Kalaloch and Ruby Beach

During the summer of 2020 after months of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the limitations surrounding travel, we decided to get out of our little bubble and hit the road. After some consideration, we chose to head to the beaches on the coastal section of the Olympia National Park. It was a location we thought might have fewer crowds than other hot spots during the month of August, and it was an area we hadn’t yet been able to explore.

This turned out to be a day trip that would top the list of day trips.

We got an early start and traveled through Hoquiam north along Highway 101. By the time we reached Lake Quinault, we needed a break so we made a pit stop near the Quinault Lodge before heading on our way again. The lodge and surrounding trails in the Quinault Rain Forest is a favorite of ours and you can read more about that trip here.

From there we drove further on 101 through beautiful hills with hardly any traffic. It truly felt like we had the whole landscape to ourselves as we continued on our journey. The lush green forest finally gave way to the Queets River and eventually the coastal views we were looking forward to. I’d researched ahead of time and was aware some of the beaches along this route aren’t clearly marked, and some trails didn’t allow dogs, so we were excited when we located the first beach on our list: simply named Beach 1.

We parked and entered the trail where we found ourselves enveloped by a massive amount of beautiful and unique trees. If I had to describe them, it would appear the trees had developed their own sort of tumors. There was a loop trail accessible where you could view more of these unique trees with various types of growth, which we learned were called burls, a deformity of sort. If you’ve seen furniture made by trees with burls, you know the result can be very beautiful. Fortunately, the trees in this forest are protected so visitors can enjoy them in nature.

       

Once we explored the burl nature walk, we found our way down to the beach using a trail that meandered down the hillside and over a bridge leading to a large amount of driftwood. We finally reached the sand after working our way over and through the driftwood, so this is not an easy accessible beach for anyone who might need accommodations. But it’s a beautiful beach once you get there and we shared the beach with only a few other visitors.

We eventually made our way back up the hillside and headed to the next destination, which ended up being the Kalaloch Lodge after we skipped Beach 2. This area was a nice surprise, with a beautiful lodge that dates back to the 1950’s, cabins you can rent (and we plan to at some point), and stairs giving you easy access to the beach below. 

The beach was large and beautiful...

...with a large cove between the lodge and the beach where kids and adults alike can explore the water with large rocks underneath you could stand on...

...and over some of those rocks was the largest fallen tree I think I’ve ever seen (the lodge up on the hill looks small compared to the tree!).

We skipped the Kalaloch Creek Rainforest/Nature Trail because I read that dogs weren’t allowed so our next stop was a visit to Big Cedar Tree. We’ve seen our share of old, large trees and this one wouldn’t be in our top ten, but it was a tree with unique features and there was a nice trail through a forest where you could stretch your legs and view various old trees. What we missed and which we will definitely go back to see is the Tree of Life, which had been on our list of sights to see, but missed this time around.

We had a long day ahead of us so we finally moved on to our next stop, the beach we had been looking forward to the most: Ruby Beach. By this time in the day, there were more visitors in the area and the access road to Ruby Beach was packed. I can’t imagine what it’s like during a non-pandemic year. The long gravel drive offered parking on the shoulder if there wasn’t parking down below around the loop closer to the bathrooms, which there wasn’t, so we were fortunate to catch someone leaving as we were coming in. The trail to the beach is fairly easy going in, but you also have to work your way through some driftwood once you get to the beach. And, with an incline going out and if you have to walk all the way up the gravel driveway to access your vehicle when you leave, it can be a tiring walk. 

If you can manage all that, the beach is definitely worth the visit. 

There’s a cove to the right as you enter the beach area, where multiple children were swimming and playing or floating by way of driftwood. Because the cove is back quite a bit from the beach and has a slight hill between it and the actual beach, the wind was limited in this area and made for a great play area for families. Jozee would have loved to jump in the water and play right along with the kids, but everyone was doing their best to stay socially distant and that included our dogs, as well, so fetching sticks is what she had to stick with.

We made our way over the incline from the cove to the beach and while it could get windy, it was beautiful. We moved along the beach, gawking at the beautiful sea stacks (rock islands) and overall beauty of the whole area. It truly is a gorgeous area of the Washington coastline and looking out at the ocean, when the clouds lifted, the view went on forever.

 

But we still had a ways to go on this adventure so we finally got back in our SUV and headed further north, still along Hwy 101, until we reached Forks. If you’re an avid reader, or not living under a rock, you probably know that the popular Twilight series was set in Forks. 

We decided to grab dinner in Forks and we were in the mood for pizza so we placed an order with Pacific Pizza. The pizza was delicious and we enjoyed it at a rest area near the river running through Forks before we hit the road again.

Our plan had been to visit the beach at La Push but when I had prepped for this trip, I failed to realize that the La Push reservation and beach access were closed to visitors due to the pandemic. 

So we changed course and drove to Rialto Beach instead where we found another beautiful beach. We were also able to get a look at some of the sea stacks we had hoped to get a closer look at if we’d been able to visit La Push. We walked the beach for a bit before we decided it was finally time to head home.

Our plan before we left the area had been to bid the day goodbye with a sunset at Ruby Beach, but when we returned to Ruby Beach it was still very crowded and the sun wasn’t ready to set. We didn’t have the energy to park and walk down to the beach to wait it out, so we moved on until we reached Kalaloch Lodge. With easy access to the beach via the stairs just beyond the cabins, we didn’t have to wait long until the sun bid us farewell with a sunset that took my breath away.

It was a wonderful way to end the day before our long trip back home. The Washington coast doesn’t always guarantee beautiful days at the beach and we felt fortunate to have been treated to such gorgeous weather all day during our road trip. Even more so when on the way home we were on the receiving end of a massive thunder and lightning show as we were driving back through the hills on 101.

That’s the Washington coast for you; it’s a bit temper mental. That’s how we’ve learned to appreciate the beautiful weather when we’re lucky enough to get it. But if you ask Jozee, she enjoys getting out on an adventure with her favorite people no matter what the weather is like!

Westport, Westhaven and Grayland Beach

Westport is a cute little beach town and while it’s small, you can find a number of activities to keep you busy. You can shop at a few local stores or eat lunch while enjoying views of the port and ships and sailboats nearby, walk the boardwalk at the port, walk the beach, surf or boogie board, visit the museum and lighthouse, go charter fishing or walk the paved dune trail.

On this visit, I enjoyed taking photos when the waves were willing to offer me a photo opportunity and Jozee enjoyed the beach by the bay, where she found nice sand she especially enjoyed digging in. 

When she was ready to relax, she enjoyed people watching...

Or letting the wind run through her ears.

We’ve been to Westport about every other year and a few years ago we even went charter fishing, which was a fun experience. Of course, dogs aren’t allowed and this was before we had Jozee. Given the fact that we had visited Westport often, where we always visited the port, the shops and museum and explored the beach along the bay, we were surprised during our last trip to discover we hadn’t visited all that Westport had to offer when it came to beaches. 

When we were ready to explore some more, we continued to walk west on the beach and up into and over the dunes. Once we reached the top, we were welcomed by the most spectacular sight…the ocean! 

We hadn’t realized that Westhaven State Park was located in this area or that it would give us access to the ocean and a beautiful surfers’ beach. That’s why we explore…and also why we should look at our maps more often.

The area of the beach on the ocean side was beautiful and during our visit the weather was perfect, which is a treat for the Washington coast. Jozee met a number of dog-lovers and other dogs as we trekked over the large dune to get to the beach. This visit was pre-Covid when Jozee would receive attention from a number of people we’d meet along the way who didn’t mind chatting for a few minutes.

Once we made it down to the beach, Jozee enjoyed watching all the activity between kids playing and visitors swimming or surfing.

We could have played at this beach all day, but we wanted to get a visit in at Grayland Beach before heading home because we hadn’t yet visited that beach. 

On the way there, we visited the campground at Grayland State Park and it was a nice find. We like to check out the local campgrounds near areas we enjoy visiting, in case we’d like to stay there, and this campground ticked a lot of boxes. They even had yurts to rent. It is definitely a park we wouldn’t mind camping at someday.

We arrived at Grayland Beach to discover it was much like Ocean Shores or Pacific Beach. There were a couple of kite vendors selling cute wind socks and other items and we enjoyed browsing for a bit while we decided whether or not to head home. It wasn't difficult to decide. The beautiful day was turning into a nice evening, which was the deciding factor, so we spent the rest of the day relaxing as we waited for the sun to go down.

We ended the day thankful to have enjoyed beautiful weather on our coast while we explored old haunts, as well as new.

Rainbow Falls, Long Beach & Cape Disappointment State Park

Some days we visit just one park, other days we cram a whole bunch into one day. On this particular trip, we ventured to three different areas and made it one long fun-filled day.

Our first stop was at Rainbow Falls State Park. It had been years since I’d visited this park, long before the original bridge over the river had been washed out, so that finding the park entrance took a little more time. Once we parked and began to explore the park’s day use area, memories flooded back to me of my visits there as a kid when we would stay in the campground. We quickly made our way to the river, after first stopping to get a look at a relic…a phone booth. The phone is missing and I don't believe the paper phone book was in the binder, but the booth was such an odd sight in the middle of the greenery at the park and seeing it just made me smile. 

The river walk was fun and the river was beautiful. We made our way down to the water to walk along the rocks and in the water and we also moved along the trail for more views of the river. Jozee enjoyed both the trail and a walk in the shallow areas of the river. The trail was easy and just enough for what we were looking for as a way to stretch our legs before hitting the road again. 

Our next stop was Long Beach, another area I hadn’t visited for quite some time. The beach is like any other Washington beach and this day was like many…cloudy and cool. But we enjoyed a walk along the boardwalk and in the sand and also had fun watching some pretty spectacular kites being flown by beachgoers that day. 

         

When we were ready to head indoors, we visited Marsh’s Free Museum, a tourist trap of the best kind. I’ve never been to Long Beach without also visiting this store. The museum is filled to the brim with your beach-related gift and souvenir items and so much more. It’s full of funky antiques and curios, to include antique arcade games and photo viewing machines, and oddities like Jake the alligator Man. It is a full-fledged curiosity shop and worth a visit. Jozee waited outside while we took turns exploring the store…I don’t think dogs were allowed inside but I also don’t know what she would have thought about some of the stuffed animals they have inside the store! 

After Long Beach we took a trip to Cape Disappointment State Park. Again, this is a park I’ve been to before but it’s been awhile and this was our first time with a pup tagging along. The park is very dog friendly and we enjoyed hiking up the trailhead past the lighthouse keeper's residence, Deadmans Hollow and an old bunker before we arrived at the North Head Lighthouse. Jozee met another pup along the way and they became fast friends. 

   

    

The weather was still cloudy when we arrived at the lighthouse but it began to clear up so that we were able to enjoy the surrounding views before we ventured back down the hill. The views from above by the lighthouse are truly beautiful on a clear day.

One note I should make is that this visit to Cape Disappointment was pre-Covid…I believe some of the park and access to the lighthouse is closed until further notice. However, when it opens up again, it’s definitely worth the visit if you haven’t had the chance yet.

We thought we were done for the day when we found another beach area nearby we’d never visited before. It’s called Waikiki Beach and it was a fun find. We had a different view of the lighthouse from across the water, rocks to explore, beach to access and it’s a beautiful beach cove with cliffs on one side and regular waves I imagine surfers often enjoy. We didn’t venture any further in to check out any trails the park might offer since it was so late in the day, which only means we have a reason to go back to this park someday.

Washington State has a beautiful coastline and while a visit to the beach is often cloudy and windy, you might get lucky with blue skies and sunshine to match the wonderful views. Since the weather can vary, it just gives you a reason to go back for another visit.

Tolmie State Park

    

Tolmie State Park is a great local park we have access to in our corner of the PNW. With three miles of hiking trails in beautiful forested land, as well as access to the beach and saltwater marsh, Jozee gave it 4 paws.

We hit the hiking trails first and really enjoyed the boardwalks and bridges, bunnies and birds and so many large beautiful trees! 

The forest in this park really is beautiful.

        

When we finally made our way down to the beach, we used the long boardwalk to get there. It made for a grand entrance. 

 

The tide was out which gave Jozee many smells and sights to see. We had to watch out for the crabs and sand dollars though, which were everywhere so that we had to watch our step. Low tide also means a large amount of seaweed left behind on the beach so we had two reasons to watch our step: not only for wildlife hiding underneath but also so we didn’t slip and fall! I regretted only wearing sandals so that I had to go barefoot rather than wear my water socks...seaweed in the toes is not a fan favorite.

          

Jozee was extremely curious about the crabs, but we made sure she didn’t get too close. A nip to the nose would have really spoiled the day! 

 

But she managed quite well and if she wasn’t sniffing out crabs, she was having a ball digging in the sand.

       

Tolmie also has an underwater scuba park, which I expect must be a treat for underwater enthusiasts, but it’s obviously not an experience you can partake in if you have pets with you.

Overall, this is a nice day park to visit, especially on a beautiful day when you can take advantage of the views across the Puget Sound.