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.