Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach stretches north along the Pacific Ocean coast from Quillayute River to the rock formation known as Hole -in-the-Rock. This stretch of beach has many driftwood logs littered the entire length. There is one obstacle when walking north. That is crossing the Ellen River. There are several logs making up a bridge to assist. Off in the distance north you can see a line of sea stacks. Near that location is the rock formation known as Hole in the Rock. This is an enjoyable beach and very popular as a location to watch the sunset. Be sure to get a tide chart from the visitor center before planning your day.
Hole in the Wall was created by wind and water over time. To get here, you must walk 1.5 miles north from the Rialto Beach parking lot along the beach. It’s a tough walk only because the sand varies from packed to soft. There is also conflicting reports on the distance from the Rialto Beach parking lot to Hole in the Wall. I’ve seen the park service post on their website it is only a one mile hike. The website for the Washington Trail Association claims it is 2 miles one way for a 4 mile round trip walk. The truth is, the walk is 1.5 mile, one way as I confirmed on my reliable GPS. Plan accordingly for tide levels. You can pick up a tide chart at an Olympic National Park visitor center (there is not one at Rialto Beach) or you can download one from the parks website.
This is a very popular destination. Along with Hole in the Wall there is also many good tide pools. People love to take their picture standing in the hole. And for some strange reason they like to look at all their pictures while standing in front of or in the hole with complete disregard for others trying to capture a picture with no people standing in the hole. Bring you patience! It could take some time.
I’ve been to many tide pools but this was my first experience seeing Coralline Algae. It is a pink colored algae that forms on shallow rocky shorelines and sea bottoms, especially on reefs. The algae plays an important role as a food source for sea urchins and various mollusk. Many fish also rely on the algae as food source such as the Parrot Fish in warmer climates. These examples I found were at the tidal pools located around and through Hole in the Wall, Rialto Beach. Very interesting to see.