I Explored Hoh Rain Forest’s Hall of Mosses and It Was Otherworldly

I finally made it to the Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park in Washington—and not for lack of trying. On two previous attempts, I'd been thwarted by construction and a road washout from flooding (in fact, the road into the forest closed again briefly shortly after my visit). On one glorious August Saturday, however, my way was (relatively speaking) unimpeded, allowing me to visit the rain forest and hike its otherworldly Hall of Mosses.

If you can avoid visiting Hoh Rain Forest on a summer weekend, I highly recommend doing so. Alternatively, try to arrive as early in the morning as you can, or if you don't mind skipping the visitor center, after 5 p.m. Unfortunately, I could do neither of these things. Saturday was the only day my itinerary allowed for visiting. I needed to visit while the center was open to get my passport stamped, and an early morning departure from my hotel 80 miles away was rendered moot by several road construction delays on U.S. Route 101 along the Olympic Peninsula.

According to Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rain Forest parking areas usually fill up by 10 a.m. There is no timed entry station, so vehicles are admitted as parking spaces become available. When I arrived in the early afternoon, I found myself in a line of cars near a sign warning that I could wait for as long as 90 minutes. Fortunately, my wait was closer to an hour, and thanks to my America the Beautiful Pass, I was able to clear the entrance gate quickly (those without a pass can expect to pay $30 per passenger vehicle) and make my way to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, where I was able to stamp my passport.

Needless to say, between being foiled on previous occasions and having to wait an hour to even enter the rainforest area, I was chomping at the bit to start exploring. I topped off my water bottle and set off to find the Hall of Mosses trailhead. Fortunately, it was located just behind the visitor center, so I was quickly able to get started on the easy, 1.1-mile loop. A feeder trail crosses a pond and ascends a small ridge before beginning the one-way, clockwise loop.

The loop begins by winding through stands of towering Douglas firs, Sitka spruce, and western hemlocks. The trunks of many of these trees are massive, with circumferences exceeding 30 feet. Some soar to heights of 200 feet or higher. One Sitka spruce in the Hoh Rain Forest was measured at 270 feet tall, with a diameter of more than 12 feet, and estimated to be 500 to 600 years old. For a mere mortal like me, walking among these ancient giants was a humbling experience.

Deeper in, the grove's eponymous mosses begin to appear. At first, you'll notice them around the base or on one side of a trunk, but eventually they become pervasive, and many of these leviathans are bedecked from roots to canopy in emerald velvet.

Somewhere along the way, a sign informs hikers that they've entered the Hall of Mosses proper, and shortly after, a tree arching over the pathway creates a natural portal into this otherworldly setting. The light filtered through the deep green canopy and reflected from the moss, creating an atmosphere of verdant life.

Between the rainforest's natural humidity and the aspiration of all the vegetation, the air was thick and heavy, yet it smelled alive—a combination of earthiness, almost like petrichor, and the vibrant plant aroma you might encounter at a conservatory. The heavy air and sound-dampening vegetation created a silence that would have allowed for peaceful reverie but for the dozens of other visitors sharing the trail, many, unfortunately, choosing to shout to one another along the way (another reason to avoid peak visiting times). I'd like to return at a different time of year and try to experience Hoh Rain Forest's famous silence.

If it's not already, Hoh Rain Forest belongs on your bucket list. In light of the recent, abrupt closures, I highly recommend checking the Olympic National Park web page for updates and alerts before making the trip. While in this incredible national park, be sure to visit its other fantastic attractions. The hike to Sol Duc Falls, for example, is one of my favorites.

Do you have a favorite spot in Olympic National Park? We'd love to hear about it. If you're feeling inspired, try planning your own Evergreen State adventures with Only In Your State’s AI-powered itinerary planner.