Olympic South Coast: Third Beach to Oil City

Olympic National Park coast, between La Push and the Hoh River mouth

The South Coast Route follows Olympic National Park’s wilderness coast from Third Beach, near La Push, south to the Oil City trailhead at the mouth of the Hoh River. The Park Service lists it at about 17 miles and 1,900 feet of cumulative gain: mostly flat beach, broken up by steep overland trails and ladders around impassable headlands.

Backpacker summed it up in 2013: “Is it a hike or an Army obstacle course? Both, actually.”

The hike

The National Park Service describes the route north to south. From the Third Beach trailhead, a forest trail drops about 200 feet to the beach in 1.4 miles. Taylor Point, at the south end of Third Beach, can’t be rounded at sea level, so hikers climb an overland trail with low-angle ladders and ropes. NPS notes a small cove that may be underwater above a 4.5-foot tide, and a rope-assisted trail around Scott’s Bluff.

South of Scott Creek, a tidal restriction is passable at 4 feet or lower. The route then passes Strawberry Point and Giants Graveyard, a cluster of offshore sea stacks that NPS says is good habitat for seals and seabirds, and reaches Toleak Point about 6.4 miles from the trailhead.

Beyond Toleak, NPS describes about a mile of sand beach, then a 1.5-mile overland trail around the cliffs at Goodman Creek, with fords at Falls Creek and Goodman Creek. Backpacker, walking the other direction, describes a 30-foot vertical ladder down to the beach near Toleak and calls Goodman Creek 20 feet wide. About 2.2 miles of beach lead to Mosquito Creek, which NPS says to cross at mid-to-low tide.

The last section is the hardest to time. From Mosquito Creek, a 3.5-mile overland trail climbs over the bluffs to Jefferson Cove; NPS calls it often overgrown and muddy, with weathered stairs and a ladder. Just south of the cove, Diamond Rock is passable only at 2 feet or lower, and NPS warns it “will not be passable for consecutive days on end” during some tide cycles. Two miles of beach then lead to the Hoh River mouth, which can’t be forded, and a 0.6-mile trail upriver reaches the Oil City trailhead. The south bank is Hoh Tribal land.

A WTA trip reporter who hiked north from Oil City in August 2025 started at 4:30 a.m. to catch the morning low tide and called the second day “much easier compared to the first.” Backpacker warns that “rogue waves can strike at any tide.”

For a shorter coastal overnight farther north, see the Ozette Triangle.

Tips

Plan around Diamond Rock. Check tide tables before you book; it can block the route for days.
Carry a bear canister. NPS requires them on the entire coast and lends them from its Information Center.
Wear water shoes for fords. The 2025 reporter suggests water shoes or going barefoot.
Arrange a shuttle. This is a one-way route.
Watch for beach logs. NPS warns, “Rolling beach logs can be fatal.”

Camping

NPS names Third Beach and Toleak Point as primary camps, with Scott Creek (three small sites among driftwood), Strawberry Point, Mosquito Creek (four main sites and a privy up the bluff trail), and sites in the driftwood at the Hoh River mouth. Privies are at Third Beach and on the north side of Toleak Point. A wilderness permit is required, groups are limited to 12, and canisters are required for all food, garbage, and scented items. Build fires only on the beach with driftwood, when allowed. NPS calls Jackson Creek, just south of Toleak, the closest reliable water; coastal water is tea-stained, and iodine doesn’t work on it.

Inside Intel: The 2025 WTA trip reporter camped only at Toleak Point and called its campsites “wonderful,” with plenty of sites, some slightly inland. Backpacker likes Mosquito Creek’s level, shaded bluff camp overlooking sea stacks, with a toilet and creek water nearby.

Trail facts

Distance: About 17 miles one way (NPS); 16.1 miles (Backpacker)
Route type: Point-to-point (Third Beach to Oil City)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Third Beach (1.4), Scott Creek (about 4), Strawberry Point, Toleak Point (about 6.4), Mosquito Creek (about 11), Hoh River mouth
Water: Jackson Creek near Toleak is the most reliable; filter or boil
Permits: Olympic wilderness permit, reserved on Recreation.gov
Food storage: Bear canister required
Tides: Diamond Rock 2 ft; south of Scott Creek 4 ft; about 3 miles south of Third Beach trailhead 4.5 ft
Dogs: Not allowed
Trailheads: Third Beach (La Push Road) and Oil City (north bank of the Hoh River)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Fords at Goodman and Mosquito Creeks:

The South Coast Route fords Falls Creek and Goodman Creek, which Backpacker calls 20 feet wide, and the Park Service says to cross Mosquito Creek at mid-to-low tide. Read five tips for safer crossings.

Get the five tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.