Whereas US-101 takes a turn inland from Port Angeles to skirt Olympic National Park, Hwy-112 clambers along the coast for seventy miles to NEAH BAY , the tiny fishing village that is home to the Makah Nation , seagoing Native Americans almost wiped out by a smallpox epidemic in 1850. "Makah," a name given to the tribe by their neighbors, means "generous with food," though in recent years their name has also been synonymous with controversy. A series of court battles between the tribe and environmentalists over the resumption of tribal whale hunting was recently resolved in favor of the Makah - though this hasn't stopped eco-protestors from trying to stop the hunts on the high seas.

In 1970, tidal erosion near Cape Alava uncovered an ancient Makah settlement that had been buried by a mudslide some 500 years ago. The first witnesses encountered bizarre scenes of green alder leaves, lying where they had fallen centuries ago, shriveling as soon as they were exposed. The Ozette Dig, one of the most significant archeological finds in North America, uncovered thousands of artifacts: harpoons, intricately-carved seal clubs, watertight boxes made without metal, bowls, toys - all belonging to a period before trade with Europeans. The site itself was reburied in 1981, but the finds are displayed at Neah Bay's Makah Cultural and Research Center (Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, summer daily; $4; ), a superbly curated museum which includes marine dioramas, dugout cedar canoes, fishing gear, and a life-size replica of a fifteenth-century Makah longhouse.

At the northern corner of the Makah Reservation is Cape Flattery , a remote headland accessible on an unpaved road from Neah Bay. A half-mile hike from the road through the rainforest leads to the cape which once "flattered" Captain Cook with the hope of finding a harbor. It is the continental US's northwesternmost point. Below the cape, the waves have worn caves into the sheer rock of the cliff face, while opposite, on Tatoosh Island, the Coast Guard runs a remote lighthouse.

You can get to Neah Bay on Clallam Transit, though there are few worthwhile options for accommodation . Given the area's drab motels , you'll have to head seventeen miles back east to SEKIU , a popular sports fishing town, to find the waterside Van Riper's Resort , 280 Front St (tel 360/963-2334, ; $50-75), one of the only appealing spots in the vicinity. A better selection can be found further south near Forks, or in Port Angeles.

Neah Bay, the Makah Indian Reservation and Cape Flattery

• Neah Bay, the Makah Indian Reservation and Cape Flattery

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