Hike of the Week: Hall of Mosses
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| A well groomed path weaves through the Hall of Mosses |
Hall of Mosses
Amble among the most photographed maples in the Northwest
by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin
Quick Facts
Location: Hoh Rainforest Valley
Land Agency: National Park Service
Roundtrip: 1.0 miles
Elevation gain: 50 feet
Contact: Olympic National Park Wilderness Information Center (360) 565-3100; http://www.nps.gov/olym
Notes: Dogs Prohibited, National Park Entry Fee
Access: From Forks travel south on US 101 for 12 miles turning left onto the Upper Hoh Road. Continue east for 18 miles to visitor’s center and trailhead.
Late winter is the ideal time for heading over to the Olympic rainforests. Crowds? They’ll be absent until Memorial Day. Snow? Nope. Signs of spring? Yep—the skunk cabbage is starting to bloom and the tree frogs are starting to sing. Elk? Hundreds of them in the valley browsing and taking refuge from the heavy snows of the high ridges. Rain? Heck yeah—it is a rainforest after all—so don’t forget your slicker!
From the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center, head up a paved path to a junction where three paths diverge. The 1.3 mile Spruce Nature Trail, a delightful path through groves of Sitka spruce to the Hoh River diverges right. The long distance Hoh River Trail takes off straight marching up the heart of the wilderness Hoh River Valley. The gentle well-trodden Hall of Mosses Trail takes off left to a bench above the marshy bottomlands of the Hoh. The trail then loops through mossy maple glades; an epiphyte’s delight of suspended and clinging ferns, lichens and mosses. Have fun photographing nature’s drapery. Have fun admiring the contorted branches cloaked in greenery. Have fun just being out in one of the Northwest’s most stimulating natural environments.
After moseying through the maples, consider extending your hike on the two adjacent trails. Go for as far and as long as effort and daylight permit.
For information on lodging and other attractions near Hall of Mosses visit
Click here for link to Olympic Pennsula
