Full Guide to Visiting Third Beach in Washington
Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Kelly
There are several stunning beaches located along Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, and one of our favorites is Third Beach. We like this beach because it’s more secluded than the famous nearby Ruby Beach. It takes a little more effort to reach Third Beach, because there’s a 1.3 mile hike to access it.
Once we reached the end of the trail, we had a tremendous view of the Pacific Ocean and the sea stacks. I also really like this beach because it’s the only one where there is a waterfall.
In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Third Beach!
Our Visit to Third Beach in Washington
The hike down to Third Beach is 1.3 miles one-way. Near the end of the trail, the trail descends about 300 feet and takes you to the beach. At that point, the trail becomes a little more rough. We had to climb over a lot of driftwood logs to reach the beach. Be careful when climbing over the logs as they may shift as you climb on them.
Third Beach is about a mile long and is located between two headlands: Teahwhit Head and Taylor Point. Neither can be passed at shore level.
Once on the beach, you’ll have a beautiful view of Strawberry Bay.
Just as with Ruby Beach, Third Beach has lots of sea stacks. The sea stacks were formed over thousands of years and represent previous shorelines. After years of waves crashing against the rocks, caves began to form. Those caves gave way to arches. When the arches collapsed, only the sea stacks remained.
Our favorite thing to do here is to go for a beach walk. If you gently turn over small rocks, you’ll likely see crabs and all sorts of marine life. If the tide is low, you might also see plenty of tide pools. Tide pools are typically full of starfish, sea anemones, sea urchins, and small crabs.
On the southern end of the beach is Strawberry Bay Falls. The waterfall cascades more than 100 feet into the Pacific Ocean. During the summer, it might be a very thin waterfall. After a heavy rainfall, it might be larger. It was such a treat to see this waterfall dumping into the ocean at the end of our hike!
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Camping at Third Beach
Third Beach is also popular for camping. If you’d like to stay overnight, be sure to secure a permit. The National Park Service website has instructions on how to request a permit. (Please note that all permits must be secured in advance of your visit.)
When camping, you must pick up a park-approved bear canister to store your food while camping. You can typically loan a bear canister from one of the Wilderness Information Centers, but they sometimes run out. (In which case you may want to purchase your own bear canister in advance.)
If camping on the beach, make sure your tent is above the tide line. You wouldn’t want a wave to wake you up in the middle of the night as the tides change!
There is a pit toilet where the trail meets the beach. Campfires are permitted. (Please do not burn any wood collected from the forest.)
| When visiting Third Beach, also add the Tree of Life to your itinerary! |
What to Bring
There’s a few things we recommend to make the most of your trip:
- Binoculars: You’ll want to be able to see the abundant wildlife on the distant sea stacks. You might see sea lions, bald eagles, whales, and western gulls in the distance. Instead of straining your eyes, you’ll be able to clearly see what wildlife awaits you during your visit.
- Water Shoes: Third Beach is not a particularly sandy beach. During low tide, there might be some sand, but there are a lot of rocks, barnacles, and shells on this beach. Protect your feet so you can thoroughly enjoy a beach walk.
- Power Bank: You’ll want to make sure you have enough cell phone battery to take lots of photos. We like this cell phone charger because the cord is embedded. (One less thing to lose!)
- Water Bottle: Stay hydrated while visiting the beach. We like this insulated water bottle.
- Day Pack: Store all of your snacks and extra layers in this comfortable day pack.
- Quick Drying Towel: This towel is small and compact, and it also dries fairly quickly. That makes it ideal for a quick trip to the beach!
- Rain Jacket: Rain can be unpredictable on the coast. This rain jacket packs up small and can be easily carried in your day pack.
Tips for Visiting
- Look up the tide charts in advance of your visit. If you go for a long walk, the tides may change and your access back to the beach may be limited.
- Bring water shoes to protect your feet while you enjoy a beach walk.
- Bring binoculars to see the wildlife on the sea stacks.
- Follow Leave No Trace guidelines. Do not litter. Do not take anything from the beach, including shells, rocks, or driftwood. As a national park, this is strictly prohibited. (Take a picture instead!)
- Do not bring drones. They are prohibited in national parks.
- Be careful where you step. Try to step on bare rocks and sand whenever possible. This will help protect the delicate marine life in the area.
- Before you head out for your hike, you can read recent trip reports from the Washington Trail Association’s page on Third Beach. (Just scroll down to the bottom of the page.)
- Dogs are not allowed on the trail to Third Beach.
How to Get There
Third Beach is located on Washington State’s western coast. To reach the beach, you’ll wan to take Highway 101. About 1.5 miles north of Forks, turn west onto Highway 110. Continue on this road for approximately 10 miles to reach the Third Beach trailhead.
When you visit, you’ll need to purchase an Olympic National Park pass. We recommend purchasing one in advance and printing it out.
Once you arrive at the Third Beach parking lot, there is a 1.3 mile trail through an old growth forest that leads down to the beach.
Nearby Hotels
If you’re not planning on camping at Third Beach, the two closest towns nearby are La Push and Forks.
La Push is only 2.5 miles away. In La Push, you can stay at the Quileute Oceanside Resort.
The town of Forks is about 13 miles away. (Forks is now famous due to the Twilight book series.) Lodging options in Forks include the Pacific Inn Motel, Town Motel, and the Woodland Inns.
We really enjoyed the hike down to Third Beach. It was less busy than some of the other beaches we visited, and we really liked seeing Strawberry Bay Falls.
Summary
What we really liked about Third Beach was the fact that it was less busy than many of the beaches along the Olympic Peninsula. Because you have to hike to this beach, it tends to be less busy. There are not too many places to park near the trailhead, so plan to carpool if you’re going to do this hike with multiple people. When visiting the Olympic Peninsula, we highly recommend that you add this beach to your list!
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