Hoh Rainforest Hall of Mosses

The Hoh Rainforest is one of the most spectacular temperate rainforests in the world.  The 50-mile (80 km) long Hoh River begins high on the Mount Olympus glaciers and descends 7,000 feet (2,135 meters) to the Pacific Ocean, fed by snowmelt and rain along the way.  With mild winters, cool summers, and around 12 feet (3.6 meters) of annual precipitation, the rainforest at the bottom of the river is dominated by giant conifers, accompanied by bigleaf maples, vine maples, and a vast collection of mosses, ferns, and plants on the forest floor, feeding the grazing elk.

We drive to the trailhead and start to explore the Hall of Mosses, an old-growth temperate rain forest.

Entering the rainforest

Along the Hoh River

Signs along the trail explain to us that most of the trees are over 200 feet (61 meters) tall and, unlike tropical rainforests, the trees are coniferous: Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and Douglas fir.  The lower levels of the forest are elk food:  maple leaves and low branches.

Explaining the forest

Be alert!

The trail wanders through the forest toward the Hall of Mosses, an intensely green area dominated (at the lower levels) by mosses and ferns.

Along the trail

We enter the Hall of Mosses and appreciate the lush colors of the moss-covered treees and landscape.  Beards of clubmoss are attached to the trees, but feed only on air and light.  The rainforest atmosphere provides plenty of moisture and wind-born nutrients to sustain and grow these plants.

Along the Hall of Mosses

The trail continues to wander through the forest, past downed trees (many cut to let the trail through) and through live and dead moss-covered trees, returning back to the river.

Continuing along the trail

Crossing the streams that feed into the Hoh River

Soon, we're back at the trailhead to explore more trails in this region of the park.

Sol Duc Falls in the Olympic National Park

Sol Duc Falls are considered the most beautiful falls in Washington's Olympic National Park and are reached by a trail just under a mile (1.6 km) in length.  Viewed from above, the water falls 50 feet (15 meters) into the slot canyon below.  The road up to the trailhead winds through the scenic forest and leads us to the Sol Duc river, which we then follow on foot.

Road to the trail

Along the river

The Sol Duc River starts about 5,000 feet (1,525 km) above us, near the High Divide, where trickles of mountain rivlets merge into streams, then falling steeply as the water plunges down paths carved by Ice Age glaciers.  The pools in the river provide habitat for beaver, mink, river otter, salmon, and salamanders (none of which we see).  We cross many small streams along the way, all feeding into the river.

Trailhead

Along the trail

Glimpses of the river as we climb

Resting cabin near the falls

The restful sound of the falls grows louder and louder as we approach the top.  Unlike other falls in the Olympic Peninsula, the Sol Duc Falls are viewed from a bridge above at the brink as the water falls.

Views of the falls

We cross the bridge and explore the river upstream of the falls.

River heading to the falls

We then head back down through the forest and follow the river, this time appreciating the views of the rapids below the falls.

Returning through the forest

As the river continues to descend

As we reach the bottom, the river widens and slows, becoming a large channel, with man-made logjams to protect the shores.

River slows, with logjams

This is a relatively short and easy hike to a beautiful spot in the park.