The Pacific coast of the Olympic Peninsula is some of the wildest shoreline in the lower 48. Instead of resort sand, you get fog-wrapped sea stacks, driftwood logs the size of telephone poles, and tide pools full of starfish and anemones. The beaches sit along a 60-mile stretch of Highway 101 and the spur roads near Forks and Kalaloch, and most are short walks from the parking lot. Here are the best stops and how to time them.
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach is the postcard beach of the peninsula, named for the pinkish garnet sand that sometimes shows near the surf. A short, steep trail drops from the parking lot off Highway 101 to a beach studded with sea stacks and a famous freestanding arch. It faces west, so it is a top sunset spot. Come at low tide to explore the tide pools tucked around the rocks at the south end.
Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach, reached via Mora Road west of Forks, is a long crescent of smooth cobbles backed by a wall of bleached driftwood. Its signature hike is the 1.5-mile walk north to Hole-in-the-Wall, a sea arch you can walk through at low tide. Check a tide table before you go, because the route is impassable and dangerous at high tide. The tide pools here rank among the richest on the coast.
Second Beach and Third Beach
Near the Quileute village of La Push, a short forest trail leads to Second Beach, a wide strand framed by towering sea stacks and an offshore arch. It is about 0.7 miles each way through coastal forest with a few sets of stairs, and it is a favorite for sunset and backcountry camping. Nearby Third Beach is a similar walk and even quieter, with a waterfall spilling onto the sand at its south end.
Kalaloch and Beach 4
The Kalaloch area offers easier access and the famous Tree of Life, a Sitka spruce clinging to an eroded bluff with its roots fully exposed over a cave. The numbered beaches here, especially Beach 4, have excellent low-tide tide pools and gentler walks, making them good for families.
Tips for visiting the coast
- Check the tide chart before any walk that rounds a headland, especially Rialto and Hole-in-the-Wall
- Go at low tide for tide pools and at sunset for sea-stack photos
- Bring layers, since fog and wind keep the coast cool even in summer
- Never climb on slippery rocks near the surf, and watch for rogue waves and rolling logs
String the beaches together
The coast is the dramatic finale of a peninsula road trip. Our Olympic Peninsula Loop itinerary times the drive so you reach Ruby Beach or Kalaloch for sunset after a morning in the Hoh Rain Forest, then loops back toward Seattle. Plan to spend a full afternoon hopping between Ruby, Rialto, and Second Beach if your schedule allows.
