Parking
Use the Kalaloch Beach 4 parking area just off Highway 101. A ramp connects the lot to a sidewalk with nearby toilets, an information board and the trailhead.
Overview
About Beach 4 Trail
Why go
- Tide pools and rocky coast after a very short approach
- Separate accessible overlook for a view without the beach scramble
Heads up
- Many steps and a hands-and-feet scramble to reach the shore
- The tide pools are best at low tide
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 4 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 Four: A Gap in the Rocks0:00 / 0:32
“Up ahead is Kalaloch Beach Four, where I'd stop for the rock layers as well as the tide pools. North of the beach access, tilted sandstone and shale meet much younger, level glacial gravel.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kalaloch Beach Three: A Pocket of Rocky Shore
- Fireweed's Drifting Seeds
- Kalaloch Big Cedar: Beyond the Split Trunk
- The Salamander That Keeps Its Gills
- 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 4 Trail
A short descent with a real scramble at the endBeach 4 Trail is a short out-and-back from Kalaloch's Beach 4 parking area to a pocket of tide…
Beach 4 Trail is a short out-and-back from Kalaloch's Beach 4 parking area to a pocket of tide pools on the Olympic coast. It's about 0.4 mile round trip; allow roughly 45 minutes for the descent and climb back, then add time if you want to explore the shore. The route drops through steep sections with many steps and a bridge, so don't mistake the short mileage for an easy beach stroll. The final access to the sand is a hands-and-feet Class 3 scramble.
A shorter stop above the beachAn accessible overlook is about 220 feet from parking on a compacted-gravel path.
An accessible overlook is about 220 feet from parking on a compacted-gravel path. It's a useful choice if the stairs or scramble aren't right for you, though summer vegetation can partly screen the view. The overlook is separate from the beach route; it doesn't get you down to the tide pools.
Go when the tide is lowLow tide is the reason to choose this beach over a quick roadside stop.
Low tide is the reason to choose this beach over a quick roadside stop. When pools are exposed, look for sea stars, anemones, crabs and barnacles in the rock pockets. Check tide tables before you head down. As the water rises, those pools disappear and the room to explore the rocky shore shrinks.
Look offshore, tooRock outcroppings frame the coast toward Deception Island.
Rock outcroppings frame the coast toward Deception Island. Common murres and tufted puffins nest on protected islands offshore, and sea otters have been reintroduced to Washington's coastal waters; scan the kelp, but treat wildlife as a bonus rather than a guarantee. Area tribes likely used these beaches as safe landing places for millennia.
Start from the right parking areaUse the Kalaloch Beach 4 parking area just off Highway 101.
Use the Kalaloch Beach 4 parking area just off Highway 101. A ramp connects the lot to a sidewalk with two nearby toilets, an information board and the trailhead. Leashed pets are allowed on Kalaloch-area beaches. The accessible viewpoint is the only accessible part of this outing; the beach descent has stairs and a scramble.
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.
