A forest trail of about three-quarters of a mile drops through spruce to Second Beach, a wild Pacific cove of sea stacks, tide pools, and storm-piled drift logs at La Push, on the Quileute Reservation. This is dangerous ocean — read the posted tide warnings and carry a tide chart before you go, and give the big drift logs a wide berth. When Mora Road is open, Rialto Beach and its Hole-in-the-Wall arch lie just to the north; the road is gated for part of 2026.
The pavement runs out and the forest takes over — you've reached the end of the La Push road, and the Pacific is just through those trees. The trailhead for Second Beach is right here: a footpath about three-quarters of a mile long that drops through dripping spruce and salal, then spills you out onto open, wild ocean. And it is a sight. Sea stacks stand offshore like the broken towers of some drowned cathedral, fog tearing around them; tide pools full of color at your feet; bleached drift logs piled high where the winter storms threw them. Just north, at the mouth of the Quillayute River, sits the village of La Push itself. It may be the finest beach on this whole coast. Now, before you take one step onto that sand, give me your full attention, because this is the serious part. This is wild ocean, and it has killed people who underestimated it. Carry a tide chart, and check it right now. The headlands here are only passable near low tide, and an incoming tide can pin you against the cliffs with no way back — so time any crossing for within an hour or two before low tide, never after. Never turn your back on the water; sneaker waves surge up the beach without warning and take people who didn't see them coming. And stay well off those big drift logs — a single wave can lift them and roll them, and they will crush you. The Pacific gives no second chances out here. One more thing: when Mora Road is open, Rialto Beach and the Hole-in-the-Wall arch sit just up the coast — worth a look. But it's gated part of this year, so Second Beach is your shore. This sand is the homeland of the Quileute people, and their story deserves your full attention. Find a quiet spot above the tide line, and Ranger Boone has it for you.
Photo: Ron Clausen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Second Beach is the most beloved of the three beaches at La Push, reached by a forest trail that opens onto a long crescent of sand framed by dramatic sea stacks, a natural rock arch, and offshore islands known as the Quileute Needles. Tide pools tuck among the rocks at the ends of the beach, and the wide sand makes it a famous spot for sunsets and beach camping. It is part of Olympic National Park's wilderness coast, but the trailhead lies on the Quileute Reservation.
La Push is the heart of the Quileute Nation, whose ancestral home is this rugged river-mouth coast. The community sits at the mouth of the Quillayute River, and the surrounding waters and offshore islands carry deep cultural significance. Visiting respectfully means recognizing you are passing through Quileute land to reach the park beach, staying on marked routes, and treating the shoreline, sea stacks, and wildlife, including the seabird-nesting islands offshore, with care.
- • Getting there: drive La Push Road (SR-110) west from US-101 near Forks; the marked Second Beach trailhead is just before the town of La Push, about 14 miles off the highway.
- • Trail: about 0.7 mile each way through old-growth forest, descending roughly 200 feet to the beach (about 1.4 miles round trip just to reach the sand). Expect roots, mud, and a driftwood pile at the bottom.
- • Tides: bring a tide table. Lower tides open up the tide pools and let you walk to the arch and stacks; never get pinned against the rocks or headlands by an incoming tide.
- • Fees and access: the beach is in Olympic National Park (a park pass applies; overnight camping requires a wilderness permit and bear canister). The trailhead and road are on Quileute Reservation land, separate from the park, so respect tribal property and signage.
- • Pets: dogs are prohibited on the Second Beach trail and on this wilderness beach. Best time is late afternoon for sunset; go early or midweek to find parking.