Coastline

17 places · Sea stacks, coves & tidal shores

All (17)La Push (3)Forks (3)

Low surf rolls toward a wide sandy shoreline as dark sea stacks rise from the water, including a larger triangular rock with a few tiny birds perched on top. Bright late-day light softens the pale sky and highlights the white foam against the blue-gray ocean.

Kalaloch, WA

Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach is named for the reddish crystal fragments found in its sand and features dramatic sea stacks, including Abbey Island, and massive piles of silvered driftwood. The beach is accessed via a short 0.2-mile trail from the Highway 101 parking area. At low tide, extensive tidepools are exposed among the rocky formations.

golden hourspring · summer

Thor’s Well churns among dark basalt rocks as seawater pours over the rim and foams into the sinkhole, with the blue ocean stretching across the horizon behind it. The golden light catches the wet rock and white spray, emphasizing the dramatic, swirling wave action.

Florence, OR

Thor's Well

A natural sinkhole in the basalt shoreline at Cape Perpetua that appears to drain the ocean into a bottomless pit. The hole is approximately 20 feet deep and produces dramatic geyser-like surges as waves crash into it. It is located within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area along the central Oregon Coast.

golden hourfall · winter

Sunset silhouettes a tall sea stack topped with wind-shaped trees, with the sun dipping beside a smaller rocky outcrop and casting a warm orange glow across the water. Dark wet sand in the foreground reflects the golden light under a clear pastel sky.

La Push, WA

Third Beach

Third Beach is reached via a 1.3-mile trail through dense coastal forest and features a wide sandy beach flanked by forested headlands and offshore sea stacks. Strawberry Bay Falls, a small waterfall, drops directly onto the beach at its southern end. The beach is a popular starting point for the South Coast Wilderness Route.

golden hoursummer · fall

Two backpackers walk across a wide, open stretch of Shi Shi Beach under a clear blue sky, with long shadows on the sand. Offshore, dark sea stacks and the Point of the Arches rise above a low band of surf and sea mist.

Forks, WA

Shi Shi Beach

Shi Shi Beach is a remote wilderness beach accessed via a 4-mile trail from the Makah Reservation boundary, featuring the Point of the Arches sea stack complex at its southern end. The arches and pinnacles are among the most dramatic coastal rock formations in the Pacific Northwest. Tidepools at the base of the arches are exceptionally rich in marine life.

golden hoursummer · fall

A weathered white farmhouse sits beside a field of lush green vegetation at Ebey’s Landing, with the low golden sun glowing through mist over the flat farmland. The simple historic house, with its wraparound porch and steep roof, is framed by trees and open coastal prairie.

Whidbey Island, WA

Ebey's Landing

A National Historical Reserve on central Whidbey Island featuring dramatic coastal bluffs rising 250 feet above the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The bluff trail traverses open prairie above the shoreline with views of the Olympic Mountains and passing ships. The surrounding farmland has been continuously cultivated since the 1850s.

golden hourspring · summer

A small outdoor amphitheater sits in a grassy clearing, with a simple white shell stage and rows of picnic tables in front of it. Tall evergreen trees crowd the background, giving the scene a quiet, wooded park feel under soft daylight.

Bellingham, WA

Larrabee State Park

Washington's first state park, established in 1915, encompasses 2,683 acres of rocky coastline, tide pools, and forested uplands along Chuckanut Drive south of Bellingham. The park's shoreline features sandstone formations sculpted by erosion along Samish Bay with views of the San Juan Islands. Two freshwater lakes in the upland portion offer secluded forest settings.

golden hourspring · summer

A weathered gray boulder holds a dark plaque with a black-and-white photo and text about the former Red Bluff Lighthouse, set in a grassy patch. The close-up composition emphasizes the stone’s rough texture and the historic marker’s framed lighthouse image.

Whidbey Island, WA

Fort Casey Historical State Park

A decommissioned Endicott-period military fort at Admiralty Head on central Whidbey Island featuring preserved concrete batteries, disappearing gun carriages, and the Admiralty Head Lighthouse. The fort was part of the Triangle of Fire defense system guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The park sits on a bluff overlooking the Keystone-Port Townsend ferry landing with views across Admiralty Inlet.

golden hourspring · summer

Bleached driftwood logs sprawl across the dark cobblestone beach in the foreground, leading to a calm, misty surf under a pale gray sky. Small figures walk along the shoreline, with a faint sea stack visible on the horizon at right.

Forks, WA

Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach features dramatic sea stacks, driftwood-covered shores, and the iconic Hole-in-the-Wall rock arch located about 1.5 miles north along the coast. The beach is composed of smooth cobblestones and dark sand, with frequent fog adding atmospheric conditions. Bald eagles and shorebirds are commonly spotted along the tideline.

golden hourspring · summer

Sunset light washes the Pacific horizon in pink, orange, and blue, with sea stacks silhouetted offshore and a dark forested headland on the right. Low waves roll toward the black sand beach, reflecting the pastel sky in the wet shoreline.

La Push, WA

La Push First Beach

First Beach is located in the Quileute tribal village of La Push and features towering sea stacks including James Island just offshore. The crescent-shaped beach offers views of the rugged Pacific coastline and is accessible by a short walk from the parking area. Sunsets here frequently produce vivid colors reflected in the wet sand.

golden hourspring · summer

Driftwood and tangled roots lie across the sandy foreground, with a forested bluff rising on the left and a sea stack sitting offshore under a clear blue sky. The beach curves into the distance with low surf and wet sand catching the late-day light.

La Push, WA

Second Beach

Second Beach is accessed via a 0.7-mile trail through coastal forest that descends to a wide sandy beach with prominent sea stacks and tidepools. The Quillayute Needles sea stacks create a dramatic backdrop, especially during sunset or fog. It is considered one of the most photogenic beaches in the Pacific Northwest.

golden hourspring · summer

Haystack Rock rises beside a smaller sea stack under a gray sky, with both formations reflected in the wet, mirror-like sand at low tide. Gentle waves line the horizon, and the broad beach emphasizes the rock’s massive scale.

Cannon Beach, OR

Haystack Rock

A 235-foot basalt sea stack that is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Oregon Coast. The rock is home to tufted puffins during nesting season and is surrounded by tide pools rich with marine life. It is accessible on foot at low tide from Cannon Beach.

golden hourspring · summer

Wide panorama from the grassy headland shows Yaquina Head Lighthouse standing on a rocky point above deep blue water, with the curving road and parking area below. The ocean stretches to a hazy coastline in the distance, framed by sunlit coastal grass and a railing in the foreground.

Newport, OR

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

A mile-long basalt headland featuring Oregon's tallest lighthouse, the 93-foot Yaquina Head Lighthouse, built in 1873. The area includes Cobble Beach, composed entirely of smooth rounded basalt cobblestones, and tidepools at Quarry Cove. Harbor seals, gray whales, and nesting seabirds are frequently observed from the headland.

golden hourspring · summer

A misty gray coastline stretches out with low, grassy cliffs framing a broad sandy beach, scattered sea stacks, and foamy surf rolling in under an overcast sky. A lone person walks near the waterline, adding scale to the rugged headlands and quiet cove.

Brookings, OR

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

A 12-mile stretch of rugged coastline featuring sea stacks, natural arches, steep cliff faces, and secluded coves considered among the most scenic on the entire Oregon Coast. Named viewpoints include Natural Bridges, Arch Rock, and Thunder Rock Cove. The Oregon Coast Trail runs through the corridor with multiple trailhead access points.

golden hourspring · summer

The rusted iron ribs of the Peter Iredale shipwreck lean sharply across the dark sand, with shallow water pooled at its base reflecting the wreck. A clear blue sky and low dunes frame the weathered skeleton on the open beach.

Astoria, OR

Peter Iredale Shipwreck

The rusted iron skeleton of the four-masted sailing ship Peter Iredale, which ran aground in 1906, sits partially buried in the sand at Fort Stevens State Park. It is one of the most accessible and photographed shipwrecks on the Pacific Coast. The wreck's iron ribs create dramatic foreground elements against ocean and sky.

blue hourspring · summer

A shallow stream winds through a rocky valley, with smooth boulders in the foreground and brown grass-covered hills rising on both sides. Pink and orange sunset light glows across the water and clouds, giving the scene a soft reflective sheen.

Lincoln City, OR

D River State Recreation Site

Home to the D River, which at 120 feet has been claimed as one of the shortest rivers in the world, connecting Devils Lake to the Pacific Ocean. The wide sandy beach is a popular site for kite festivals held twice annually. The river's mouth creates reflective pools and interesting patterns in the sand.

golden hourspring · summer

A vintage nautical chart shows the rugged Washington coast from Cape Disappointment to Cape Flattery, with dense contour lines tracing cliffs, headlands, and coves along the shoreline. The pale open ocean fills the left side with depth soundings and charted navigation marks, while the right side is packed with detailed land relief and inlet labels.

Forks, WA

Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States, located on the Makah Reservation. A 0.75-mile boardwalk trail leads to observation platforms overlooking dramatic sea caves, offshore islets, and Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse. Gray whales, sea otters, and puffins are frequently observed from the viewpoints.

afternoonspring · summer

A broad view of Kalaloch Beach shows a wide gray sand shoreline with a narrow stream cutting toward the surf, while white-capped waves roll in under a bright blue sky with towering clouds. Green coastal vegetation and driftwood frame the foreground at left.

Kalaloch, WA

Kalaloch Beach 4

Beach 4 is known for its excellent tidepool areas and sculptural rock formations exposed at low tide. Sea stars, anemones, and mussels are abundant in the rocky intertidal zone. The short 0.2-mile trail from Highway 101 descends through Sitka spruce forest to the beach.

morningspring · summer