Beach Day!
The Kalaloch area offers a sampler of the variety of coastal habitat protected in Olympic National Park, from sandy beaches to rocky headlands. Olympic National Park protects over 65 miles of coastline. This safe haven also extends beyond the water’s edge. The marine environment and offshore islands are protected in partnership with three national wildlife refuges and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary extends 20-50 miles offshore and 135 miles north to south!
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The Kalaloch (pronounced “Clay-lock”), specifically Beach 4, offered an expansive sandy beach. Getting down to the water from Hwy 101 road was quite a hike, but certainly worth every huff and puff. At the end of the trail, you encounter a bridge to get you over the creek, but you must still climb over the rock formations (knotted ropes bolted into the rocks helped scaling the walls).
We intentionally timed our arrival to coincide with low tide. I took the GoPro down to the water with me, and shot some footage underwater – so cool to see little fish, sea stars, sea urchins and sea anemones.
Warning signs are abundant, and rightly so; there’s lots down here that can put oneself in a fatal situation. “Beach Logs and Riptides Kill! Powerful waves can roll and tumble logs. Do not play on beach logs, especially when the tide is high. Riptides are also dangerous. Swim at your own risk“. It didn’t hold several surfers back however. They came down the trail at the same time we did, assessed the waters and took off to dress into their wetsuits. They were already in the water before we finished our short hike down the beach to the tide pools. The dramatic surf was one to keep an eye on while out on the rocks/tidal pools. Strong undertows and currents were already forming as high tide was coming in to peak in six hours. It’s no joke to be cautious out there.
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