Everything You Need to Know About Exploring the Ocean Shores Tide Pools
PLANNING A VISIT TO THE OCEAN SHORES TIDE POOLS?
We’ve got all the info you need! We’ve been traveling with kids since 2015, with months spent in the Pacific Northwest. Our kids live for exploring tide pools, so a stop at the Ocean Shores Tide Pools was a given!
Tide pools are created when the tide goes down, leaving some seawater trapped around low spots in the sand or rocks. Tide pooling is one of our favorite things to do when we are at the beach.
We love to hunt for starfish, sea anemones, and crabs. If you want to visit the Ocean Shores Tide Pools, here’s everything you need to know!
Does Ocean Shores Have Tide Pools?
Ocean Shores does have tide pools. The two most common places to go tide pooling in Ocean Shores are Damon Point and North Jetty. Both are great places to see the sea life in the area as well as fun things to do in Ocean Shores.
Ocean Shores Tide Pools
Within a short drive of Ocean Shores, there are a few good places to go tide-pooling. Be sure to check the tide charts before heading out.
Damon Point
The best Ocean Shores Tide Pools are at Damon Point. It is at the southern tip of the Ocean Shores peninsula. The spring and summer are the best time of year to visit these tide pools. As you walk down the beach, there are lots of fun tidepools to explore.
If you are interested in joining a guided tide pool adventure to Damon Point, you can join one through the Coastal Interpretive Center. You do have to schedule this ahead of time by calling the Center at 360-289-4617.
The Coastal Interpretive Center also offers days of ecologic discovery geared for kids 10-12 years old. These programs are usually offered in the summer. You can look for the Days of Discovery schedule online.
North Jetty
The North Jetty is fun to explore during both high tide and low tide. During high tide, you can climb around on the jetty rocks; however, if you want to see the tide pools, you will need to visit during a minus tide. After the tide goes out, you can explore the large rocks left behind, waiting for the tide to return.
You can expect to see lots of crabs crawling on the sandbars and sand dollars, as well as sea creatures like starfish, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins attached to the jetty rocks.
This is also a perfect place to look for dolphins, seals, whales, and pelicans.
Westhaven State Park
Westhaven State Park is a one-hour drive south of Ocean Shores. It is just across the straight near Damon’s Point. In the past, there was a ferry that would take you across to Westhaven, but currently, that ferry is not running, so you have to drive around.
Westhaven State Park is a great place to see sand dollars and lots of starfish. Seals also frequently visit the harbor.
Best Tide Pools in Washington
Tidepools are most commonly found along the rocky shores of coastal Washington and Puget Sound. If you’re looking for fun things to do in Seattle, visiting the tidepools in the area is a great option. Seattle is quite a drive from Ocean Shores, though.
If you’re looking for another tide pool area to visit within a two-hour drive or so of Ocean Shores, we recommend heading north into the area surrounding Olympic National Park. There are some beautiful beaches with fantastic tide pools.
The best time to see the tide pools are between March and September.
Ruby Beach
1.5 hours from Ocean Shores
Ruby Beach is one of our favorite beaches on the Olympic Peninsula because it is so pretty and has great tide pools. The beach is full of beautiful rocks, driftwood, and plenty of room to let the kids play. There is a short walk from the parking lot down to the beach.
In the tide pools as well as along the nearby rocks, you can expect to see sea anemones, starfish, hermit crabs, sea urchins, and more. The most common animal here is green sea anemones. You will find them in a bunch of different colors, like green, pink, gray, and white.
While not very common, keep an eye out for small octopuses. The rocks here are especially sharp so it is a really good idea to bring shoes you can explore the tide pool in.
If you can visit at sunset, it is beautiful! This will more than likely require a second trip back to the beach if you are visiting to see the tide pools. If you are looking for a place to stay overnight, we recommend exploring all of the fun things to do in Forks, Washington, and staying there.
Kalaloch Beach 4
1.5 hours from Ocean Shores
Kalaoch Beach 4 is one of the best places to see tide pools in the Olympic Peninsula. The water is very clear, making it easy to see starfish, rock crabs, wolf eels, barnacles, clams, and sea snails. It is also one of the most visited and has easy access off Highway 101.
The tide pools here are more spread out compared to some of the other tide pools in the area. Because of this, it is a great beach to walk along the beach looking for tide pool life as you go.
There are ranger programs at Kalaoch Beach to help with exploring the tide pools and education about sea life.
Mora and Rialto Beach
2.5 hours from Ocean Shores
Mora’s Hole in the Wall is accessible via the Rialto Beach Trailhead on the North Coast Wilderness Trail. The hike takes about an hour, so make sure to take this into consideration when timing your visit. You will want to make sure you leave enough time to hike without missing low tide. The hike is 1.5 miles.
When exploring the tide pools, do not cross through the hole in the wall when the tide begins to cover the floor of the arch.
There are ranger programs at Mora’s Hole in the Wall to help with exploring the tide pools and education about sea life. Rangers are typically there during low tide.
Cannon Beach Oregon Tide Pools
Another great place to go tide pooling is at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. It is about two and a half hours south of Ocean Shores. If you are driving up from the south, stopping in to see the tide pools and explore some of the fun things to do in Cannon Beach is well worth a morning.
It is a really cute, charming coastal town with excellent tide pools. There is a conservation group that runs an educational program there daily, and they are more than willing to share their knowledge and answer questions about tide pools.
What Lives in Tide Pools?
Tide pools are microcosms, or mini-worlds, filled with a large variety of marine life competing for precious food and space. Most of the marine life is attached to rocks living in different zones. Towards the surface, you will see limpets followed by mussels, sea anemones, and barnacles.
At the bottom, you will find seagrass, sea stars, sponges, and snails. You will usually also see small crabs roaming around the bottom.
If you’re visiting the tide pools with kids, we suggest ordering a copy of a take-along guide which is a great resource for helping kids learn and understand all of the cool things that go on in the tidepools.
What Can You Touch in a Tide Pool?
The best things to touch in tide pools are sea anemones and starfish. If you gently touch an anemone, sometimes it will close around your finger and squirt out water.
Remember, when you are touching wildlife in tide pools, be gentle and soft. Some people argue that even touching them can cause stress and argue against touching animals. That is a personal decision, but if you do touch them, remember to never pry animals from the rocks and to softly touch them with just a few fingers.
It’s a good idea to get your finger wet with some water before touching the sea life.
What Should You Not Touch in a Tide Pool?
There are a few animals commonly found in tide pools that you don’t want to touch. Touching a crab runs the risk of getting pinched, and touching a jellyfish runs the risk of getting stung. It’s better to observe from a distance and move on.
What is the Best Time to See Tide Pools?
The best time to see tide pools is about two hours before low tide, as the tide is receding through about two hours after the tide is coming back in. This four-hour window is when the water will be the shallowest and will give you the opportunity to see the most wildlife.
However, this varies greatly by how far the tide pools are from the water level. When we visited the tide pools near Brookings, the tide pools were covered about 30 minutes after the tide started coming in because of where the rocks were.
The prime time to see tide pools is at low tide. We try to get to the tide pools about 45 minutes before low tide to make sure we have enough time to explore the tide pools before the tide starts coming back in.
As for the best time of year to see tide pools, the best time is during the summer months.
What Are the Tide Tables For Ocean Shores?
There are two low tides and two high tides. You will want to visit the tide pools during the largest low tide meaning the water levels will be the lowest. This will give you the best chance to see the sea life in the Ocean Shores tide pools.
Ocean Shores Tide Schedule
Determining the tide schedule in Ocean Shores is really easy, and there are lots of websites that will tell you the tide schedule. You want to look for the time with the lowest negative number. This is when low tide is.
We recommend checking the Ocean Shores Tide Schedule with TidesChart.com. Their graphs are really easy to understand and include helpful information like sunrise, sunset, and the difference in tide levels.
Ocean Shores Tide Pools Safety
✔️ Keep an eye on the tide levels. As the tide is coming back in, you don’t want to have to wade through feet of water to get back to the shore or, worse, get trapped as the tide comes back in. This is especially important if you are exploring with younger kids. Keeping an eye on the wet rocks is a good indicator of where the tide is.
✔️ Stay aware of your surroundings and don’t turn your back to the ocean. Keep an eye out for sneaker waves.
✔️ Never walk through the tide pools barefoot, and make sure you are wearing sturdy shoes. Your shoes will get wet and sandy. Your shoes should have a good grip.
✔️ Rocks in the ocean shores tide pools can be slippery and sharp from algae and seaweed. Do not ever jump across the rocks.
Ocean Shores Tide Pools Etiquette
✔️ Be respectful of the wildlife in the tide pools. Do not step on the sea life in the tide pools. Do not pry them from the rocks, and touch everything very gently. You are there to observe the wildlife rather than disrupt and disturb.
✔️ Picking up rocks or shells may disturb or damage the animals living in the tide pool. It’s a best practice to not pick up or move anything.
✔️ Pick up any trash you may find in the tide pools or surrounding beach area.
✔️ Keep pets out of the tide pool areas. Sharp rocks can be harmful to pets, and they may accidentally harm intertidal sea life. Ocean Shores is dog friendly, but keep them at a safe distance from the tide pools.
✔️ Do not put any lotion, sunscreen, or hand sanitizers on if you’re planning on touching animals in the tidepools. The chemicals are harmful.
What Part of the Ocean Do We Find Tide Pools?
Tide pools are small pockets of seawater in the intertidal zone. The intertidal zone is where the ocean meets the land. While the intertidal zone can have long sloping beaches, tide pools are usually found along the steep and rocky ledges. This gives the sea life in tidal pools a place to call home and is sturdier than sandy beaches.
Can You Swim in a Tide Pool?
At low tide, tide pools are usually very shallow, making it very difficult to swim in tide pools. Tide pools also can have slippery and sharp rocks making it difficult to swim. It would be best to avoid swimming in the tide pools during low tide.
During high tide, there would be more water to swim in the tide pools, but the bottom of the tide pools can have sharp rocks, so it is best to avoid swimming in them. Plus, you run the risk of hurting the sea life living in the tide pools.
Conclusion: Ocean Shores Tide Pools
One of our favorite parts of exploring a new beach town is finding the wildlife in the tide pools. My kids love moving from rock to rock to see what they can find. We hope you found this article helpful in exploring the ocean shores, tide pools, and surrounding area.
If you are looking for other parts of the Washington Coast to explore, consider visiting nearby Seattle or the San Juan Islands.
