First Beach La Push: Off-Leash Dog Adventures on the Olympic Coast

When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. See our Affiliate Policy. First Beach in La Push, Washington, is one of the most accessible and dog-friendly beaches in the Olympic Peninsula. Not only could our dogs, Toby and Lily, explore the beach with us, but they could do it completely off leash. This was our first real nature stop during our 2-week Olympic Peninsula road trip, and it was an awesome introduction to Washington’s ruggeed Pacific coast. We visited in late July 2024 after spending our morning making coffee at our yurt at Mossquatch Resort and exploring the Twilight locations around Forks. Later that afternoon, we drove about 25 minutes west of our tent toward La Push and arrived just after 5pm. The weather was a moody, overcast and a little cool. Lily was so excited the second we took her leash off. She kept running up and down the coast as quickly as she could! Probably because she was excited to explore a new place after spending thousands of miles in the car. Meanwhile, Toby explored and sniffed at his own pace, with the occasional little run. Planning Your Trip to First Beach?We stayed at Mossquatch Resort while exploring the Olympic Peninsula and loved having a quiet place between Forks and the coast. If Mossquatch is booked, you can find other pet-friendly stays around Forks and Port Angeles on Expedia. A car makes exploring this part of Washington state easier since beaches and hikes are spread out along the coast. You can compare rental prices on Booking.com before your road trips. First Impressions of First Beach, La Push Before heading down to the beach, we stopped at the Quileute Oceanside Resort to pick up a $10 parking pass, which is required to park at First Beach. The beautiful beaches at La Push work a little differently than some of the other ones in Olympic. La Push sits on land belonging to the Quileute Nation just outside Olympic National Park. The biggest reason we chose First Beach over Second Beach or Third Beach was because dogs are allowed off leash here, which is pretty rare along this stretch of coast. We’ve lived in Alabama for years and have visited the Gulf and Florida beaches a couple times. I know it’s cliché, but First Beach really did blow us away. They really aren’t anything like southern US coasts. The giant driftwood, the moody look in the sky, the fog covered sea stacks and James Island in the distance and the cold Pacific Ocean all came together to give this real rugged feel. We eventually all sat down on the massive driftwood logs to catch our breath after running up and down the beach with Toby and Lily. Why First Beach is Perfect for Off-Leash Dogs With no leash laws, our two pups were off having their own little adventures. They’d sprint up and down the beach, investigate the cresting waves (Lily was curious but also scared) and they meet a couple of other dogs along the way. Traveling with dogs can be hit or miss, especially when looking for beaches and trails that are dog-friendly. A lot of places are either leash-only or not pet-friendly at all. This is what set First Beach apart. We got to share the beach with our furry companions, which is exactly what road trips should feel like! We took our shoes off and followed along with our pups for a while. As we explored the north side of the beach, we realized just how massive and far away some of the sea stacks really are. Things to See and Do at First Beach We explored First Beach for an hour, just enough for our dogs to decide the sand and driftwood were fun, but the dampness had them ready to head back. We made a quick stop at the Lonesome Creek Store & Resort which is just steps from the beach, to see if they might have anything we can cook at our yurt. The Lonesome Creek Store & Resort We didn’t find what we were looking for in the store, so we drove further down the road and picked up dinner at River Edge Restaurant on the Quileute Tribal land. Tips for Visiting First Beach with Dogs One of the best parts about First Beach is that dogs are allowed off leash, which isn’t something you’ll find at most beaches along the Olympic coast. The Pacific waves are cold! The beach sits right next to the Lonesome Creek Store & Resort, so picking up snacks or drinks is easy if you need them. The River’s Edge Restaurant is also just down the road if you want to turn your visit into a lunch or dinner stop. Parking at First Beach is pretty straightforward, but you do need to stop at the Quileute Oceanside Resort first to pick up a pass. After that, you can park just steps from the beach, which makes things a lot easier when you have pups who are eager for a beach visit. First Beach vs. Other Olympic Peninsula Beaches First Beach shares a lot of similarities with other dog-friendly places along the Olympic Coast like Rialto Beach and the Tree of Life. All three are close to parking, easily accessible and don’t require any hiking to make it to the coastline. Each also has the dramatic Pacific coastline feel once you’re there. We really loved all of them, but our favorites on the Olympic Peninsula still lean towards Ruby Beach (leashed dogs are allosed) and Shi Shi Beach, which is the most remote, but doesn’t allow dogs. What made First Beach stand out for us was watching Toby and Lily run free on the beach. That alone set it apart from our other stops. Quileute Oceanside Resort & RV Park Map of La Push, Washington Final Thoughts: Exploring La Push with Your Dog First Beach was an awesome introduction to the Olympic coast and it set the bar high for the rest of our 2-week adventure. The moody Pacific coast, massive driftwood, dramatic sea stacks and off-leash dogs made for an unforgettable afternoon. After a lot of miles on the road and plenty of leash-stops, it was great to let them run around and explore on their own. If you’re passing through or thinking about stopping at La Push with dogs, spend a little time exploring here with your furry friend before moving on to the next stop along the coast.