On Saturday, Sept. 21, volunteers and Olympic National Park employees will remove marine debris from the park’s wild coastline as part of the International Coastal Cleanup effort.

This year’s event will concentrate on the Ozette Loop.

Interested volunteers can register online at volunteer.gov/ozette by Friday, September 13 at 11 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

A walk-up registration table will be open from noon-4 p.m. on September 20 and from 7-9 a.m. on Sept. 21, both at the Ozette trailhead. The event will conclude at 5 p.m. on Sept. 21.

By participating in the International Coastal Cleanup, Olympic National Park is joining states, territories, and more than 150 countries to tackle the global marine trash problem.

In September 2023, volunteers removed 1620 pounds of trash from Ruby Beach, Third Beach, and the Lake Ozette areas. These dedicated stewards carried trash out in garbage bags, tied multiple buoys or floats to their framed backpacks, and even rolled automobile tires out one by one.

Throughout the years, these efforts have helped preserve the coastal ecosystems of Olympic National Park.

The coastline in the Ozette wilderness area can present unique challenges for International Coastal Cleanup participants. The beach is accessed via a 3-mile hike from the Ozette trailhead. Volunteers must therefore hike several miles to reach the beach, gather trash, and haul it back to the trailhead at Lake Ozette. (Motor vehicles are not allowed on any park beaches, and all litter or debris must be removed on foot.)

Front country camping in the Ozette Campground will be free for pre-registered volunteers. Backcountry permit fees will also be waived for pre-registered volunteers staying at South Sand Point on Sept. 20. Backcountry permits for other areas or dates will be issued at regular permit rates.

Volunteers who camp at South Sand Point on September 20 may also spend one night in the Ozette Campground at no charge.

For more information about this year’s event, contact Leah Santasiero at leah_santasiero@nps.gov or 360-565-3142.