Trip
Backpack - Rialto Beach to Chilean Memorial
Explore the shipwreck north Olympic coast, backpacking from Rialto Beach to Chilean Memorial Cove, where we camp two nights, and day hiking on Saturday three miles north and back along the coast, backpacking out on Sunday, supported by favorable tides on all three days.
- Fri, Apr 30, 2021 — Sun, May 2, 2021
- Tacoma Hiking & Backpacking Committee
- Backpacking
- Adults
- Moderate
- Mileage: 7.5 mi
- Elevation Gain: 200 ft
- High Point Elevation: 100 ft
- Pace: 2.0 mph
- 8 (11 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
Meet at 9 AM Friday at the Rialto Beach trailhead at the end of Mora Road.
On Friday we will backpack 3.75 miles north on Rialto Beach through Hole-in-the-Wall to Chilean Memorial Cove, where we camp two nights on a sandy beach. On Saturday we will have an optional day hike north along the coast as far as we can go in six hours RT, including a half hour lunch break. We will backpack out on Sunday morning. The hiking route to Hole-in-the-Wall and the second half of the Saturday day hike is on sandy beaches. In between, the route is rocky, with wet rocks and seaweed covered rocks being slippery. Shorting before reaching camp there is a short rope climb to bypass a large boulder pile. Near the end of the Saturday day hike, there is a longer rope climb over a headland that is necessary to reach the farthest point of the hike. For that reason, this trip is rated moderate. Stream water can be filtered at our campsite and at at least one place on the day hike.
Olympic National Park requires that all food and other odor-producing substances be stored at night in an approved bear canister. They can be borrowed at no cost from the Olympic National Park Wilderness Information Center at 3002 Mt. Angeles Road in Port Angeles. I will stop there on Thursday to pick up the backpacking permit and any bear canisters requested by trip participants.
I will car camp Thursday night at Mora Campground, which will be first come first served for all its 94 campsites that night, so that I can be at the meeting place at 9 AM Friday. I will post my campsite number on the B Loop bulletin Board and also pay for campsites for others as requested near my campsite. The fee is $24 per campsite, with discounts for those with a Senior Pass. Most campsites can hold two or three small tents.
In addition to the Mora Campground fees, the backpacking fees I will pay at the WIC on Thursday work out to $17 per person. I will collect that in cash or check at the trailhead when we meet on Friday morning, along with any owed portion of campsite fees that I may have prepaid at Mora Campground.
On the drive home, we will have the option for a group outdoor meal at a restaurant in Sekiu or Clallam Bay, or indoors, if the pandemic is over by then. Carpooling is limited to members of the same household, unless the pandemic is over.
At the time I am posting this trip, the two mile road from Mora Campground to Rialto Beach parking lot is closed due to flooding. The ranger said he expects it to reopen by the date of this trip. The overflow parking lot at Rialto Beach is also closed, because it is on the Quilayute reservation, which is currently restricted to tribal members. If it remains closed on April 30, we will need to arrive early at the trailhead parking lot to secure the needed parking spaces. No parking pass is required at Rialto Beach parking lot.
Required Equipment
The Ten Essentials plus overnight gear which may include:
- Tent with footprint/ground tarp
- Stove and fuel
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Water filter
- Bear canister or extra stuff sack and cord designated for hanging food
- Cooking pot/pan with plate and utensils
- Toilet paper and shovel or blue bag to deal with waste