Rialto to Ozette Thru Hike - 20.1 Miles Round-Trip

Olympic National Park spans 73 miles of wilderness coast from South Beach (south) to Shi Shi Beach (north). The 17.3 mile stretch from Rialto Beach to Ozette is considered one of the most scenic and challenging segments, with several long crescent beaches separated by steep headlands, rocky coves and slippery intertidal zones.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

This 2-3 day trek requires careful planning and coordination with tides, weather and available campsites. Proficiency with tide tables is essential for a safe and enjoyable trip. An easy walk at low tide can be treacherous (if not impassable) at high tide, potentially stalling progress for hours.

Sand, cobble, scrambles and steep, rope-aided headland trails can slow travel to 1.5 - 2 miles an hour, even for strong hikers. Account for slower speeds and plan each day around the tide cycle to maximize time and efficiency:

Rialto Beach to Chilean Memorial (3.8 miles)

Head north up Rialto Beach and cross Ellen Creek (.8 miles) to Hole in the Wall (1.6 miles), an interesting arch you can pass right though at low tide (or use the short overland trail at high tide). 

The strip north of Hole in the Wall tapers around a headland (2.1 miles), which even at low tide requires significant scrambling. At 3.1 miles it rounds a small but rugged headland into a large cove.

Take advantage of a sparingly-marked inland trail to expedite travel to Chilean Memorial (3.8 miles), a nondescript plaque tucked above the beach on the north end of the cove. The memorial commemorates the W.J. Pirrie, a Chilean ship that wrecked in 1920 with no survivors.

Chilean Memorial to Cedar Creek (5.1 miles)

Continue past the memorial around Cape Johnson (4.4 miles), a jutting headland which requires some deft scrambling. It rounds the hump into a cove and negotiates another with the help of a rope (5.25 miles) onto a 1.4 mile-long beach. There are two streams and nice campsites on this strip.

A moderately-steep rope (6.6 miles) scales a thin grass-brush ridge on the north end and drops onto another long, wide beach. A particularly steep rope-climb on the far end scales a bluff with panoramic views across two beaches and a cluster of stacks and islands just off-shore (7.5 miles : 112'). Use this high perch to scan for seals and sea birds.

A sharp descent drops onto a long beach that's fairy narrow at the south end (7.7 miles). High tide can pinch in against sharp rocks a little bit up the beach, forcing a short but difficult scramble (or wisely wait for more favorable tides).

The beach gradually widens to a creek and the abandoned Starbuck Mine site (8.4 miles), just past which are a few nice campsites under shady hemlocks. Easy beach travel leads over lagoon-like Cedar Creek to a challenging headland climb (8.9 miles).

There are several well-developed campsites at Cedar Creek, though privacy is limited. Consider the first group of sites during busy periods.

Cedar Creek to Yellow Banks (6.3 miles)

A three-part rope climb scales a 105' headland over Cedar Creek and drops immediately to Kayostla Beach (8.9 miles). This is a wide beach with adequate water and several desirable campsites.

Easy walking leads to the Norwegian Memorial (10.0 miles), which commemorates the wreck of The Prince Arthur in 1903. The memorial is set back among trees but marked by surf debris and easy to see from the beach. An abandoned but functional trail connects this point with old logging roads just outside park boundaries.

The route's most tedious and challenging section begins just past Norwegian Memorial. Only attempt this 3 mile stretch at low tide, and account for slow travel across endless tracts of cobble. Bluffs limit access to high ground, and bailout points are few and far between.

At 12.0 miles you'll round a difficult headland (6 ft caution) and turn into a placid cove (12.15 miles). Once across travel gradually moderates on to a thin but serviceable beach (13.4 miles) that straightens out on the run up to Yellow Banks. 

Round a short, rocky bend that opens considerably across the wide, idyllic crescent of Yellow Banks (14.0 miles). There is a campsite quota at Yellow Banks. Campsites dot the length of the beach, with notable good ones at either end (the south site is sheltered among surf logs; the north site is located up a short rope on a wood platform about 20' above the beach).

Sites in the middle have their pros and cons - just be mindful of the tides. Not all sites are behind the highest high tide lines. There are two small, low-flow creeks at Yellow Banks. A water bucket for collection can be useful here.

Walk the beach to the far end for the last major headland scramble (15.2 miles).

Yellow Banks to Ozette Trailhead (4.9 miles)

The headland on the north end of Yellow Banks (5 ft caution) requires a tricky multi-part scramble up, through and over outcrops. There are several ways to get across, but no simple one.

Once over, travel moderates across adjacent coves to the widest beach on this route. Enjoy easy walking past Erickson's Bay Spur Trail (16.7 miles) to the Sand Point Trail, which departs the beach (17.3 miles). Anticipate the trail, as it's easy to miss coming from the south. 

The Sand Point Trail runs 2.8 miles on packed gravel and boardwalks under a hemlock and cedar canopy to the Ozette Ranger Station (20.1 miles).

Option: extend your trip 6.2 miles by continuing 3.1 miles past Sand Point to the Cape Alava Trail, which runs 3.1 miles to Ozette.