Parking
Use the Kalaloch Campground Loop A beach-access day-use lot just north of Kalaloch Lodge, off US 101. Follow the short path and stairs from the lot down to the shore.
Overview
About Kalaloch to Browns Point Trail
Why go
- Tree Root Cave and tide pools on a low-gradient beach walk.
Heads up
- Rising tides can shorten the walk and restrict the beach access.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Kalaloch to Browns Point 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 and the Tree of Life0:00 / 0:37
“You're nearing the campground access to Kalaloch Beach, a broad sandy shore for a walk beside Pacific surf. The Tree of Life is a short detour along the beach from the campground stairs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kalaloch Lodge: Seafood Above the Pacific
- The Salamander That Keeps Its Gills
- Kalaloch Beach Two: A Steep Little Beach Stop
- Kalaloch Beach Three: A Pocket of Rocky Shore
- 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 Kalaloch to Browns Point Trail
An easy beach walk with a tide-dependent finishKalaloch to Browns Point is a beach out-and-back from the campground to a rocky point and its…
Kalaloch to Browns Point is a beach out-and-back from the campground to a rocky point and its tide pools. The mapped version is about 3.2 miles round trip, with roughly 25 feet of ascent. Sand and pebbles make the walking less even than the small climb suggests; allow around two hours, plus time at the water. Published round-trip totals range from about 3.2 to 4 miles. This version follows the campground access to Browns Point and back; the reason for the difference remains unclear.
Start at the campground accessPark at the day-use beach-access area in Kalaloch Campground Loop A, just north of Kalaloch…
Park at the day-use beach-access area in Kalaloch Campground Loop A, just north of Kalaloch Lodge off US 101. A short asphalt path and a large stairway lead down to the pebbled shore. This access is the trailhead; the route starts at the beach below.
Follow the shoreline northWalk north on open sand and rounded pebbles below coastal bluffs and scattered driftwood.
Walk north on open sand and rounded pebbles below coastal bluffs and scattered driftwood. Near the route, a landmark known as Tree Root Cave or the Tree of Life is a Sitka spruce whose exposed roots span an eroding hollow in the bluff. Destruction Island and its lighthouse sit offshore and may be visible on clear days. Gulls and bald eagles are among the coastal birds reported along this shore, though sightings vary.
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.
