Miles: 8.4+ miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: sea level
Map: Green Trails Ozette No 130s, Custom Correct North Olympic Coast
Favorite Eats After Hike: Pacific Pizza and Pack A Cooler
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike Details:
The North Coast Trail section of the Washington Coast runs from Rialto Beach to Cape Flattery and is also part of the Pacific Northwest Trail. Cobblestone shores, sandy beaches and rocky headlands, it is a wild and rugged adventure. Most campsites are in the sand above the tide level but some spots are available up in the trees. Expect to know the tide schedule and weather forecast as this will affect being able to make it around jutting rock that does not always have an inland trail.
From Rialto, the beach is small cobblestone that makes for easy walking. Camping is not allowed here, it starts about .8 miles in at Ellen Creek. Depending on the tide, this creek is an simple walk through but most of the time it runs deeply and it is necessary to scramble across the stack of downed trees it flows through.
After the creek until the Hole-In-The-Wall headland feature, it is possible to camp up behind the driftwood piled above the tideline. The sea often reaches the driftwood making this the smart way to go. A small privy is located at 1.5 miles in and the headland is at 1.7 miles from the car.
If it is not possible to walk through the hole (only at low tide), look for the trail marker up in the trees. This will take you up and over to the other side.
From here, the trail alternates between sandy beach and varying sizes of cobblestone. If the tide is high, scrambling over downed trees and boulders is likely. If it is low, walking carefully on layers of kelp and sea life covered bedrock will be called for. Expect a slower than normal hiking pace and to be tired more easily! Rock formations and jumbles jut out from the coastline at 2.3, 2.9, 3.4 miles in and are best done at low tide. Campsites are mostly on the beach with a steep forest backdrop behind them.
At 3.5 miles you round Sokol Point into a crescent-shaped bay and the home of the Chilean Memorial. Just before another rocky beach scramble, look up into the trees and see a buoy hanging to mark an overland trail and two very small campsites. This will take you to the other side of the beach where the actual memorial rests and the privy can also be found up in the trees (4.2 miles in). All the campsites are on the beach here and some leveling of sand may be necessary.
It is possible on continue on to Cedar Creek, Norwegian Memorial, Yellow Banks and Sandpoint (and beyond) from here but you may be content just exploring the rugged inlet and nearby Cape Johnson and John Peak (160ft). You can also learn more about the shipwreck that this area is named for before going on your trip. Once you are there taking in the jagged sea stacks that punctuate the coastline here, your understanding of why this area is part of the Graveyard of the Pacific will become clear.
My hikes:
11/26/2020, my GAIA, 8.4 miles RT
Another annual Thanksgiving trip to Rialto and the coast and this time we upped it by backpacking along the shore to the Chilean Memorial about 4 miles north. Back in September we had camped north of here by doing the Ozette Triangle and committed to more winter adventures in the area. The weather was mild so I reserved my permits online for two nights. The low tides were inconveniently timed (4am and 4pm) so we car camped at Mora campground and got an early start in the dark around 6:30am. High tide wasn’t until 10:15am but it was a +9 so I knew we would not have long. It turned out to not be quite early enough!
Ellen Creek had a perfectly placed log across the flowing water and we were able to walk across easily rather than navigate a set of them. By the time we were approaching Hole-In-The-Wall the morning was breaking and so were the waves high enough we had to do a little scrambling over a few large driftwood tangles. The tide was too high for us to walk through the hole so it was up and over on the muddy path of the headland. Not a big deal since I have hiked through it before and the views from up top were beautiful!
We reached the end of this section of beach and debated rounding the corner at 2.3 miles that takes a scramble on the stepped cliff wall with the waves beating over large boulders below as high tide approached. I would have rather stayed at a lovely campsite up in the trees to wait out the tide because the map showed another rock formation coming up not passible at higher tides but Gary was willing to try continuing on so we did. It was a bit dicey and we had to time the waves to get through. Luckily the rocks were not horribly slippery.
From here the beach was narrow and inhospitable to camping and as I had predicted, we hit 2.9 miles at 9:15am and a rock formation we could not go around and there was no inland trail to take us overland. We could scramble up a a few feet and peer over the rock to the other side but it all surf and sheer rock on the other side.
So, we waited it out on a muddy slope to see how high the tide would get and when it was clear some beach would be left, we nestled as best we could on the large cobblestoned beach up against the slope. The better place to wait if one knows they will hit this area near high tide is back at the last campsite for Hole-In-The-Wall, it was a lovely perch.
Relaxing as the waves of high tide crashed on the shore, we snacked and enjoyed the solitude. We were there until 1pm before the water had receded enough to make it around the rock. Personally, I would have waited a bit longer because it was still a scramble on a slippery rock surface to get around but Gary was willing to carry my pack so I braved it.
From here we had a walk across bedrock, more boulders and trees to scramble over and then we were finally in the bay of Chilean Memorial. There were multiple streams of water coming down of the beach cliffs and mudslides galore to navigate. As we came to one more jumble of rocks, we noticed a rope and buoy hanging in a tree to our right. I was so hoping for campsites because nothing on this beach looked safe for camping on the sand with all the slides and water soaked hillsides.
We pulled ourselves up on the rope and the trail took us over to the other side of the beach. It was a muddy drop down and we were at the Chilean Memorial itself. We explored around a bit looking for campsites up in the trees but only found the privy. I could see where some folks must camp along the beach under the trees that hang low but with all the slide activity and high tide I knew I wouldn’t sleep for worrying, Luckily, Gary had spotted a tiny campsite back up on the trail we took to get here so we made our way back up the muddy trail and a cozy flat spot next to a down log. It was just big enough for our two person tent.
Rain and wind came in around 7pm and I was glad again we were up here and not on the beach. They give out 30 permits for this area but I am not sure where they all fit! Maybe a few Pacific Northwest Trail thru hikers cowboy camping but otherwise there is not a lot of space, especially during this time of year.
Our original plan was for two nights but between forgetting to ask someone to come feed the cat and the idea of getting home on Saturday after being gone all week, we opted to get up at 4am and hike back out for low tide and avoid most of the scrambling and waiting from our trek in. It was the most beautiful night walk with an almost full yellow moon and raccoon eyes staring back at us from out in the water. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a challenge though.
When we reached the beach before Hole-In-The-Wall it was still dark so we found a nice log to sit on and waited for the sun to come up about 6:30am. We warmed up hot beverages and nibbled breakfast as the morning glow pinked up the clouds and the sea stacks became distinct. This meant we missed an opportunity to walk through the hole again but the exchange of solitude was worth it.
It was back up and over the headland and on to Rialto. We saw just three sets of campers in this section and the convenient log for crossing Ellen Creek was about 6 feet too short this time so we navigated 3-4 to get over to the other side. Nearing the parking lot, folks were arriving for what would probably be a busy day and the tide was close in. We were able to pick up 2 bags of garbage during our trip out, overall the beach was in better shape than our usual haul from Shi Shi or Ozette.
11/30/2019, my GAIA, 4.6 miles RT
The tide chart said it was about 8am for low tide today so I got up around 6:30 am and walked from the Mora campground down to the beach with my headlamp.
The first to walk the beach at that hour, I had quite a bit more shoreline to ramble on (no scrambling through driftwood this time! At the creek, I was able to hop across the stream to the other side without much incident. The sun was coming over the horizon and looking back the pink and blue sky was welcoming the day.
I reached Hole-In-The-Wall right at 8am and joined a couple who had camped near by as I walked through. Careful to step on as little sea life as I could, I made my way over to the other side of the headland. It was just the right time to enjoy the cove and sea stacks as they were warmed by the early morning sun. The sand was frosty and I rested briefly on a log to eat a snack for breakfast before continuing down the shoreline.
I love exploring the geology here, the volcanic rock lines and swirls, as I climbed up and over several unique beds to reach a point about 2.3 miles from the parking lot. Sea otter tracks decorated the sand and a few eagles perched on the jagged spires offshore. There were a couple of tents nestled back in the trees but I didn’t see anyone else but a few day hikers posing at the unique headland hole.
I was back to the parking lot before 10am,a remarkable amount of people had arrived to explore the beach for themselves at this point.
11/22/2018, 3.4 miles RT
For our winter trip to the Washington Coast for Thanksgiving this year, we decide to stay further north than our usual Kalaloch Beach and find a spot in the Mora Campground outside La Push. The next morning, we got up early and walked a short trail out of the campground and down the lonesome road about a mile to where it ends at Rialto Beach.
As we entered the parking lot(s), it was clear that the beach has two identities. One as the Olympic National Park and one as the Quileute Indian Reservation depending on which side you choose to venture.
This would be one of two visits we made this day to Rialto and our shortest. We wandered north on the beach, taking in the expansive ocean views, and my husband spent most of this time marveling at the quantity of jasper in the cobblestones beneath our feet. Our trek was short due to the rain beginning in earnest and we soon returned back on the road to figure out how we were going to cook our dinner under a tarp shelter.
However, later in the day after a delicious campfire feast and drier skies presented themselves, we drove back down to the beach for another try at making it all the way to Hole-In-The-Wall, a rock arch feature about 2 miles up the beach.
The sun setting in the sky never disappoints and the moody clouds made for a lovely evening. About a mile into our walk, however, we came to Ellen Creek and found ourselves with the predicament of how to cross to the other side. The tide had gouged the sand and left just the errant driftwood as a bridge to gap the distance.
It took a little shimmying for me but some seemed to be able to walk the log with ease. Others, like a few backpackers found themselves unable to get up the courage to cross and ended up spending the night in the trees before the creek instead of the campsite on the other side.
After our delay at the creek, we were on to Hole-In-The-Wall as the daylight hours faded. The tiny tidepools reflected the pink glow of day’s end as we explored briefly the jutting rock formations formed by geological forces long ago and the incessant caress of the waves over the centuries.
Our trip back was by head lamp, not short feat as we made our way back across the log at Ellen Creek and to our car.
But wait, there’s just a bit more! The next morning, because we were curious about what the tide may have done to the creek crossing overnight, we took another short jaunt down Rialto Beach before moving on to the Hoh Rainforest.
This time, the tide was approaching its highest point and we had but a sliver of beach to walk. Sea foam was piled up against the driftwood and we were glad to have our rubber boots on for this trip. Ellen Creek was a completely different creature this time and provided our turn around point. Midnight waves had melted the canyon walls of sand and even with the high tide it was a much gentler crossing than the night before.
On our walk back, as I had to sometimes hike up into the wall of driftwood and forest above the beach to avoid the waves, I observed how the battered logs and pitted boulders displayed their showcases of ocean treasures.
If you can’t tell, the beach has my heart. Never the same walk twice.
Directions: From Port Angeles, drive US-101 west for 55 miles. Turn onto SR-110 west for 7.7 miles. Fork right on Mora Road for 5 miles to the trailhead at road’s end. Water is available at the trailhead, and restrooms are also available. If you would like more information about staying at Mora Campground, visit the National Park website.
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