Table of Contents:
- Where is the Washington Coast?
- Why Elope on the Washington Coast?
- 7 Epic Locations for a Washington Coast Elopement
- Best Time of Year to Elope on the Washington Coast
- Final Tips for Your Washington Coast Elopement
- Washington Coast Elopement Photographer
If you’re not considering the Washington Coast for your elopement (or even your next trip to the beach), you are seriously missing out! The Washington Coast has sooo much to offer for couples who want a moody, magical elopement with dramatic views + endless adventures. This is a guide to the best places to elope on the Washington Coast, plus I’ve included key permit info, weather advice, and so much more to help plan your dream day! Let’s make some coastal magic together!
Where is the Washington Coast?
Well, it’s along the coast of Washington, haha! Even though it might seem obvious where the coast is located, I still wanted to point out where exactly it is geographically because it doesn’t get quite as much attention as many other beautiful parts of Washington State often do. The coast is located on the western side of Washington, all the way from Cape Disappointment in the south to Port Angeles and Puget Sound up north. There’s not really an exact identifier for where the coastal region starts and ends. . . but it basically takes up the whole western border of the state.
Depending on where you elope on the coast, it’ll take you anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours to get to the Washington Coast from Seattle—the furthest drive being to Cape Flattery, alllll the way out on the northwest tip of WA, and the closest being places like Whidbey Island, the San Juans, etc. So it’s really up to you which area of the coast you want to explore for your elopement, and how far you want to drive!
If you want a specific route to take along the Washington Coast, you could follow US Highway 101 starting from Port Angeles, then heading west around the Olympic Peninsula, toward Cape Flattery, and into Olympic National Park. The 101 then travels all the way down to Los Angeles!
Note: I’m not going to be including the San Juans in this guide, since they’re kind of their own separate entity and I already have a big elopement guide dedicated to them here.
Why Elope on the Washington Coast?
There are SO many reasons why couples decide to elope on the Washington Coast, but here are a few of the biggest and most compelling!
Extensive wilderness areas + untouched land
Honestly, there is NOTHING and nowhere in Washington like the coast. A lot of it remains fairly untouched and, well, wild, and you can often find more privacy than you can in many other areas of WA such as Mount Rainier. If you and your partner want to feel comfortable to come out of your shell (beach pun intended) on your elopement day and really be your full, authentic selves, with nobody else around, you’ll enjoy a lot of the more private spots along the coast!
Dramatic, distinctive coastline scenery
If you’re thinking that beaches along the Washington Coast will be just like the ones in Hawaii or California, think again: they’re totally different, and that’s what makes them so fascinating + beautiful. In place of the warm, sunny beaches of a tropical climate, with white sand, palm trees, and turquoise waters, the Washington Coast offers dramatic, moody beaches with rock, driftwood-covered shores, temperate rainforests that line the peninsula, overcast skies, and the iconic sea stacks you’ve probably seen pictures of before. Rather than lounge on a sunbed with a book in hand, you’ll probably want to put on a pair of hiking boots and grab your rain jacket before heading to these beaches! (depending on the time of year, of course)
Hikes of all lengths, plus backpacking + camping options
Whether you wanna do a 10-mile day hike, venture out on an overnight backpacking trip, or keep things low-key with little to no hiking whatsoever, the Washington Coast has options for ya. Seriously! There are hikes of all lengths along the coast, and you’ll never be sacrificing beautiful views or incredible landscapes—they’re accessible to everybody. Plus, there are a ton of amazing backpacking and camping options basically everywhere you go, so it’s the perfect elopement location for couples who want to extend their adventure across more than just a single day!
You can be in a national park, or not
National Parks are AMAZING, don’t get me wrong, but they can often come with a lot of extra logistics when you’re eloping: permits, specific ceremony locations, etc. And don’t forget crowds! The Washington Coast is great because while you can explore the incredible wilderness of Olympic National Park, you don’t have to in order to experience the enchanting landscapes. There are plenty of places outside the park that are absolutely worth checking out, so don’t feel like you’re limited to just the most popular places inside of ONP.
Wanna dive deeper into all that Olympic National Park has to offer for elopements? Click here!
7 Epic Locations for a Washington Coast Elopement
It was so difficult to condense this list, but I managed to get it down to just 7 of the best Washington Coast elopement locations for you to start with! As your Washington Coast elopement photographer, I have plenty more up my sleeve that I can share with you when we plan your elopement as well!
1. Ruby Beach
Ease of access: Moderate; accessible from the parking lot but requires a hike downhill and climbing over driftwood
Entry fee: ONP Entry
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: Yes!
Ruby Beach is one of the most iconic spots on the Washington Coast and Olympic Peninsula! It’s got those classic, super dramatic sea stacks that you always see in photos, tons of sun-bleached driftwood and logs covering the shores, and gorgeous views. In fact, I love Ruby Beach so much that I put together a whole separate guide about eloping there, if you want to learn more!
2. Kalaloch/Tree of Life
Ease of access: Varies by location
Entry fee: ONP Entry
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: Varies by location
Kalaloch is this beautiful little area along the Olympic Peninsula with a cozy coastal lodge, high bluffs, multiple campgrounds, and dreamy beaches. One of my fave spots here is the Tree of Life, which is this super cool (and old) Sitka spruce with crazy exposed roots that grow along a cave!
3. Rialto Beach
Ease of access: Easy, just a short walk from the parking lot!
Entry fee: ONP Entry
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: Yes!
Another icon of the WA Coast! Rialto Beach is easy to access, has those quintessential PNW beach vibes, and is gorgeous in any weather. Def recommend walking to Hole-in-the-Wall if you’re up for a little walk and want to get a bit more variety in your landscapes!
4. Second Beach
Ease of access: Moderate; 2-mile hike required each way
Entry fee: ONP Entry
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: No
There’s this series of three beaches along the coast called First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach (creatively named, I know)—and while they’re all beautiful in their own way, Second Beach is by far my favorite. It’s part of Olympic National Park and is great for couples who want a little bit of a hike, but nothing too hard! You park in this little lot near La Push, then hike 2 miles through the forest and down to the gorgeous beach, surrounded by towering sea stacks, tide pools, and arches.
5. Salt Creek Recreation Area
Ease of access: Varies, can be accessed from multiple points
Entry fee: None
Permit required: None
Dog-friendly: Yes
Salt Creek is about 15 miles west of Port Angeles, and is a big park rather than a small, secluded beach. It’s a super unique and picturesque place to explore, with tons of tidepools (and sea creatures to spot), coves to kayak in, and dramatic cliffs. There’s even a waterfall you can hike to if that’s your vibe on your elopement day!
6. Shi Shi Beach
Ease of access: Moderate; around an 8-mile round trip hike to the beach
Entry fee: Makah Recreation Pass for any trails on the Makah Indian Reservation
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: No
Shi Shi Beach is one of the more unique beaches in the Olympic Wilderness, as it requires a longer hike to get to and is a great option for couples who want to backpack. It’s around 4 miles each way if you take the Shi Shi Beach & Point of the Arches route, which will take you to an incredibly beautiful, sandy beach with insane views and campsites! And then you can go past the beach and to the Point of the Arches, which offers this super cool mile-long stretch of sea stacks.
If you want to go camping overnight at Shi Shi, make sure you get a Wilderness Camping Permit ahead of time!
7. Cape Flattery
Ease of access: Easy; 1.5-mile round trip hike required
Entry fee: Makah Recreation Pass
Permit required: ONP Special Use Permit
Dog-friendly: Yes
If you want to kill two birds with one stone, get a Makah Recreation Pass and use it to visit both Shi Shi Beach + Cape Flattery! Cape Flattery is the furthest northwest point of the contiguous US, so you’ll be wayyyy up there when you tie the knot. It’s a super easy hike to get to an absolutely unreal backdrop, with views of the waves, the sea stacks, and Tatoosh Island. The perfect place to watch for wildlife such as whales and otters!
Best Time of Year to Elope on the Washington Coast
The best time to elope on the Washington Coast is March-October, which is when you will get the best weather overall! However, it’s snow-free year-round, so you can really elope at any time of year—which is rare for the Pacific Northwest (and very different from locations in the mountains).
If you elope from November-March, it’ll be pretty cold and definitely be rainy, depending on where you go, but the beaches are usually pretty quiet and free of crowds. If you don’t mind a chilly day, then go for it—you’ll enjoy the privacy and seclusion!
April-June tend to be overcast and rainy, but there are always clear days here and there. You just probably won’t know when they’re going to happen! Eloping in the spring means you need to be flexible and ready for any type of weather scenario.
Finally, July-September offer mostly clear weather, and the warmest temperatures that are great for hiking and camping!
Final Tips for Your Washington Coast Elopement
Let’s wrap this up with a few extra tips I wanted to pass along to help plan your Washington Coast elopement!
- Certain spots along the coast are only able to be passed during low tide, so make sure you line your travels up with low tide days/times. And always have a tide chart with you, you can download an app on your phone for easy access!
- Be aware of when you are on tribal land! You usually need an additional permit or entrance pass to visit land that is protected by local tribal reservations.
- Stay away from wildlife! If you come across a deer, seal, otter, bear, whatever, always stay a safe distance back so you don’t disturb them OR put yourselves in danger.
- Pack the right hiking boots for the types of terrain you’ll be exploring. You don’t want to end up slipping on the coastal rocks and driftwood because you didn’t pack sturdy boots! Here’s my guide to the best hiking boots for adventure elopements!
- Pay attention to the entrance passes + permits you need! Many locations along the Washington Coast are part of Olympic National Park, and/or are located on tribal land. Depending on the location you elope, you may need an Olympic National Park pass, an America the Beautiful Pass, a Special Use Permit, etc. I can help you out with this once you book me, don’t worry!
- Don’t forget to obtain your Washington State marriage license! It’s easy to forget about the legal stuff when you’re having so much fun planning the rest of your elopement. I have a simple guide to getting your WA marriage license here that you can check out for all the ‘tails!
Washington Coast Elopement Photographer
You made it! Now I’ll introduce myself real quick so you know who’s been talking to you this whole time.
I’m Bree, a Washington Coast elopement photographer based in Seattle! I swear I travel to the coast literallyyyy every few weeks (if not MORE in the summer), so I probably know this area better than the city I actually live in haha. It’s one of my favorite parts of Washington and I’m always recommending it to couples who are looking for epic places to elope in Washington with dramatic views, diverse landscapes, and a variety of adventurous activities to include in their trip. Reach out to me now if you’re dying to work together on your special day!
Wanna check out my guide to eloping on the Oregon Coast next? It’s right here!
Orrrr see some of my other fave elopement locations in Washington below:
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