Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the United States. Temperate rainforests are those that form in oceanic moist regions around the world, and support layers of vegetation called understory (a canopy of trees with mosses, ferns, and berries being sustained below).
The trails in Hoh Rainforest can all be accessed from the Hoh Visitor Center. Our first hike was Hall of Mosses, a short one mile loop, where the understory is not understated.
Spruce Nature Trail (which was not blessed with a whimsical name like Hall of Mosses but also fosters a lot of moss) runs along the Hoh River, a fifty six mile river that originates from Hoh Glacier. (Yes, there are glaciers in Washington!) The water is a beautiful, crystal clear, cool, stone blue. There are trails leading off of Spruce Nature Trail that lead you to Hoh River, where you can sit with your feet in the water and disrupt the calm by throwing rocks.
What a wonderful gift you’re giving your daughter.
She is our little adventurer.
Yes, that is exactly how it looked when we were there last year, sans the adorable wood nymph, sadly.
She makes everything better!