Jefferson County, WASH — Disclaimer: This episode is an encore presentation of KING 5's Evening. Ruby Beach is currently closed through mid-September 2022
On a sunny afternoon, retired Everett Police Officer, Rich Hine, and his wife, Tracey were arrested by the splendor of Washington’s Ruby Beach.
“This is breathtaking really,” Hines said. “It's hard to beat this place. It's just breathtaking. Especially in the nice weather too.”
The sun, the sand, and the sea stacks are all rewards for a somewhat grueling trek through an obstacle course as wild as the beach itself.
“There's lots of driftwood on the shore that we had to climb over and around and through to get to the open part,” said visitor Sherry Nelson. “But it's worth it.”
There are no lifeguards on Ruby Beach. No palm trees. No deck chairs.
Thanks to dramatic tides and weather that can turn on a dime, the beaches along the Olympic Wilderness Coast truly are wild.
“People have lost their lives and they have been swept away,” says the National Park Service’s Barb Maynes.“More recently there have been people who have had awfully cold wet scary nights stranded by high tides”.
Even at low tide, the ocean can surprise you with rogue waves.
There are also tide pools to explore and in springtime, you might see migrating grey whales.
More than a four-hour drive from Tacoma, this is a place you may want to visit over and over again.
Ruby Beach is the 2018 winner for Best Beach in the 2018 Best Northwest Escapes contest sponsored by Washington's Playground.
Disclaimer: This episode is an encore presentation of KING 5's Evening.
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