Olympic National Park was created in 1938 to preserve “the finest example of primeval forest…and provide permanent protection for the herds of native Roosevelt elk.” The Hoh Rainforest encompasses 24 miles along the Ho River. We have never been here before and love it. The Hoh Rainforest is named after the ever-flowing Hoh River that carves its way from Mount Olympus towards the Pacific Coast. Tall trees darken the ecosystem below them, giving much loved shade to the hundreds of mosses and ferns below.
We got here early on a drizzly day to beat the crowds. It doesn’t matter so much if it’s raining or not here (more than likely it will be), because the tree cover is so thick that it just drips on the trail. First we hiked the Hall of Mosses which is exactly as it sounds. This isn’t fast hiking because you are constantly swiveling your neck to take in all the monster like creatures the mossy trees become.
After the Hall of Moss, we tacked on the Spruce River Trail loop to see even more. There are a lot of huge trees out here including Sitka spruce, Hemlock, Douglas Fir, western red Cedar, red alder, and big leaf maple. Once they are draped in moss they turn into cool formations. Another plant that is pretty unique is the lettuce lichen that grows seemingly everywhere in the rainforest. There is a good picture of it below.
This is high on the must do list if you visit the Olympic Peninsula.
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