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HARVEST PROFILE: Duckabush is an excellent beach for Manila clams. The best areas are in the mid-tidal zone in sand and gravel substrate. Duckabush is a very large, flat beach and it can be hard to tell where the best clam digging is. One way to find productive clam areas is to look for spots where digging has occurred. Try digging around the edges of dug up areas and on exposed areas in tidal channels. There are some native littleneck clams at Duckabush but they are not as abundant as the Manila clams. Butter clams ,cockles and horse clams are found in the low-tidal zone in sand and mud. There is good digging for geoducks below minus two feet of tide elevation.
Duckabush was formally a commercial oyster beach. It is a superb place to harvest
oysters.
COOK ALL SHELLFISH: To learn about Vibriosis in
oysters and other shellfish
click here .
DIRECTIONS TO SITE:
The Duckabush public tidelands are
located on Highway 101 between mile markers 310 and 311, about 3.9 miles south
of Brinnon and 20 miles north of Hoodsport.
Coming from
the north on Highway 101, drive about one mile past Black Point Rd., passing the turnoff for the
Forest Service Duckabush Recreation Area. You'll pass over the large concrete
superstructure bridge crossing the Duckabush River. Shortly after the bridge
there is a sign on the right announcing "Public Parking Next Right". Turn right
into the large gravel parking area (marked by a "Slow Vehicle Turnout" sign).
Coming from the south on Highway 101, drive about 0.4 miles north of the Olympic
Canal Tracts subdivision (and Canal Lane). There is a sign on the left, just
before the lot, announcing "Public Parking Next Left". Turn left into the gravel
parking area south of the Duckabush River Bridge.
Walking Directions:Click here for photo
To reach the beach, drive towards the back of the parking lot and park near the
first old road on the right that leads towards the river. Walk down the road
about 50 yards and turn right (downstream) where the road starts to parallel the
river. Proceed to where the road meets the highway near the south end of the
guardrail that parallels the highway. Use the bridge sidewalk on the up-stream
(west) side of the highway to cross to the north side of the river. At the end of
the sidewalk, follow the trail that leads under the bridge to the downstream
(east) side of the highway. Please do not cross the highway.
The route under the bridge is strongly recommended. Proceed north
along the guardrail until you reach the trail on the right that leads down
the road grade to the riverbank. Follow this footpath along the north side of
the Duckabush River until you reach the tideflats. Watch your step, especially
when the grass is high; there are narrow, deep, water channels crossing the path.
FACILITIES:
There are no toilets or other facilities at this site, but Dosewallips State
Park is only about 2.4 miles north on Highway 101. Please check the aerial photos of the beach and surrounding area
Click here for Washington tides Click here for crab regulations To return to the Beach Map Page, click on Shellfish Regulations at the top of this page.
Click on the WDFW logo to return to the WDFW Homepage.
Please check the Fishing and Shellfishing Regulations for latest information on closures or emergency updates.