If you’re longing to get out of the house, visiting Washington Coast attractions is an easy way to escape while also avoiding people. We’re blessed to have more than 3,000 miles of coastline dotted with quaint beach towns, killer viewpoints, and breathtaking hikes just begging to be discovered.
Here are 13 of my absolute favorite Washington coast attractions visitors and local alike must visit in their lifetime.
Washington Coast Attractions You Must Visit
Trying to figure out how to fit this all in? Let me plan you a custom itinerary filled with all the best things to see on the Washington coast.
Olympic National Park
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~2.5 hours to the visitors center
The Olympic National Park is a must-visit Washington coast attraction since it’s one of three national parks in the state of Washington alongside Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Park. It covers almost a million acres of land spanning from the rainforest all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Yes, you heard me right, rainforest. The Olympic National Park has one of the only temperate rainforest in the northern hemisphere, the Hoh Rainforest.
Pronounced “hoe”, this rainforest gets more than 12 feet of rain a year. As a result, you’ll find lush green scenery full of ferns, moss, and other verdant flora. A popular hike for taking it in is the easy Hall of Mosses, clocking in under a mile roundtrip.
What most people would be surprised to learn is that, despite all the green, it’s said you can catch some great fall colors in Washington at the lake near near the Hoh Rainforest Visitors Center.
How to get there:
You can get to the Olympic Peninsula from Seattle in two ways: by ferry or just driving. For the ferry, head north to Edmonds (stopping at one of my favorite Edmonds, Washington restaurants!), hop on the short ferry ride, and then drive the rest of the way past Sequim to Port Angeles, where the park begins.
However, don’t let the 2.5 hours to Port Angeles fool you. The national park is huge. For example, it’s 2 hours from the park entrance to the Hoh Rainforest. I recommend staying a few days and making day trips to different areas of the park.
You can skip the ferry and drive south and around the Puget Sound to get to the Olympic Peninsula. If you plan to explore more of the southern area of the park, this may be the better option.
On your way you can plan stops at state parks, such as the Fort Worden State Park where you can actually stay! It makes one of the most unique hotels in Washington if you want a place to stay as a jumping off point for exploring the Olympic National Park.
Lake Crescent
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~3 hours
Lake Crescent is a crystal blue lake nestled in the Olympic Mountains. It’s about 18 miles from Port Angeles, making it a great first stop as you explore the Olympic National Park. There are paddle board, canoe, and kayak rentals nearby so you can get on the water.
How to get there:
Your best bet is taking the ferry in Edmonds from Seattle similar to how you’d get to Olympic National Park.
Hurricane Ridge
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~3 hours
Hurricane Ridge is one of the best ways to access the Olympic Mountains toward the start of the Olympic National Park. There are multiple hikes available from the visitors center, but Hurricane Hill is one of the most beautiful hikes. It’s ~3.2 miles round trip and offers stunning 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker, and San Juan Islands. Being on the hike at sunset is a photographer’s dream, as the ridge makes for stunning lens flare shots.
Pro tip: Always check the park website for closures. Google Maps will tell you the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center is closed, but that’s because there was a fire and it’s not functioning as it once was. However, there are still bathrooms and you can access the trails from it unless noted on the park’s website.
How to get there:
You’ll want to take the ferry to get here, leaving from Edmonds north of Seattle. It can get crowded in summer so consider visiting when you’re trying to find something to do in Seattle during spring break.
Cape Flattery
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~4.5 hours
People often think Cape Flattery is part of the Olympic National Park, but it’s not. It’s on the northwestern-most point of contiguous Unites States on Makah Tribe land. You’ll need a Makah Recreation Pass to utilize the parking lot. You can purchase it online.
This viewpoint is a popular Washington coast attraction given its rocky coastal landscape dotted with trees. There’s an easy, short hike from the parking lot to the coast overlooking Neah Bay. Make sure to bring your camera!
Pro tip: The Makah Museum is toward the entrance to Cape Flattery if you want to stop and learn more about the tribe’s history.
How to get there:
If you are driving from Seattle to get here the same day, you’ll want to take the ferry from Edmonds.
Shi Shi Beach
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~4 hours, 45 minutes
Shi Shi Beach is one of the most magical Washington coast attractions, but you have to work for it. Unlike other beaches where you just roll up, park, and see the beach, Shi Shi Beach requires an about 4-mile hike to the beach. It can easily be done as a day hike, but it’s a popular campsite for backpackers and photographers hoping to catch sunset shots of the famous Point of the Arches sea stacks.
Shi Shi is also on Makah Tribe land, so you much obtain a permit to visit. This applies to both day and overnight trips.
I highly recommend going here during odd ball times throughout the year to avoid crowds. We went in summer and were disappointed by the amount of trash we saw at the time.
How to get there:
Get to the Olympic Peninsula via the ferry out of Edmonds north of Seattle.
Cape Alava
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~4 hours, 40 minutes
One of the scariest experiences of my life since living on the west coast happened at Cape Alava. We were walking along the beach looking down because there were a ton of tree trunks on the shore. My boyfriend at the time was ahead and as I was looking down, all of a sudden I see him start back pedaling into the Pacific Ocean. I was like, “What the fuck?” but quickly understood why when I looked up…then followed him into the water.
Charging at us from the edge of the beach was a mother-friggin’ black bear. It was bigger than a cub, but not an adult. I remember thinking, “What do you do? Look at it? No, don’t look at it. Play dead? No, fuck that.” as adrenaline pulsed through my veins. As we got to about thigh high in the water, the bear decided to veer off and back into the woods.
Cursing and moaning from fear, we realized why it charged us. Up ahead was an elk eating innocently from a branch. We’re pretty sure we interrupted the poor black bear’s dinner.
Despite this horrific experience, the Ozette Triangle at Cape Alava is one of my favorite hikes in the Pacific Northwest. It’s long at 9.4 miles roundtrip, but it’s relatively easy given it’s so flat. From the parking lot you’ll do 3 miles toward the beach on a boardwalk, followed by 3 miles along the beach, and then about 3 miles back toward the parking lot. The beach is the most strenuous part, but also the most beautiful.
How to get there:
Since it’s on the northernmost part of the Olympic peninsula, you’ll want to take the ferry from Edmonds to get here too.
Rialto Beach
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~4 hours
Rialto Beach is part of the Olympic National Rainforest. It’s accessible via a parking lot and is a beautiful Washington coast attraction for views of sea stacks dotting the Pacific Ocean. The most famous site here is the Hole in the Wall, a rock arch that has been carved out from a rock in a sea stack about 1.5 miles to the right of the parking area when facing the ocean. If you decide to visit, just make sure to watch the tides so you don’t get stuck at the hole.
This is a popular beach to visit along with nearby First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach in in La Push on the Quileute Indian Reservation.
All of these beaches require a mile or more walk to the beach, with Second Beach being one of the most popular since it’s easier and some say the most interesting.
How to get there:
Ferry from Edmonds north of Seattle.
Ruby Beach
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~3 hours, 30 minutes
Ruby Beach is one of my favorite attractions on the Washington coast. It offers gorgeous views of sea stacks dotting the Pacific Ocean, some of which you can walk to at low tide. If you’re lucky, you’ll find tide pools full of starfish.
Note, it gets really crowded during the summer so consider visiting during off times.
How to get there:
Since this is to the southern part of the Olympic peninsula, you can avoid the ferry and take I-5 south from Seattle to drive around the Puget Sound. If you do this, consider stopping for lunch at one of the best Tacoma restaurants.
Kalaloch Beach
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~3 hours, 20 minutes
Pronounced “clay-lock”, this is one of the most popular beaches on the Washington coast for tide pools. Plan your visit at low tide and you’ll be rewarded with little pot holes in the sand filled with sea stars, urchins, anemones and more. Use the NOAA tide table and look for when the wave charts dip toward zero at a reasonable hour (preferably in the negatives).
Another popular attraction here is the Tree of Life. It’s a huge tree not too unlike the tree from The Lion King growing over an eroding river bed right on the beach. You can actually see the mass root system growing, making for an interesting photo and opportunity to explore. It’s unfortunately falling into the crevasse, so visit before it’s gone!
How to get there:
You can take I-5 south from Seattle and drive around Puget Sound to get here. If you have time, check out things to do in Olympia on your way.
Lake Quinalt
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~2 hours, 45 minutes
Lake Quinalt is located within the Olympic National Forest on the Quinault Indian Reservation. The Quinalt Rainforest offers hundreds of acres of beautiful hiking trails and viewpoints, including a 31-mile loop road that takes you around a pristine lake.
A popular activity is taking this loop to stop at the various waterfalls throughout the area. It reminds me of all the waterfalls in Columbia River Gorge in how you can visit a bunch back to back.
Or, if you’re short on time, you can stop at the Quinalt Rainforest Trailhead. Here you can take short, family-friendly hikes or the fuller 4-mile loop past waterfalls, moss valleys, and giant trees.
Speaking of giant trees, The Quinalt Rainforest is also home to the Valley of the Giants. Here you’ll find huge conifer trees, including the largest Sitka Spruce in the world and nationally-recognized giant Hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar.
How to get there:
You can avoid the ferry and take I-5 south from Seattle to get to this Washington coast attraction.
Copalis Beach’s Ghost Forest
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~2 hours, 40 minutes
Ghost forests are created when a natural disaster like a tsunami causes sea levels to rise and overwhelm a forest. The result is a haunting cemetery of gnarly trees.
You can visit a ghost forest on the Washington coast by water on a kayak or SUP. You can rent equipment at Buck’s NW and they’ll shuttle the equipment to and from the launch point.
If you plan to get to the forest yourself, park in the lot behind the Copalis Beach Southbound bus stop. If you turn on satellite view for that Google maps link, you’ll see there’s a small boat launch area a few feet away. Head to the right once you get in the water and the ghost forest will be a little ways down.
Seabrook
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~2 hours, 40 minutes
Many people visit Ocean Shores or Long Beach for that quintessential Washington beach vacation. Both are located at the southernmost part of the Washington coast where the Columbia River feeds into the Pacific Ocean. However, I prefer the quieter and family-friendly beach town of Seabrook to the north at Pacific Beach State Park and 30 minutes away from Ocean Shores.
Seabrook is a planned community made up of quaint houses that remind me of both the movie Pleasantville and how I imagine colonial America looking with modern construction. There are a ton of family-friend activities throughout, such as biking and walking trails, basketball, pickleball, bocce ball, and more. There’s a tiny town with a few restaurants and shops, plus easy access to extremely long sandy beaches where you’ll barely see a soul.
There are so many more things to do in Seabrook, WA, making it my favorite Washington coast attraction to visit every year.
Pro tip: There are a bunch of canals in Ocean Shores that are perfect for kayaking or other water activities. Rent from Damon Point Action Sports to access the waterways right from their dock.
How to get there:
Take I-5 south from Seattle to 101. No ferry needed!
On the way to Seabrook you’ll pass through Aberdeen in Grays Harbor Country, where Kurt Kobain grew up. You all know I’m always on the hunt for wineries near Seattle, so I was ecstatic when I learned Westport Winery was only about 10 minutes out of the way. Just head southwest from Aberdeen instead of northwest toward Seabrook.
Cape Disappointment
website | location | distance from Seattle: ~2 hours, 40 minutes
Cape Disappointment is one of the most beautiful waterfront parks located on the Long Beach Peninsula near the Oregon border. There are a bunch of campgrounds and hiking trails, plus a lighthouse worth exploring. Carve out a fair bit of time here, as there are 2,023 acres to explore!
How to get there:
Take I-5 south from Seattle and cut west on the 101 near Olympia.
Map of attractions on the Washington coast
Here’s my map of Washington coast attractions that I keep updated as I discover new places I want to check out. I put the above attractions in rough order north to south on the Olympic peninsula so you can plan a route to visit them on an ultimate Olympic peninsula road trip.
This is focused on viewpoints, hikes, and outdoor activities, but there are a bunch of historic, natural, and art museums in the area if you want to mix culture with scenery.
Attractions near the Washington coast
Extend your trip to stop at one of these areas near the best Washington coast attractions.
- Cute Washington Coast Cabins to Rent Right Now
- Areas Besides Cannon Beach You Should Visit on the Oregon Coast
- The Best Things to Do in Tacoma, Washington
- Things to Do in Port Townsend, WA
- Fun Things to do in Poulsbo, WA
- Take a Day Trip to Victoria, BC from Port Angeles
- Day Trip to Bainbridge Island
- What to Do on Whidbey Island (including famous Deception Pass State Park)
