Join us for a guided Low Tide Walk on the beach with PTMSC naturalists.
Explore tide pools and learn about how marine organisms are adapted for the challenges and daily extremes of living in the intertidal zone.
2024 low tide walks
Dates for 2024 will be scheduled in the spring.
2023 low tide walks
- Sunday, June 4, 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. (-3.09 ft at 10:44 a.m.)
- Saturday, June 17, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. (-1.91 ft at 10:09 a.m.)
- Wednesday, July 5, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (-3.47 ft. at 12:02 p.m.)
- Sunday, July 30, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (-2.44 at 8:35 a.m.)
- Tuesday, August 29, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (-2.15 ft. at 9:07 a.m.)
Please register. In order to provide enough staff and volunteers to create a wonderful experience, we need to know how many are joining us. Click on the links in the dates above to register.
If a walk is full, space that opens up that day will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Where to go
We’ll meet at the Museum portico.
Please plan to arrive at the Museum 10-15 minutes early. The Museum is the second building on the left, past the pier. Do not go to the Aquarium.
Cost (2023)
- Adults – $10
- Youth ages 6-17 – $5
- PTMSC adult members – $8
- PTMSC youth members – $3
- Children 5 and under are free!
Things to know
We recommend weather-appropriate clothing and shoes that can get wet and have good traction for moving around on wet slippery rocks.
The beach is a .4 mile walk from the Museum; closer parking spots are available near the beach.
If you plan to drive closer to the beach, please check in at the Museum first. Besides letting us know you are joining us, so we don’t give your spot away, there will be a short introduction to tidepooling.
This event is family-friendly. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Young children not able to walk (especially babies) should be strapped on and not carried.
We don’t recommend bringing dogs tidepooling.
Resources
Guide to tidepooling
556.953k
Here’s a guide on tidepool etiquette so you can observe good manners while you’re in the home of intertidal animals and keep them (and yourself) safe.
NOAA tide predictions for Port Townsend
Check out the tides where you are at the NOAA Tide Predictions website. As well as helping you find great low tides, tide charts help you know when the tide is too high to safely explore some beaches.