Rialto Beach
5 / 8
After Sol Duc, we rolled into Bogachiel State Park, our next home base. While it’s not officially part of Olympic National Park, it’s a great centralized spot for exploring both the wild coastal beaches and the lush Hoh Rainforest. The campground itself is nicely wooded, but since it sits right off Highway 101, our peaceful forest vibes came with a side of road noise. Not exactly the most restful nights, but we made it work.
1 / 29
The next morning, we headed out early to Rialto Beach to catch the low tide around 8:30 a.m. Under clear skies, we hiked 1.5 miles up the beach to Hole-in-the-Wall, a sea carved rock arch that's only accessible during lower tides. The rocky coastline was wild and striking, with big jagged rocks jutting out of the sand and water. On the way, we spotted a bald eagle perched on the rocks, calmly surveying the waters.
At Hole-in-the-Wall, we wandered through tidepools, admiring vibrant green anemones, clusters of mussels, and sea stars in rich oranges and purples. We also spotted a few hermit crabs here and there, shy little guys tucked into their borrowed shells.
But the best moment came on the hike back: a family of four otters scampered across the beach. They picked a moment between the steady streams of beachgoers and vanished inland almost as quickly as they appeared.
At Hole-in-the-Wall, we wandered through tidepools, admiring vibrant green anemones, clusters of mussels, and sea stars in rich oranges and purples. We also spotted a few hermit crabs here and there, shy little guys tucked into their borrowed shells.
But the best moment came on the hike back: a family of four otters scampered across the beach. They picked a moment between the steady streams of beachgoers and vanished inland almost as quickly as they appeared.