Secret Spots in Washington State

What do you think of when you think of Washington State? Seattle.

But, there are so many hidden gems in Washington State! The state has a lot more to offer than just Seattle. It is gorgeous and has some of the prettiest shorelines and coastal towns that I’ve ever seen.

If you plan to visit Mount Rainier be sure to read my post of things to do at Mount Rainier.

1. Gig Harbor

I loved Gig Harbor! It is a very quaint coastal town that sits on Puget Sound. It’s very close to the nature preserve, so you can easily stop here after you are done exploring.

There are parks to see, many activities to do on the water, and distilleries to tour. One of the water activities found here is a gondola ride. Pretend you’re in Italy and ride in the authentic Venetian gondola while being serenaded in Italian.

Make sure to go downtown and check out the waterfront. There is a lot of history there and a museum to visit. There are also a lot of food options. My family and I ate at Anthony’s and we couldn’t have been happier with it. The food was phenomenal!

2. Tacoma DeMolay Sandpit Nature Preserve

It is located on the tip of Fox Island and you need to get here early. You want to be here for low tide because that is the best time to see some cool stuff. So, between 8am and 10am is ideal. It is a nature preserve so please be kind to everything you see; remember to take nothing with you and leave only footprints.

Like I said, there is all kinds of stuff to see here. I recommend not wearing flip flops or sandals. Instead, opt for sneakers or even hiking boots. As you’re walking there are sea squirts everywhere that will shoot water onto your legs. There are crabs running around. And, we even saw some sea lions swimming close to the shore.

We also got to see some starfish, sand dollars (alive and dead), beautiful shells, and more. There are A LOT of sand dollars here. They are all sizes and scattered in piles. Look for the purple sand dollars, those are the ones that are still alive.

3. Rialto Beach

It is my favorite out of these hidden gems in Washington State. I can’t stress enough to you how beautiful this place is. Some people call it La Push, however, it is different than the three La Push beaches.

You have drive up access and don’t have to hike to Rialto like you do other beaches along the Olympic coast. However, you still want to wear sneakers or hiking boots because the shoreline is not sandy. Instead, it’s rocky and there are large pieces of driftwood everywhere.

From here you can hike to hole in the wall. It’s about three miles roundtrip and the trail is the beach itself. Once there you will see a sea carved arch.

Don’t want to hike to hole in the wall? Don’t! The beach is still worth a visit — the scenery on the shore is breathtaking. The driftwood on the beach and huge rocks in the ocean is something you need to see for yourself. My pictures are beautiful, but they don’t do Rialto justice.