Day Trip to Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park

I’ve always said I don’t think I could live somewhere that doesn’t have beaches. Then we moved up to Washington, where beaches don’t typically come to mind when thinking of places to visit. However, there’s actually some gorgeous beaches in Washington, specifically on the Olympic Peninsula, just west of Seattle. We recently drove over to Ruby Beach for a day. Not going to lie, it was quite the drive, especially with the littles. But, it was worth it. I would probably plan on spending at least one night there next time though to get to see even more.

The drive there wasn’t so bad either

Ruby Beach (Olympic National Park)

Ruby Beach is the northernmost of the southern beaches in the coastal section of Olympic National Park. It is located a little south of Forks. The beach has stunning views of sea stacks, which I had never seen until our trip. And most of the beach was pebble rocks, instead of sand. Which was pretty to look at, but also less messy with the kids. There’s a little bit of a trek downhill from the parking lot to get to the beach, so be prepared. It’s not very strenuous, but I’ve read that it can be pretty muddy if it’s been raining. Once you make it down to the beach, there’s A LOT of old tree trunks in a big, long pile. I wouldn’t say it’s “dangerous”, because they aren’t piled high. But, it does take some balance and navigating to get across them. I wouldn’t recommend taking grandma here with her walker.

I wanted to see the “tree of life” near the Kalaloch Lodge, but the kids passed out after the beach. It’s just south of Ruby Beach, so we’ll have to check it out next time.

Do you have any Washington or Oregon beach recommendations? We have a few on our list, but will definitely explore more during our time up here.

Kirsten