Ranger Tales
Graveyard Of The Pacific

Graveyard Of The Pacific

The story

The waters off the Olympic coast are known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. Persistent fog, hidden reefs, and powerful storms have caused roughly two hundred shipwrecks here over the years. Memorials along the shoreline commemorate sailors lost in these disasters, marking the coast's long and dangerous maritime history.

The light is starting to change, that flat silver you get near the sea. This coast carries an old, grim nickname, the Graveyard of the Pacific. Fog, reefs, and brutal storms have wrecked something like two hundred ships in these waters over the years. You can still find memorials along the shore honoring sailors lost to those wrecks. Beautiful as this coastline is, it has never once been gentle with the people who tried to round it.

Photo: Ron Clausen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Good to know
Where is Graveyard Of The Pacific?
Graveyard Of The Pacific. The waters off the Olympic coast are known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. Persistent fog, hidden reefs, and powerful storms have caused roughly two hundred shipwrecks here over the years. Memorials along the shoreline…
Is there an audio tour of Graveyard Of The Pacific?
Yes — Graveyard Of The Pacific is a stop on the Olympic National Park self-guided audio tour. The story plays automatically by GPS as you explore there, and works offline. Get the Ranger Tales app on the App Store.
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Hear Graveyard Of The Pacific's story on the drive

Download the tour, leave your phone in your pocket, and let it play itself as you go. Works offline.

Book the self-guided tour, or get it in the app.