Third Beach Trail

Third Beach is one of Olympic's most dramatic coastal destinations, a mile-long crescent of wild sand bracketed by headlands and sea stacks that rise 100 feet from the surf. The 1.4-mile approach trail descends through old-growth Sitka spruce and red alder, crossing a rope-assisted pitch near the beach where the trail drops steeply over a coastal bluff. The beach itself faces directly into Pacific swells that arrive unimpeded from Asia, and on storm days the surf routinely reaches 15 to 20 feet, crashing against the offshore rock pillars in explosions of white water. At low tide the exposed rock shelves reveal some of the most biologically rich tidepools on the Pacific Coast — purple sea urchins, ochre sea stars, giant green anemones, and acorn barnacles colonize every surface. Bald eagles perch on the sea stacks, and California sea lions haul out on the lower rocks from late autumn through spring. Third Beach is also the northern terminus of a challenging 17-mile wilderness coast route to Oil City, requiring tidal passage timing and bear canister use for overnight parties.