By Rebecca Bailey
SCBJ Freelance Writer
A beautiful, primitive seashore lies within the boundaries of Olympic National Park in Washington State. It is a place of lasting impressions. Its pounding surf, intertidal communities, beaches, and wildlife tell a wonderful tale.
Although access is via remote roads or trails, with a little pre-planning, fall travelers can experience this seaside wilderness first-hand. And, the weather is still warm enough for hiking and camping.
The park’s protected coastline spans nearly 75 miles, starting in the south near Kalaloch on Highway 101 and ending in the northwest corner of the state near Ozette Indian reservation. Sea stacks (rock columns rising from the water offshore), headlands and islands mark the landscape, providing important habitat for a diversity of plants and animals that flourish in this ecosystem.
Beaches are numerous and each is different from the others. For visitors, that means a wealth of choices along this coast. And since they are all gorgeous, there’s no such thing as a bad beach. Access may determine your choice. Generally, the park’s harder-to-access beaches are located at the north end of the coastal strip.
Rialto Beach features a coastal forest
Centrally located is Rialto Beach, a small scoop of land that is easy to access. Bounded by sea stacks to the south and rugged headlands to the north, this beach has magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean. You’ll want to spend at least one morning or evening here because the light is the stuff of fairy tales. Sunsets are classic—brilliant pinks streaking the horizon. In the morning, white-gold light illuminates the foamy surf.
Anytime of the day you can see brown pelicans flying north. These prehistoric looking birds are capable of amazing twisting dives as they plunge into the sea for fish. It is common to see several big groups flying just a few feet above the water.
Rialto’s shore is a popular gathering and feeding spot for many birds. Ruddy turnstones work the rocks and Sandpipers and other shorebirds probe the sand for small crustaceans. Gulls and crows congregate everywhere. Surf scoters bob along, their clown-faces surprising and delighting visitors.
Directly behind this beach is a coastal forest of western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedars, Douglas fir and alders. Beach logs from the forest lay every-which- way creating a haphazard fence between the forest and ocean. This natural playground inspires children and adults to build forts, create beach art, and climb around the fallen and washed up logs. (Remember to dismantle anything that you build to keep it looking natural.)
Nearby, a picnic area with a paved walkway, restrooms and a parking lot are sheltered behind a pile of beach logs. And just down the road, the mouth of the Quillayute River dumps into the ocean. Here you might see river otters, merganser and harlequin ducks and bald eagles.
Second Beach has magnificent views
Directly south of Rialto, via highway 110, Second Beach offers its own breathtaking views with several sea stacks scattered across the horizon. They come in all sizes and shapes, topped by windblown trees and colonies of nesting birds. Here, after less than 30 minutes of moderately easy walking with a short descent to the beach, you’ll feel like you’re visiting a remote island. Few people are around due to limited parking at the trailhead.
This beach is great for exploring tide pools. The north end has a rich intertidal community with hundreds of tiny sea creatures living in rocky pools of water. Plan your visit during low tide to discover their hidden world. Sea stars, mussels, anemones, barnacles, and hermit crabs are among the many creatures you might spot—all fighting to survive the heavy wave shock from changing tides.
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