5 /5 Joseph Gallo: Just finished the North Coast Route from Cape Alava to Rialto Beach. Despite some sources claiming this is a moderate hike, Id list it as strenuous. The scenery is beautiful, and the hike is much different than most with no real elevation gain, but can be tedious because of rock hopping and bolder scrambling around points. There were also a number of ropes for bluff climbs when the tide was up. Not your average beach hike. Wildlife was abundant. We saw black bears, deer, bald eagles, sea lions & otters, etc. Overall, a different & good wildness experience for more advanced backpackers.