Sea Stacks
Sea stacks are well, simply amazing. At least, that’s how I felt upon seeing them for the first time during a trip to Olympic National Park. A sea stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast. Some are quite large and often have trees and other vegetation on top. Since the stacks were part of the mainland at one time, it’s striking to realize how much erosion has occurred over time.
These formations combined with the wave action and the coastal weather can provide some rather dramatic photography opportunities. Even in adverse conditions you can find some fantastic shots.
Unfortunately, our time in Olympic NP was limited. I’d love to go back to do more exploring and to shoot them in a variety of weather conditions. So much to see, so little time.
We visited three beaches (Rialto, Second, and Ruby) to see the stacks. There is a significant amount of difference in the difficulty of access to each beach. Fortunately, the hardest to reach was the best in my opinion and that of many others who have actually visited all three. I’ll discuss the particulars individually.
Second Beach
Despite its rather unimaginative name, Second Beach is the best beach in the park. If you can only visit one beach, make it Second Beach. Some of the things that make Second Beach special are:
- Dramatic sea stacks that are very close. You can walk out to one at low tide.
- Tidal pools teeming with all kinds of interesting creatures
- A hole-in-the-wall rock formation
- It has the fewest visitors of the three beaches
I believe the reason it has the fewest visitors and isn’t as well known as Rialto and Ruby beaches is its accessibility. Getting there can be challenging. It is about a 0.8 mile walk (one way) most of which is relatively easy hiking. The challenge comes in the last 0.1 mile which has about a 200 foot drop in elevation. However, it is doable. After all, I made it and I’m no youngster. So with all that, here are some of my photos from Second Beach.
Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach is a very nice beach and well worth the visit. From the parking lot you walk up a small dune, pick your way through the driftwood and you’re there. It is a very short walk. I suspect the appeal for many is its accessibility. As a result, Rialto Beach is arguably the most well-known and most visited beach in Olympic NP.
The sea stacks at Rialto are great but not as close-in as at Second. There is also a hole-in-the-wall but it is a 45-minute walk along the beach. However, I believe the hole-in-the-wall is only easily accessible at low tide as you have to cross a creek.
Ruby Beach
Although it is a really nice beach, Ruby beach was my least favorite of the three beaches. There is one main sea stack and a number of smaller ones. Additionally, you have to cross a creek to get to the main sea stack. The beach is relatively accessible. From the parking lot you take a paved trail with a elevation drop of about 70 feet.
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What’s been your experience in making the most of limited time especially if there are adverse weather conditions? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback. Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
