Hike of the Week: Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach
Venture to this Hole in the Wall beach!
Hike of the Week
by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin
March 11, 2005
Quick Facts
Location: Olympic National Park, Wilderness Coast
Land Agency: National Park Service
Roundtrip: 3.2 miles
Cumulative Elevation gain: 0 feet
Access: From Forks, WA head 10 miles west on SR 110 to where it splits. Bear right following signs for Mora Campground and Rialto Beach. Proceed 5 miles to road end at Rialto Beach parking lot.
Notes: Dogs permitted only to Ellen Creek but must be leashed.
Backcountry permit required for overnight stays
Green Trails Map: Ozette, WA no. 130S
Flanked by sea stacks, lined with giant logs, windswept and strewn with cobblestones, Rialto has all the makings of an Olympic wilderness beach. But unlike its wild counterparts; Shi Shi, Sand Point, Cape Alava, and Third Beach, you don’t have to hike very far to get here. The beautiful beach begins right from the parking lot.
If the tide is high, venture south along the narrow spit of beach that reaches to the mouth of the Quillayute River. Gaze out at the high-bluffed, forest-capped James Island. Guarding the mouth of the river like a sentinel, for centuries James acted as a natural fortress-helping protect the Quileute peoples from northern invaders.
Along the spit scope the surf and outlying islands for sea birds and marine animals. A myriad of species make their home here where the sediment-rich waters of the rainforest rivers meld into the turbulent Pacific.
Rialto Beach stretches northward from the Quillayute for almost three miles. From the parking lot it’s a 1.6 mile hike to the beach’s northern boundary-the natural barrier, Hole in the Wall. A dramatic sea arch, Hole in the Wall can only be hiked through during low tides. However, the beach to Hole in the Wall can be hiked during almost any tide, although higher ones require maneuvering around the fallen giant logs-forcing a slow journey.
But even in optimal conditions, you’ll want to venture slowly. Count the number of eagles perched above on the salt-sprayed evergreens that line the shore. Listen for the ringing crik-crik-crik of the black oystercatcher. Watch the swelling surf for guillemots, scoters, grebes, and harlequin ducks.
Don’t forget to admire the scenery too. Sculpted sea stacks, shelved ledges, and battered off-shore islands will keep you ooing and ahhing.
And once you hit the Hole in the Wall be sure to hike up the short overland trail that guarantees passage around this landform. The view of Rialto from the crest of the bluff is a classic-endlessly replicated in murals, photos, and memories.
