Olympic National Park, Pacific Coast, Washington:  28 June 2006

    Olympic NP is widely known for its lush rain forests, glacial lakes, and snow-capped ridges, but ONP also includes almost all of the northwest coast of Washington.

The beaches in the Kalaloch and Mora areas showcase the rugged rocks, curious caves, giant driftwood, and surf-worn stones of the Pacific shore.  [20 photos]


Seems pretty obvious when you stand on the beach...

South Beach, Kalaloch Area

Kalaloch

Ruby Beach driftwood

Ruby Beach rocks

An empty Ruby Beach, looking south

A seabird chilling out on a safe perch.

The power of surf erosion

Coastal rocks at Ruby Beach

The bluff at Ruby Beach

Mist from the surf at Ruby Beach

View from a small cave

The rocks

Surf-smoothed stones make up this sandless beach

Rialto Beach, in the Mora area

Huge driftwood, Rialto Beach. These are all large trees that fell in storms, floated down rivers into the Pacific, then washed back ashore.

More impressive coastal rocks off Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach, looking north

Skeletal driftwood

Ahhh, niiiiiice road......