4 Best Sights in Olympic National Park, Washington

The northernmost and arguably the most breathtaking of Olympic National Park's Kalaloch area beaches, this wild and windswept swath of shoreline is named for the rosy fragments of garnet that color its sands. From an evergreen-shaded bluff, a short trail winds down to the wave-beaten sands where Cedar Creek meets the ocean, and you may spy sea otters along with bald eagles, oystercatchers, cormorants, and other birdlife. Driftwood separates the woods from the sand—it's a good spot to set up a picnic blanket and watch the sun fall over the pounding surf. Up and down the coast, dramatic sea stacks and rock cairns frame the beach, which is a favorite place for beachcombers, artists, and photographers. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; walking.

With a lodge and restaurant, a huge campground, miles of coastline, and easy access from the highway, this beach area is a popular spot. Keen-eyed beachcombers may spot sea otters just offshore.

At the mouth of Quileute River, La Push is the tribal center of the Quileute people. In fact, the town's name is a variation on the French la bouche, which means "the mouth." Offshore rock spires known as sea stacks dot the coast here, and you may catch a glimpse of bald eagles nesting in the nearby cliffs.

During low tide these flat, driftwood-strewn expanses are perfect for long afternoon strolls. Second Beach, accessed via an easy forest trail through Quileute lands, opens to a vista of the Pacific Ocean and sea stacks. Third Beach offers a 1¼-mile forest hike for a warm-up before reaching the sands.