Outdoors
Read More ›
Ruby Beach Recognized as One of the World’s Best
Sparkling red and strewn with sea stacks, Washington's rugged shoreline stands out
By Sarah Stackhouse February 22, 2024
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park nabbed a spot on Lonely Planet’s list of the world’s best beaches.
In its latest publication, Best Beaches: 100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches, travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet highlights Ruby among 12 U.S. beaches, rubbing shoulders with coastal destinations such as Cannon Beach in Oregon and the idyllic shores of Hawaii, Florida, and California.
What sets Ruby Beach apart is its untamed beauty — a departure from the polished beaches in travel guides. Described by Lonely Planet as looking like a “giant emptied his pockets on the shores,” with tree trunks, “strewn like matchsticks, sea stacks cluster like crumbled chocolates. And a colorful assortment of agates, garnets and sea glass add a touch of glitter to the captivating mess.”
Situated on the Olympic Peninsula, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle, Ruby Beach is known for its towering sea stacks sculpted by centuries of wind and waves, and its thriving tide pools.
The beach gets its name from the sparkling red minerals known as almandite garnets found in the sand and shaped by intense pressure over time. The garnets likely come from source rocks in the Olympic Mountains, and are thought to have traveled down the coast by river over millennia.
The rugged charm of Ruby Beach isn’t exclusive to Washington’s coast. Seattle-area beaches like Golden Gardens, Discovery Park Beach, and Richmond Beach Saltwater Park share similar features — logs scattered along the sand with brightly colored rocks breaking up the shoreline.
It’s no wonder people are reluctant to leave Washington during the summer months.
Follow Us
The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure
Escape the crowds. Slow down. Savor fall in the Lewis Clark Valley. As autumn paints the hillsides in gold, crimson, and amber, the Lewis Clark Valley becomes a picture-perfect place to slow down and savor the season. Where Washington and Idaho meet, fall brings crisp days, colorful landscapes, harvest among the vines, and plenty of…
Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”
A group of urban beavers helped Pamela Adams through a tough time. Now she’s returning the favor.
Pamela Adams was living in Port Townsend when her marriage fell apart. Little did she know at the time that she would soon find love again while doggedly pursuing the Five Families—not the ones of Mafia lore, but a four-legged sort living along the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Prior to moving to Washington, Adams resided in…
A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula
Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.
There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…
Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia
This walkable beach town gives families room to roam, relax, and leave the car parked.
There’s nothing quite like finding an edible mushroom in the forest with a five-year-old. The excitement and pride my son displayed when we found chicken of the woods were contagious, and after battering and frying the mushrooms, our wonderful day got even better. The dark, wet forests in which our mushrooms grew are part of…