I've seen this referred to as Port Renfrew Beach and as San Juan Beach, but I've chosen to use the First Nations name that seems most appropriate for this beach and the name that goes with the campground that is strung out along its shoreline. It's located at the head of Port San Juan, right across from the small town of Port Renfrew.
This is a large swash-aligned beach oriented to meet the waves coming into Port San Juan from the ocean. Each end of the beach is formed by a river mouth - the San Juan River at the southern end and the Gordon River at the north and there is a large estuary complex up valley from the beach.
Google Maps: AERIAL VIEW
The beach itself is broad, with huge, steep gravel cusps, and the backshore is littered with an enormous amount of large wood. This must be an amazing place to watch during a big storm! The backshore grades landward into a distinct band of alder, before disappearing into the dark green forest behind it.
That alder covered slope has me thinking - Why? Fantastic site.
ReplyDeleteIt's not actually a slope, just a vegetation transition. It was unusual, but so was the character of the big wood on the beach. I wondered if there was a logging history here - but didn't spend enough time to look for some basic clues.
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