Best Beaches in Washington 2025

Your complete guide to the top 101 beaches in Washington

Washington offers 101 incredible beaches, from Atlantic and Pacific coastlines to secluded coves. Whether you're looking for family fun, world-class surfing, or peaceful relaxation, we've researched every beach to help you find your perfect destination.

Jump to Beach

  1. Rialto Beach
  2. Ruby Beach
  3. Cape Disappointment
  4. Copalis Beach
  5. Deception Pass Beach
  6. Destruction Island View
  7. First Beach La Push
  8. Kalaloch Beach
  9. Ocean Shores Beach
  10. Rosario Beach

1. Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park is Pacific Northwest drama at its finest—sea stacks rising from the surf, ancient driftwood piled high, and mist-shrouded headlands disappearing into the distance. The beach is accessible via a short trail from the parking area, emerging onto a wild coastline that feels centuries removed from civilization. Massive drift logs, some 100 feet long, create natural sculptures and climbing playthings. At low tide, hikers can explore caves and tide pools teeming with sea stars, anemones, and nudibranchs. The iconic sea stack called Hole-in-the-Wall is reachable by a 1.5-mile hike north along the beach. Bald eagles soar overhead, and harbor seals rest on offshore rocks. This is not a swimming beach—the water is frigid and currents treacherous—but for raw coastal beauty, few beaches in America compare.

Best For: Photography, Hiking, Tide pools, Wildlife

Best Time to Visit: Summer for driest weather; check tide tables for low tide exploration

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2. Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach, in Olympic National Park, is raw Pacific Northwest beauty at its finest. The beach gets its name from the ruby-colored sand crystals visible among the darker grains. Massive driftwood logs, bleached white by sun and salt, create a natural obstacle course along the shoreline. Towering sea stacks rise from the surf like ancient sentinels, draped in fog on many days. The beach is accessed via a short but steep forested trail, passing through old-growth Sitka spruce before emerging at the dramatic coastline. Tide pools are abundant at low tide, and the powerful waves crashing against the rocks are mesmerizing. This is not a swimming beach—the water is frigid and currents dangerous—but for dramatic Pacific scenery, few beaches compare.

Best For: Photography, Dramatic scenery, Tide pooling, Driftwood

Best Time to Visit: Summer for driest weather; storm season (fall/winter) for dramatic waves

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More Washington Beaches

Carbon River Beach • Cedar River Beach (WA) • Chehalis River Beach • Copalis Beach • Curlew Lake State Park • Deception Pass (North Beach) • Deception Pass Beach • Deception Pass State Park (Lake) • Deschutes River Beach (WA) • Destruction Island View • Diablo Lake • Discovery Park Beach • Dosewallips State Park • Double Bluff Beach • First Beach (La Push) • First Beach La Push • First Beach La Push • Fort Ebey State Park (Lake) • Golden Gardens Park • Grayland Beach • Grayland Beach State Park • Green Lake (Seattle) • Green River Beach (WA) • Kalaloch Beach • Kalaloch Beach • Kalaloch Beach 4 • Kalaloch Beach Trail • La Push Second Beach • La Push Second Beach • Lake Chelan (Manson Bay) • Lake Chelan State Park • Lake Crescent (East Beach) • Lake Cushman • Lake Easton State Park • Lake Padden Park • Lake Quinault (Willaby) • Lake Roosevelt (Spring Canyon) • Lake Samish • Lake Sammamish State Park • Lake Spokane • Lake Washington (Madison Park) • Lake Wenatchee State Park • Lake Whatcom (Bloedel Donovan) • Larrabee State Park (Lake) • Long Beach • Long Beach (Washington) • Long Beach Washington • Moclips Beach • Mocrocks Beach • Mora Beach • Moran State Park (Cascade Lake) • Moran State Park (Mountain Lake) • Nisqually River Beach • Ocean Shores Beach • Ocean Shores Beach • Pacific Beach State Park • Pacific Beach WA • Potholes Reservoir • Potlatch State Park • Puyallup River Beach • Rialto Beach • Rialto Beach • Roosevelt Beach • Rosario Beach • Ross Lake • Ruby Beach • Ruby Beach • Ruby Beach • Salt Creek Recreation Area • Seabrook Beach • Seaquest State Park • Second Beach • Second Beach • Second Beach (La Push) • Second Beach Olympic • Shi Shi Beach • Shi Shi Beach • Shi Shi Beach • Silver Lake (Whatcom) • Silver Lake State Park (WA) • Skykomish River Beach • Snoqualmie River Beach • South Beach (Olympic) • Spencer Spit State Park • Steamboat Rock State Park • Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park • Tennant Lake Wildlife Area • Third Beach • Westport Light State Park • Westport Light State Park • White River Beach (WA)

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