The westernmost point of the United States is on the coast of Attu Island, at the far end of the Aleutian Island archipelago in Alaska (yes, it's as remote as it sounds). I determined this point by using My Methodology. Attu Island is also the west-northwesternmost point of the United States. However, as I've stated in My Rules, for logistical reasons I'm visiting only the contiguous United States (i.e., the Lower 48) during my 2016 trip around America, so that's the focus of this website.
Above: Here's Cape Alava, in Olympic National Park, Washington. It's the westernmost point of the contiguous United States. (0:16) |
The westernmost point of the contiguous United States is Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington.
Summary:
- I visited Cape Alava on April 30, 2016.
- To read my story and see my photos, click here.
- The coordinates are: 48° 09.847' N, 124° 43.987' W
- To see a Google Map of Cape Alava, click here.
- To view the panorama photo I shot at Cape Alava, click here.
How to Get There:
To reach Cape Alava, drive to Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park. To get there, take U.S. Highway 101 to Washington Highway 112 past the town of Sekiu. Turn south on the 21-mile, dead-end Lake Ozette Road, also known as the Hoko Ozette Road. The road ends in Olympic National Park at the Lake Ozette Ranger Station.
Park at the Lake Ozette Ranger Station and take the trail, which is marked, to Cape Alava. Where the trail forks after you cross over the bridge, take the fork to the right (it's marked with a sign). The Cape Alava trail is about three miles long and ends at the coast. After reaching the coast, hike north about a half-mile on the rocky beach. There is no marker indicating the westernmost point, so bring a GPS or at least a compass to determine the correct point. Or just look at my photos!
Cape Alava: The Westernmost Point
Above: Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington is the westernmost point in the contiguous United States. Note that it's only 480 feet farther west than the point near Cape Flattery, about 20 miles north. I created the blue line, with a bearing of 0.0 degrees, to help me determine the westernmost point. |