🌊 Tides & Coast
Critical for coastal hiking. Check tides before visiting any Olympic coast beach.
Why Tides Matter Here
The Olympic coast has dramatic tidal swings — often 8–10 feet between low and high tide. Many headland passages on the Ozette Triangle and other coastal routes are only passable at low tide. Getting caught by a rising tide against a sea cliff is a life-threatening emergency.
- ⏰Plan your passage: For all headland crossings, plan to be there 2 hours before low tide and clear before it rises 2 feet.
- 📊Minimum for headlands: Most passages require -1.0 ft or lower. Some require -1.5 ft or lower. Check trip reports on wta.org.
- 🌙Tidal cycle: Two high and two low tides roughly every 24 hours 50 minutes. The "minus tide" (lowest) often occurs in morning or evening.
Coastal Access Points
Easy beach access from US-101, north of Kalaloch. No headland crossings required. Beautiful sea stacks and driftwood. Good for tide pooling at low tide.
Wide, accessible beach with campground on the bluff. Beach 1–6 accessible with short walks off US-101. Kalaloch Lodge provides lodging and dining.
Accessible from La Push, on Quileute Tribal land. Dramatic sea stacks offshore. Respect Quileute tribal regulations. No camping without tribal permit.
Short forest trail to a spectacular wilderness beach. One tidal headland passable at +1.0 ft or lower. Arrive planning your headland window. Sea stacks and tide pools.
Multiple headland passages between Cape Alava and Sand Point require -1.0 ft or lower. Several sections require -1.5 ft. This is the most tide-critical route in the park. Check noaa.gov tide predictions for La Push, WA station (#9442396).
Tide Reference — La Push, WA (NOAA Station 9442396)
Sample spring 2026 tides for planning reference. Always verify at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov when you have signal.
| Date | Low Tide | Height | High Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical spring morning | ~6:00 AM | -1.2 ft | ~12:30 PM | +9.8 ft |
| Typical summer morning | ~5:30 AM | -1.8 ft | ~11:45 AM | +10.2 ft |
| Typical fall afternoon | ~2:30 PM | -0.4 ft | ~8:00 PM | +8.6 ft |
Tide Pooling
- 🦀Best time: 0.0 ft or lower reveals the best tide pools. Check for very low morning tides in summer.
- 👀Look for: Sea stars, anemones, hermit crabs, mussels, chitons, nudibranchs, and octopus under rocks.
- 🚫Leave everything: It is illegal to collect any organisms or rocks from Olympic National Park tide pools.
- 👟Step carefully: Walk on bare rock or sand only. Stepping on mussels and barnacles crushes the organisms.