If you saw my last post about  Rialto Beach, then you may know that last fall I based in Forks, Washington while exploring the Washington coast. So, where is Third Beach?

Similar to heading to Rialto Beach, you drive westward out of Forks on WA 110.  The trailhead is about 13 miles (21 km) from Forks.  Third Beach is also part of the Olympic National Park, so there is ample parking and some public restrooms. The trail down to Third Beach is not terribly long or difficult.  (I am not quite sure how long the trail is, maybe 1 to 1-1/2 miles.)  It goes right through the rainforest across very rough and boggy terrain. 

Now, I have a story about this trail.  Back when I was in college, I had made a trek out to the Olympic Peninsula, and took this exact trail in the afternoon to go do some photography at sunset.  Well, unlike Rialto Beach, when the sun goes down on Third Beach, it’s a long, dark hike back to the parking area through the rainforest. 

I stayed way too long at the beach, taking in the sunset, the cool air, the ocean breeze, and the soothing surf.  I also failed to notice that literally everyone else had left.  All I had for light was a tiny AA cell flashlight, and remember there were no LED bulbs back then.  The thing lit up an area about one meter in front of me. 

Once you leave the beach, you are almost instantly in the rainforest, climbing back up a couple of hundred feet and negotiating over massive tree roots sprawling across the trail.  And that trail is almost constant up and down once you get away from the beach.  By the time I hit the top of the climb off the beach, it was pitch black – like you cannot see your hand in front of your face black!

I was concerned – ok, I was scared! I didn’t want to get lost, and I didn’t want to get eaten by a bear, cougar, or a pack of wolves –  all of which live in these forests.  I thought about going back to the beach and just hunkering down for the night.  But I was hungry, and really wanted to get back to my campsite. 

So, I would light a few feet of the trail, and move ahead slowly and carefully.  It wasn’t long before I started to see eyes everywhere and hear lots of noises – animal noises.  It seemed to take hours to get along the trail with the tiny light.  Eyes were everywhere!  Some were really close to the ground while others were head height or more. 

Of course, my mind was racing – were those eyes bears; was that brushing noise a cougar?    And still, I was deep in the black forest – no light was penetrating that canopy.  The trail just went on and on.  But finally, a saw a light up high not far ahead.  Finally!  I had hit the parking lot, and there was a streetlight right near my Saab.  Safety!! My car!! I felt the tension melt away. 

So, there was absolutely no way I was going to be taking any sunset photos on Third Beach.  I got to the trailhead in the morning.  It had rained a lot the day and evening before, and the forest was literally dripping.  It was chilly this time of year maybe mid 40s F (around 7°C).  But the humidity was so high in that rainforest that it wasn’t long before I had taken off my hat and shed my light coat.  My glasses had started to fog up from the humidity.  😂

The trail was so relaxing and beautiful in the daylight, but still fairly dark from the thick forest canopy.  But here and there, were sunbeams coming through the trees.  The rain had made everything super fresh, and the air smelled so fresh and wonderful. 

Finally, I arrived at the drop down to the beach, and was greeted with some lifting fog and sunshine peaking through the clouds.  It was a glorious morning!!

As the nearby haze gave way to mid-day sunshine, that interesting morning sky became blue with a thick haze out over the horizon. So much for those cool shots with moody skies. Oh well! Maybe what I need to do is bring more light, so that I can stay for those wonderful sunsets without wondering if I’ll make it back to the trailhead.

The light wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but sometimes you just have to make do with what Mother Nature gives you.

As the day wore on the sky stayed blue, but finally there were a few higher clouds moving in, so the photo opportunities got a bit better. I had hiked south along the beach quite a ways where I found this really cool log pile.

Things were improving for photographs, and as the afternoon progressed the light quality just got better – more warmth and some clouds.

It was finally time to make the return hike through the rainforest, so I packed up my gear and headed north, back to the forest trail. Things had dried out quite a bit from the early morning. And with time and daylight, I found some interesting forest scenes.

What a difference daylight makes in the mood of this trail. What was once a terror walk was now a wonderful stroll through nature’s splendor! This was an incredible day, but I was getting hungry for some dinner.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of Third Beach, Washington and my stories. The moral of this tale is always bring a good, strong flashlight.

Have fun out there, and thank you for taking time to visit my blog.