Parking
Use the Beach 3 roadside pullout on US 101; the trail begins at its south end. Space is limited, and no overflow option was verified. No toilet or water source was identified at this access.
Overview
About Beach 3 Trail
Why go
- A short route to a rocky, sandy shore and tidepools.
- The stairway opens through coastal forest toward the water.
Heads up
- Long, steep stairs make the return harder than the mileage suggests.
- The roadside pullout has limited parking.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- CautionUS 101 Hoh River Bridge reduced to one laneUS 101 at the Hoh River Bridge is restricted to one lane of alternating traffic; obey the signals and 25 mph speed limit.Official details
- ClosureStaircase wilderness trails and campsites remain closedWilderness trails and campsites around Staircase remain closed during recovery from the Bear Gulch Fire; the developed Staircase area, including the Rapids Loop, campground, and ranger station, is…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to Beach 3 Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Kalaloch Beach Three: A Pocket of Rocky Shore0:00 / 0:24
“You're coming toward the Kalaloch Beach Three pullout, for a small pocket beach with rocky coves and tide pools.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kalaloch Beach Four: A Gap in the Rocks
- The Salamander That Keeps Its Gills
- Fireweed's Drifting Seeds
- Kalaloch Beach and the Tree of Life
- 204 audio storiesacross Olympic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Olympic Marmot, Humpback Whale, Grey Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 148 trails, 94 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Beach 3 Trail
A short, steep way to the coastBeach 3 is an out-and-back from the south end of the roadside pullout to a rocky, sandy shore.
Beach 3 is an out-and-back from the south end of the roadside pullout to a rocky, sandy shore. The mapped path is about 0.17 mile each way, or roughly 0.34 mile round trip; allow 30–60 minutes with time on the beach. The posted 0.1-mile figure does not say whether it covers one way or the full walk, so use the mapped path to plan the return. This is a quick coastal stop if you are comfortable with a real stair climb.
Down through the coastal forestThe trail starts on compacted gravel, then drops through coastal vegetation on long stair…
The trail starts on compacted gravel, then drops through coastal vegetation on long stair sections with roots and steep grades of about 7–30%. You return the same way, so save energy for the climb back. There is no accessible route to the beach.
At the shoreThe trail ends on a mix of rock and sand, with tidepools to explore around low tide.
The trail ends on a mix of rock and sand, with tidepools to explore around low tide. The shoreline and access can change as trees fall and the coast shifts. Leashed pets are allowed on Kalaloch beaches, but this access trail is not listed among pet-allowed trails. The trail begins at the south end of the Beach 3 pullout along US 101; parking is limited. Kalaloch Lodge has a restaurant and camp store as a separate stop; no toilet or water source was identified at this access.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Olympic
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
