped in between steep cliffs and the water, leaving you no escape. What you may not realize is that high tide can make some of these headlands impassable, such as at Point of Arches on Shi Shi Beach or Hole in the Wall on Rialto Beach. At low tide, you can walk down Olympic’s beaches, safely rounding some of its headlands and exploring tidal pools. Without these, you run the risk of literally walking into a dangerous situation that could be life threatening.īlame it on the tides. ![]() Press the Get Tides button.Going to the Pacific coast bordering Olympic National Park’s western side requires two important things: a topographic map and a tide chart. Select (highlight) the month, start date, and total days. Pick the site in California for the tides.
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