Beach photography & low tides

November 7–11, 2026 · Forks as the planning base · Long Hoh morning, optional beach afternoon.

My recommendation: Ruby after the Hoh; Second Beach or Rialto on another day. Your photography interests: big landscape scenes and intimate studies of rocks, bark, moss, water, and texture. Give yourselves time to linger. The morning low tides happen before sunrise and the lower evening tides happen after sunset, but there is still a falling-tide afternoon for general beach photography.

Select a beach marker for its recommendation and tide reference. Map tiles need internet; the saved tide tables below do not.

Which beach fits the day?

Ruby Beach

Best after the Hoh

My first choice for a Hoh-and-coast day: sea stacks, driftwood, the creek mouth, and wet-sand reflections when conditions allow. For close-ups, look for cobble patterns, weathered wood, and rock textures from dry, stable positions.

Drive: About 42 minutes / 27.9 road miles from Forks (approximate); about 59 minutes from the Hoh visitor center. Walk: NPS lists about 735 feet of trail down to the beach; steep sections and beach logs can add effort.

Spend a long morning in the Hoh, eat lunch, then leave early enough for a relaxed afternoon at Ruby. Low tide is not required for general beach photography. Do not cross the creek or headlands just to reach a composition.

See reference tides · NPS access details

Second Beach

Best forest-to-beach outing

My pick for sea stacks framed by a forest approach and broad beach scenes, plus sand patterns and forest details on the walk. Give it its own unhurried session rather than squeezing it into a packed day.

Drive: About 25 minutes / 14.4 road miles from Forks (approximate) to the trailhead. Walk: About 0.7 mile each way through forest, descending roughly 200 feet. Add whatever beach wandering you choose.

Allow extra time for the return climb and wet trail. Confirm beach-log access on arrival; leave margin before dark.

See reference tides · NPS access details

Rialto Beach

Best for minimal approach walking

My pick for close studies of cobbles and weathered driftwood, alongside offshore stacks and wave patterns with very little approach hiking. You do not need to reach the arch to have a worthwhile shoot.

Drive: About 28 minutes / 15.0 road miles from Forks (approximate), subject to Mora Road access. Walk: A short path reaches the main beach. Hole-in-the-Wall is a separate outing about 1.5 miles north each way.

Verify Mora Road actually reopened after its scheduled October 15 construction finish. Do not plan the arch around these after-sunset minus tides.

See reference tides · NPS access details

First Beach / La Push

Easy coastal stop

An easy shorter stop for coastal atmosphere, driftwood and offshore islands if you want less of a trail outing.

Drive: Roughly 25 minutes from Forks; exact parking destination varies. Walk: Beach-adjacent access, subject to locally posted parking and access rules.

First Beach is on Quileute tribal land. Follow posted access rules and respect private areas. The La Push station is a reference, not a guarantee of beach conditions.

See reference tides · NPS access details

Beach 4 / Kalaloch

Tide-pool alternative

NPS highlights Beach 4 for tide pools. For this trip I would keep it optional because the lowest tides fall after sunset.

Drive: About 52 minutes / 34.8 road miles from Forks (approximate). Walk: A descent from the bluff, with uneven beach access; not a flat stroll from the parking lot.

Useful as a southern-coast alternative when the conditions suit it, not another mandatory stop after Ruby.

See reference tides · NPS access details

Read the tide times with the light

All times are local Pacific Standard Time (UTC−8); heights are feet above/below MLLW. Sunrise is approximately 7:10–7:20 a.m. and sunset approximately 4:45–4:55 p.m. across the stay. Twilight is separate from sunrise/sunset, and forest/cloud cover can reduce usable light.

The morning lows are roughly +2.4 to +3.9 ft; they are not the best tide-pooling lows. NPS suggests tides below +1 ft for the best tide pooling. The evening lows are below zero, but after sunset. This table is not permission to cross an arch or headland: swell, wind, storm surge and the return route determine access.

For a Hoh-to-Ruby day, treat the afternoon as an opportunity for beach scenes on the falling tide, not a promise of exposed tide pools. Do not wait for the lowest tide if that commits you to a difficult return after dark.

Ruby, Beach 4 & Kalaloch

Reference: Destruction Island, NOAA TWC0965. Nearby beach reference, not a measurement at each beach.

DateMorning lowDaytime highEvening low
Sat, Nov 74:17 AM · +2.39 ftBefore sunrise10:34 AM · +9.56 ftDaytime high5:07 PM · -0.24 ftAfter sunset
Sun, Nov 84:57 AM · +2.81 ftBefore sunrise11:06 AM · +9.63 ftDaytime high5:45 PM · -0.63 ftAfter sunset
Mon, Nov 95:35 AM · +3.21 ftBefore sunrise11:38 AM · +9.57 ftDaytime high6:20 PM · -0.79 ftAfter sunset
Tue, Nov 106:10 AM · +3.59 ftBefore sunrise12:09 PM · +9.42 ftDaytime high6:55 PM · -0.73 ftAfter sunset
Wed, Nov 116:45 AM · +3.94 ftBefore sunrise12:42 PM · +9.19 ftDaytime high7:30 PM · -0.51 ftAfter sunset

Full NOAA prediction table · Download source data

La Push, Second Beach & Rialto

Reference: La Push, Quillayute River, NOAA 9442396. Nearby beach reference, not a measurement at each beach.

DateMorning lowDaytime highEvening low
Sat, Nov 74:28 AM · +2.47 ftBefore sunrise10:35 AM · +9.49 ftDaytime high5:20 PM · -0.19 ftAfter sunset
Sun, Nov 85:07 AM · +2.88 ftBefore sunrise11:07 AM · +9.56 ftDaytime high5:57 PM · -0.55 ftAfter sunset
Mon, Nov 95:44 AM · +3.26 ftBefore sunrise11:38 AM · +9.51 ftDaytime high6:33 PM · -0.68 ftAfter sunset
Tue, Nov 106:19 AM · +3.60 ftBefore sunrise12:10 PM · +9.34 ftDaytime high7:08 PM · -0.61 ftAfter sunset
Wed, Nov 116:54 AM · +3.90 ftBefore sunrise12:42 PM · +9.10 ftDaytime high7:44 PM · -0.37 ftAfter sunset

Full NOAA prediction table · Download source data

Checks before setting out

Check NPS road and trail conditions, the marine forecast links and tide guidance, and bridge access. The tide predictions are astronomical, not wave forecasts. Avoid surf-exposed logs and stay clear of the water during hazardous swell.

NOAA predictions retrieved October 15, 2026. Destruction Island reference TWC0965 is used for Ruby/Beach 4/Kalaloch; La Push, Quillayute River 9442396 for La Push/Second Beach/Rialto. These are reference stations, not separate beach-specific measurements. Walking distances come from linked NPS descriptions; drive times are approximate. NPS tide-pooling guidance · Daylight reference