Inside Washington's Eerie Hall Of Mosses

The Olympic Peninsula offers an array of outdoor activities, one of the more unique features being the Hoh Rainforest.

The Hoh Rainforest sits on the western-most edge of the Olympic National Park, just off of highway 101 and about forty minutes southwest from Forks. It’s one of the largest temperate rainforests in the United States and is home to large populations of Sitka and western hemlock spruce trees. Though open year-round, the forest experiences around 127 mm of rainfall per year, with January being its wettest month. It’s this kind of rainfall, humidity, and location that create the forests most unique hiking trail, the eerily dense Hall of Mosses.

The trail itself is easily accessible, especially for those camping at the Hoh Campground. Less than a mile long and at an elevation gain of only 100 feet, the Hall of Mosses is a quick and easy stroll for visitors. Like all of Washington’s national parks, the Olympic National Park keeps the trail well maintained, meaning that despite the definite puddles and mud, the gravel trail is sure to make the jaunt enjoyable. More importantly, the gravel trail keeps walkers from damaging the thick growth.

No matter the season, both the Hoh Rainforest and the Hall of Mosses is beautiful any time of year, though for those seeking some serenity and little less foot traffic, Winter is the trail’s quietest season.

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