beach days ahead
Our guide to the best beaches around the West Sound & beyond
Words by Nancy Blakey
Photos by Nick Hall
Ruby Beach
Without a doubt, summers in the Pacific Northwest are glorious with mild temperatures, plenty of sunshine and long twilights that stretch the days past bedtime.
Add a beach to this trifecta of pleasure and you have paradise. Do you want to avoid the crowds? Find the best clamming, fort building or picnic beach? Read on. The following are some of the best beaches for summer adventures, from the West Sound to the Pacific Ocean.
Fay Bainbridge Park, Bainbridge Island
Driftwood fort building, shelters with fireplaces, a sandy beach
and knockout views of Mount Rainier on clear days are a few of
the perks at Fay Bainbridge Park, along with a playground for the
littles to clamber on and a sand volleyball court. On-site restrooms
and picnic tables make it easy on families.
Point No Point Park, Hansville
This county park offers a wide sandy beach with excellent shell
collecting, driftwood fort building, and history with the oldest
working lighthouse on Puget Sound. Tours are available during
summer months. Another exceptional beach, Foulweather Bluff
Preserve, is a short drive from Point No Point. This diverse and
pristine 100 acres of wetlands, beach and forest is part of The Nature Conservancy. After a short walk through woodlands you’ll arrive at a marsh abounding with birds (bring your binoculars!) and
then walk onto a broad and sandy beach. The Olympic Mountains
form a cinematic backdrop over Puget Sound as you picnic, build
sand castles and explore the tide pools at low tide.
Dosewallips State Park, Brinnon
Dig for your dinner! Clam digging opens on the Dosewallips
beach on Hood Canal July 15, and it’s outstanding. There’s typically very little red tide, but always call the red tide hotline before digging (1-800-562-5632) to confirm the shellfish are safe to
consume. There’s a campground with hot showers and grassy sites
where you can cook your delicious manila littleneck clams if you
stay the night. You’ll need a license to dig. Check the Washington
Department of Fish and Game for rules and requirements. Discovery Pass required.
Scenic Beach State Park, Seabeck
Looking for a best-place-to-kiss-beach? Located on the east side of Hood Canal, this lovely state park is rated the most romantic spot by locals. The beach is rocky with plenty of beachcombing and shaded picnic tables for hot summer days. Launch a kayak, play volleyball or turn the kids loose on the playground. Discovery Pass required.
Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend
There is something for everyone here. In addition to playing and picnicking on the sandy beach, learn more about marine life in the Salish Sea at the Marine Science Center, explore the historic gun emplacements (bring a flashlight!), swim, or rent a kayak on-site. There are over 11 miles of trails to hike and plenty of cycling trails. A day trip here is fabulous but several days are better—if you can snag a reservation at the campground or the charming officer’s housing. Add a visit to Glass Beach while you’re here, at North Beach County Park, which is famous for its abundant sea glass. Discovery Pass required.
Dungeness Spit, Sequim
This is one of the world’s longest sand spits at more than five miles, and it’s still growing up to 15 feet each year from sediments carried on currents from bluff erosion. It’s a sublime hike along the beach to the lighthouse near the point’s end, best done at low tide. Plus, the bird watching is outstanding with over 250 species of birds identified here. The lighthouse, with a small museum and a public restroom, is open daily for tours in the summer months. Entrance fee: $3.00 per group.
Lake Crescent, Port Angeles
This stunning crystal clear lake steals the show from the lofty Olympic Mountains that surround it. There are a variety of beaches around the lake, but we like the offbeat Log Cabin Resort. You can rent paddleboards and kayaks, get ice cream at the little store, a burger at the café, swim, sun, and picnic. There’s more: take a one-mile hike to Devil’s Punchbowl along the paved Spruce Railroad Trail for cliff jumping into the lake—even the seven-year-old among us had to leap! Except for the side path to the Punchbowl, the five-mile Spruce Railroad Trail is wheelchair and stroller friendly. National Park Pass or day fee required.
Salt Creek Recreation Area, Joyce
The 196 acres of Salt Creek Recreation Area are filled with the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer: a nearby sandy beach, lovely wooded trails, a waterfall, epic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and hundreds of tidepools that will knock your socks off at low tide. Tongue Point, a part of the recreation area, holds tide pools teeming with anemones, sea stars, crabs, sea snails and rock-boring piddock clams. Next to Salt Creek is Crescent Beach, which is privately owned and not part of the Salt Creek Recreation Area. For a small fee, you can spend the day at the half-mile-long sandy beach, which is a popular surfing spot when the weather and tides line up. Build sand castles, fly kites and swim here. There is camping at both Crescent Beach and Salt Creek by reservation.
Ruby Beach, Pacific Coast
Considered one of the crown jewels of the Olympic National Park, Ruby Beach is stunning. It’s not a day trip; you’ll need to camp or book a room at Kalaloch Lodge (or find lodging or camping at Forks or La Push), but it’s worth the trek. Bring old tennis shoes that can get wet for exploring tide pools and walking the labyrinth of driftwood logs, which folks have created some mighty fine forts with. Walk the beach for several miles and linger over framing your photos of the vista in all directions. It will take your breath away. National Park Pass required.
sea glass votives
These charming votives make uniquely Northwest gifts.
What you will need:
Sea glass
Two glass containers, one small enough to fit into the other with a 1⁄2-inch to spare (I like the shape of Weck 744 tulip jar for the larger container)
Votive candle
Place the smaller glass container into the larger one. Insert the sea glass into the space between jars one at a time, layer by layer, turning the jar as you fill it to keep the inside jar centered. When filled with the sea glass, place the candle inside the smaller jar. / Nancy Blakey
