That I would have liked to see! We traveled to Rialto Beach as part of a Twilight Tour. If you get to the beach at low tide walk right, cross the river and keep going. In the cliffs that end the beach there is the Hole in the Wall and you can walk out into the ocean through the arch. Beware! If the tide comes in you will get stuck on the other side and there is no way out. Check the tides before you go. Worth the hike!
Was there for sunrise on an Oct morning. Had the place to myself. The play of sunlight and fog was amazing. The foliage ringing the inlet on the back side also added to the play of light and color. It was a great way to decompress for awhile. Very easy to get to. Pull up, park, scamper around the gigantic logs, and enjoy the scenery that awaits.
The sea was not friendly the morning of our visit, but the experience was remarkable and wholly memorable.Date of Visit: 13Oct2014
A magnificent wild coast with some enormous rocks that inspire one's imagination. It is a very picturesque location. Gloomy days (that are not rare at all in that part of the World) add to the dramatic atmosphere of the place.When we were there you actually needed a bit of adventurer spirit to reach the part of the coast with the most impressive rocks (that are nearest to the coast). The way to the rocks was blocked by an ice cold stream running from the forest to the ocean and one could only reach the other side of the stream by walking through a large log that served as a natural bridge. The beach is not far from the parking lot.
Just a short drive from Forks, the beach was deserted. Lots of huge driftwood trees and large pebbles on the beach. Sea Stacks and birds. Wonderful
Very cool beach to visit and watch the driftwood and the very interesting landscape. When we went it was about 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the park and it was pretty foggy, this to me enhanced the experience but it also limited the sights but I would recommend this as a must do.
Amazing to see all the driftwood on the shore. The stacks in the water are massive and just add to the beauty if this beach. Would have spent more time here if we could have.
I love this beach. It's chilly, but quiet and gorgeous. The tide pools and seastacks are amazing. Know the tides and plan accordingly. Stay through an entire tide cycle to see how amazing it is. You can even find a few tiny pieces of beach glass. My family is always happiest on the beach. This one has cold water, but they can handle it.
Mora and Rialto BeachWe headed to Mora after 2 nights in Kalaloch. The strategy was to pack up early and get here for walk-ins. There were some available every day. At least in August while we were there, “camp full” signs were usually up by 2p. There was a steady flow of disbelievers cruising till 7p. The good news is that there appeared to be a couple of RV parks in the vicinity to accommodate this over flow. It might be worth making a reservation there for 1st night to arrive early at the campground the next day.This camp ground was much more open, dry, and quiet (other than a neighbor who ran his generator from 630a-10p). The beach however is a couple miles away. The “path” to this beach is down a busy 2 lane road which is decidedly NOT pedestrian friendly. The beach is rugged, beautiful to look at, and there are excellent tide pools a short hike up the beach.Rialto beach is spectacular in a very rugged wild fashion. The beach is steep, littered with drift wood and VERY rocky in places. The steepness means that there is a wicked rip current that one should be aware of prior to entering the water. Plan a hike to “hole in the rock” at low tide to fully appreciate the beach and sea stacks. The tide pools were chocked full life- hermit crabs, anemones, some fish and even a healthy population of stars fish. Star fish are in decline throughout the Pacific NW from what is thought to be a viral illness that turns them to mush. Our girls (4 ages 7-10) complained for most of the 1.5mile hike but then decided it was worth it. These tide pools were the best I have seen, easily trumping Rosario beach at Deception pass which were great.There is good cell phone and 3G coverage in this area for AT+T and Verizon. There is a decent general store at 3 Forks 3miles up the road from the campground cover the basics drinks, smores, firewood (3-5$/bundle) and ice. If you want more, Forks is <10miles away has ACE hardware and groceries. There is also stuff for “Twilight” fans.On our way out we stopped at the Olympic Game farm in Sequim. I also recommend a visit there and review that separately.In the future I would like to bring Canoes and/or Kayaks to explore the calm Sol Duc/Quileute river estuary. We were able to appreciate pelicans, herons, mergansers, grebes in the water way. I suspect given time one might find otters and beavers as well.Bottom line. I recommend this place. Get there early in August and July because the campground is full. If you can, bring boats to paddle the estuary. Travel times here are underestimated by Google, it took us 90min+ from Kalaloch to Mora- Google estimated 54min. If you want to use the ferry make reservations from Port-Townsend at least 24hrs in advance, or be prepared to wait more than 2 hours in Ferry line ups at Port Gamble (no reservations). We were “treated” to the raising of the hood Canal bridge that brought busy traffic to a standstill for 40min. This is the only conduit across the canal connecting Sequim/Port Angeles to Port Gamble and Tacoma Narrows**Apparently there are no rules other than quiet hours from 10p-7a in Olympic National Park regarding generators. I support the campground hosts proposal that a regulation similar to Glacier National park, permitting no more than 2hrs 8a-noon, noon-6p, and 6p-10p. My experience at this campground was marred by the drone of a neighbor's generator that ran non-stop.
Gorgeous and easily accessible from the parking lot (we hiked the 7 mile round trip out to Ozette Beach-this was even more impressive). If you have one beach to stop at, make the drive out here.