Hoh Rain Forest

The Hoh Rainforest is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the United States.  It was formed thousands of years ago by glaciers. The Hoh rainforest visitor center is a 12 mile drive south of Forks on Hwy. 101 and then another 19 miles to the rainforest trailheads.  On the way to the Hoh Rain Forest Ranger station, we stopped to look at the giant, 270 foot Sitka spruce that is said to be about 550 years old.

There are three loop trails that start at the visitor center:  the paved quarter-mile Nature Trail, the three-quarter mile Hall of Mosses Trail and the mile-and-a-quarter Spruce Nature Trail.  We started with the 3/4 mile Hall of Mosses trail first and decided to hike the Spruce Nature Trail also.  Both were easy hikes and we saw some really petty scenery.

The above picture is a nursery log supporting several trees.  A nursery log is a large decomposing tree trunk that has fallen and new seedlings take root and attach themselves to the log.

The arched tree.

   

This is the trunk and roots for this tree.  You could crawl through the bottom of it.

 

 The above picture has  fern growing on roots that are growing on this tree.

Moss draped on trees.

 

The Hoh river runs through the rainforest.

 

Moss covered tree trunk.

 

 We saw several of these trees with big odd branches. 

Moss covered branches.

Lush green fern.

 

Someone had a sense of humor.  They left these laying on a tree stump as you finish the trail.

 

Between the two trails, we hiked close to 4 miles.   We are getting to be old hats at this hiking thing.