A Rain Forest With 140 Inches of Rain a Year: Visiting Olympic National Park's Hoh in Winter, With Its 72-Site Campground Open Year-Round
On the west side of Olympic National Park in Washington State, the Hoh Rain Forest is one of the finest remaining examples of temperate rainforest in the United States. The National Park Service puts its average precipitation at 140 inches (3.55 meters) a year, and winter is the wet season: a lush canopy of coniferous and deciduous trees, with mosses and ferns blanketing every surface, including the moss-covered fallen log in the photo.
The Hoh is reached by the Upper Hoh Road off Highway 101, about a two-hour drive from Port Angeles and under an hour from Forks. Its campground is open year round, with 72 sites in the old growth forest along the river; all sites are reservable during the peak season, with reservations available six months in advance at recreation.gov.
Most first visits start with the trails by the visitor center. The Hall of Mosses Trail is a 0.8-mile loop through old growth and a grove of maples draped with club moss. The Spruce Nature Trail is a 1.2-mile loop through old and new growth along Taft Creek and the Hoh River. The Hoh River Trail is the main backcountry route, reaching Glacier Meadows at 17.3 miles and the Blue Glacier moraine at 18.5 miles, with wilderness permits required for overnight trips.
Two checks matter for a winter trip. The visitor center is open daily in summer, closed January through early March, and generally open Friday through Sunday in spring and fall, so current hours should be confirmed before setting out. And pets are not allowed on trails in the Hoh Rain Forest. Roosevelt elk, black bears and river otters are commonly seen, and the straight lines of young trees growing on fallen nursery logs show how the forest renews itself. (Source: National Park Service)
Source: National Park Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：奥林匹克国家公园 Hoh 温带雨林里覆满苔藓的倒木与蕨类。Wikimedia Commons 图片。 / Photo: A moss-covered fallen log and ferns in the Hoh temperate rain forest in Olympic National Park. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
