Beach Cleanups in Olympic National Park

Our Projects · Volunteer · Coast

An Olympic National Park beach cleanup is one of the simplest and most satisfying ways to give back to the park. Each spring, Friends of Olympic National Park invites volunteers to join the park’s part of the Washington Coast Cleanup on the beaches around Kalaloch. Closer to Port Angeles, we also tidy the grounds and gardens of the main Visitor Center. No experience is needed, just a willingness to walk, bend and carry.

Beach & Visitor Center Cleanups is one of the seven projects that FONP volunteers support. This page explains how the cleanups work, how to sign up, and what to expect on the day.

What we do

Olympic National Park protects more than 70 miles of wild Pacific coastline. Wind, currents and storms carry trash onto those beaches all year, and much of it lands far from any road. Motor vehicles are not allowed on park beaches, so every bag, float and tire has to leave on foot.

That is where volunteers come in. On cleanup day, small groups walk the beach, gather debris into bags and carry the load back to the trailhead. Our role as a friends group is to spread the word, bring new hands, and show up alongside park staff and other volunteers.

Marine debris on the Olympic Peninsula

A marine debris cleanup on the Olympic Peninsula turns up a mix of everyday litter and things the ocean has carried a long way. Common finds include:

• plastic bottles, caps and food wrappers
• rope, line and pieces of fishing net
• foam floats and hard plastic buoys
• broken plastic fragments tangled in the drift logs

Single-use plastics and marine debris are the main threats the park names for its coast. Every piece we carry out is one less piece for seabirds, seals and tidepool life to meet.

When and where the cleanups happen

The big coastal event is the Washington Coast Cleanup, held each April on the Saturday closest to Earth Day. A second statewide effort, the International Coastal Cleanup, takes place in September. Olympic National Park has taken part in both in recent years, choosing different park beaches each time.

Our most recent coastal day was the Spring Coastal Cleanup in the Kalaloch area on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from noon to 3:30 PM. It celebrated National Volunteer Month, and volunteers worked one of three beaches: Beach 4, Beach 3 or Kalaloch itself. Dates for the next season appear on our upcoming events calendar as soon as they are set.

Kalaloch-area beaches compared

Beach	Cleanup history	Good to know
Kalaloch	2025 park cleanup and our 2026 spring day	Right off Highway 101, next to a year-round campground
Beach 4	2026 spring cleanup site	One of the park’s best tidepool spots at low tide
Beach 3	2026 spring cleanup site	Listed with Beach 4 and Kalaloch for that day
Ruby Beach	A target beach in the park’s 2023 cleanups	Sea stacks, cobbles and heavy drift logs

If you are searching for a Ruby Beach cleanup volunteer day, check each season’s listing. The park picks its target beaches year by year, so a beach worked one spring may not be on the list the next.

How to sign up for a coastal cleanup

Two registration systems serve the Washington coast, and that trips up a lot of first-timers. Here is the short version.

Park beaches vs. other Washington beaches

Where you want to help	Where to register
Beaches inside Olympic National Park	Volunteer.gov, using the park’s listing for that beach
Other Pacific and Strait beaches	Washington CoastSavers
Visitor Center and garden days	Volunteer.gov, linked from our events page

1. Watch our events page or the Washington CoastSavers cleanup calendar. Registration usually opens about a month ahead.
2. Create a free account on Volunteer.gov and apply for the park beach you want.
3. Register early. Walk-up sign-ups may be possible, but the park has said they are not guaranteed.
4. Read the confirmation for meeting times, the check-in table and any hiking distance.

What to expect on cleanup day

Expect to walk. Some beaches are a short stroll from the parking area, while others, like those near Mora, need a hike of several miles. You will carry what you collect back out, so pace yourself and share heavy loads.

What to bring

• sturdy shoes or boots you don’t mind getting wet
• rain gear and warm layers, since coastal weather turns fast
• work gloves, water and a snack
• a backpack with a frame if you plan to haul floats or bulky items

Stay safe and leave the life behind

Check the tides before you set out. Some stretches of the coast become impassable at high tide, and the park keeps tide charts at the Kalaloch Information Station. Stay off drift logs near the surf, because waves can roll them without warning.

Take only trash. Shells, driftwood, rocks and anything living stay where they are, especially around the tidepools at Beach 4.

Is there free camping for cleanup volunteers?

Sometimes. In past years the park has offered free camping to registered cleanup volunteers, but the details change from year to year. In 2025 it covered frontcountry sites at Kalaloch Campground for pre-registered volunteers, while earlier years also included Mora and Ozette.

The offer is the park’s, not ours, so look for it in that year’s Volunteer.gov listing. Kalaloch Campground fills quickly, so plan ahead either way.

Closer to home: Visitor Center cleanups

Not everyone can make the drive to the coast, so the second half of this project happens in Port Angeles. At the Visitor Center cleanup and pollinator garden day on May 2, 2026, volunteers met at the main Visitor Center parking lot, looked for the FONP banner, and split into teams.

At our fall cleanup volunteer event in September 2025, we weeded, deadheaded and mulched around the entrance sign and Visitor Center. Hand tools and water were provided; volunteers brought gloves, sunscreen and a hat.

These half-day sessions suit families, newcomers and anyone who prefers a garden trowel to a long beach walk. If you would rather work on a trail, our Heart O’ the Forest adopt-a-trail crew is another way in.

Frequently asked questions

Lend a hand on the coast

Every cleanup runs on people who give a few hours. See all our volunteer opportunities at Olympic National Park, browse our projects, or become a member to hear about the next coastal day first. Questions? Write to our volunteer team.