Hoh Rain Forest, Washington: Discover An Emerald Oasis & The Quietest Square Inch In America
By Sarah McCosham|Published February 22, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Washington is the very best cure for wanderlust — but it might also ignite an insatiable appetite for exploring, too. The Evergreen State has some of the most stunning parks in the country, and Olympic National Park is its crown jewel. By the numbers, Olympic National Park is 922,651 acres of pure beauty, with over 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, 1,200 types of native plants, 300 avian inhabitants, 73 miles of coastline, 60 glaciers, and 56 mammal species (including 22 listed as endangered or threatened). Its magnitude and presence are formidable. But statistics aside, Olympic National Park is an absolutely inspiring place to visit; it’s a Washington wonderland with one of the most diverse ecosystems and geographies in the world. It’s brimming with the soul-filling joy home to the best hiking trails in the U.S. And there’s one place within Olympic National Park – Hoh Rain Forest – one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. that’s the most transcendent and revelatory of all.
Olympic National Park is one of Washington's most sublime natural wonders.
Towering at a majestic 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is the tallest peak in Olympic National Park and the most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains. It's absolutely spectacular - but it's not the only stunning natural wonder in Olympic National Park.
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Tucked within this epic natural expanse, Hoh Rain Forest is the most glorious hidden treasure in all of Olympic National Park.
Hoh Rain Forest is one of the only temperate rainforests on the planet. Filled with untamed mosses and hanging ferns, old-growth trees, and an abundance of wildlife, Hoh Rain Forest is a lush wonderland within the Washington wilds.
The rainforest gets a staggering 12-14 feet of rain annually, which gives this thriving ecosystem its striking canopy of mosses, ferns, and trees. The result is an enchanting, emerald-green Garden of Eden.
The "Green Giant" is one of Hoh's most extraordinary trees, standing majestically within the forest. The most common types of trees that grow here are the Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock (Washington's official state tree), which can reach over 300 feet high and seven feet in diameter.
Hiking in the Hoh Rain Forest is unforgettable, and there are a great variety of trails, giving visitors several options for exploring this flourishing rainforest.
The best place to start your exploration of the Hoh Rain Forest is at the eponymous Visitor Center. From there, you have the option of two short trails: the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail.
The Hall of Mosses is perfect for families; it's a 0.8-mile loop that's completely paved.
This scenic trail winds through lush, old-growth forest, and showcases the most beautiful features of Hoh Rain Forest: the towering maple trees draped with hanging moss, the dazzling green canopies, and the abundant wildlife. This trail, along with the 1.2-mile Spruce Nature Trail, are two accessible paths that let hikers of all ages and abilities experience the splendor of Hoh Rain Forest.
For more seasoned hikers, Mineral Creek Falls on the Hoh River Trail is absolutely divine.
This 5.5-mile, out-and-back trek is definitely one of the more challenging trails in the rainforest, but immensely rewarding. The views of Mineral Creek Falls, a perfect, two-tier waterfall, are glorious.
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And if you're lucky, you might happen upon a rainbow while hiking in the Hoh Rain Forest.
The rainforest's wet climate, numerous rivers, and myriad falls don't just give Hoh Rain Forest its ubiquitous green glow; these conditions also create some of the most picture-perfect rainbows you'll ever see.
And for those looking to take a deep dive into the rainforest, there's no better way than the Hoh River Trail.
It's an 18.5-mile, out-and-back trail that is a tour de force of the Hoh Rain Forest.
The Hoh River Trail winds right through the middle of the Olympic Peninsula, ending at the Blue Glacier moraine, culminating in an utterly rapturous view of Mount Olympus.
There is a campground located right next to the Nature Center, and several campsites along the Hoh River Trail -- and the camping in this area is resplendent. Permits are required to camp along the trail, and reservations can be made online.
One of the most wonderful things about Hoh Rain Forest is how incredibly tranquil and quiet it is. There's a natural explanation for this: the omnipresent moss is very effective at absorbing sounds.
In fact, within the rainforest, there is one square inch of perfect, uninterrupted silence.
“One Square Inch of Silence” is a noise-control project that's a fusion of art, nature, and physics. For this project, Emmy-winning acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton sought out the world’s most remote areas, searching for the most objectively quiet places on the planet.
This included a spot within the Hoh Rain Forest, which Hempton regarded to be the quietest place in the U.S. The exact location is marked by a red stone -- but you don’t need to find the exact spot to experience the soul-filling silence of Hoh Rain Forest; simply wander beneath the canopies of moss and old-growth trees, above the fern-covered forest floor, and you'll discover true peace and quiet.
Outside Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach is a stunning coastal refuge that's testament to how incredibly diverse Olympic National Park really is.
Ruby Beach has some of the best birdwatching in the PNW, and some of the most spectacular scenery (and sunsets) you'll ever see.
From the rugged coastal beaches to the glacial mountain tops, to the abundant rainforest, it's absolutely mind-blowing to think you can find all of this within one Washington park.
Hoh Rain Forest is one of Washington's most shining treasures, and it will bring out the wanderlust in anyone who visits. It will leave you awestruck at the immense beauty and majesty of Mother Nature. It's a sublime and powerful experience that will fill your soul.
Hoh Rain Forest is one of Washington’s most glorious natural wonders, and it’s truly a place everyone should experience. Read more about Hoh Rain Forest, and Olympic National Park, at their respective pages on the National Parks Service website.
Accessibility: The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible, and there is a 0.1-mile, paved, accessible-with-assistance loop at the Visitor Center. The Hall of Mosses Trail and Spruce Nature Trail are unpaved, with less than 100 feet in elevation gain along their respective routes.
Pet-Friendly: Pets, with the exception of service animals, are not allowed on trails within Hoh Rain Forest.
Parking: Parking is available at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center & campground, though spaces are limited and can fill up quickly during the summer months.
Seasonal Access: While the trails are open year-round, the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is closed from January through early March. It is open daily during the summertime and on Friday through Sunday during the spring and fall seasons. Hours vary by season; for more information, click here.
Cost: The entrance fee for Olympic National Park is $30 per vehicle ($25 per motorcycle) or $15 per individual entering on foot or by bicycle; however, these passes are good for seven consecutive days, so you may explore Hoh Rain Forest and the surrounding park at your leisure. Additional charges apply for overnight camping fees.
If visiting this beautiful treasure has you inspired to indulge your wanderlust, this scenic road trip will take you to all seven wonders of Washington.
Feeling inspired to fill your Bucket List? Check out our previous feature of Ruby Falls in Tennessee and subscribe to our weekly Bucket List newsletter to discover new destinations across the country that definitely deserve a visit.
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