Kalaloch Beach 1

Kalaloch Beach 1 is a Pacific beach reached from a pullout on US 101, down a short trail through coastal spruce. It's a good quick stop for a less-visited stretch of shore if you don't mind steps and a bit of scrambling. The trail is listed at 765 feet with about 60 feet of elevation change, and the Sitka spruce with their knobby burls make the walk more interesting than a straight shot to the surf.

The trail starts at the west-side pullout. If you park across the highway, you'll have to cross US 101, where traffic is posted at 55 mph and there is no crosswalk. The east-side space is marked van-accessible, but the beach route itself has 53 stairs, five more steps beyond a small bridge, and uneven rocky ground. It isn't a step-free route to the shore.

A drift-log pile can make the beach entrance awkward to cross. At higher tide, waves reach the logs; lower water leaves more beach open for walking. Check the tide before you head down, and don't force a crossing if the surf or logs make it uncomfortable. Dogs are allowed on Kalaloch beaches on leash.

Take the Spruce Burl loop if you want a closer look at the rounded growths on the Sitka spruce before descending to the beach. Down on shore, the driftwood against the surf and bluff makes a good foreground for a coastal photo. Beaches along Kalaloch likely served as safe landing places for ancestors of the region's Tribal communities for millennia.