Olympic National Park Hall of Mosses

The Olympic National Park covers almost a million acres and includes over 60 miles of Pacific coastline. So, in the two days we spent there, we didn't see it all and didn't even try!

Instead, we concentrated on one small part of it that I had spotted in a travel guide: The "Hall of Mosses." Having spent the night in Forks, Washington, we were ready in the morning to take a drive into the Hoh Rain Forest where the Hall of Mosses is located.

The place certainly lived up to its name. In a temperate rain forest with ancient trees and lush ferns and mosses, glacier-fed river, Roosevelt elk, and other wildlife including cougars, black bear, river otters, winter wrens, and Douglas squirrels, the Hall of Mosses trail is a 3/4 mile loop through an old-growth rain forest of moss-covered, big leaf maples.

The trail was well-maintained and easy to follow—more of a nature trail than a hike, really.

And, true to its name, it certainly was filled with moss! —Of every kind, ground mosses, mosses hanging from the maples, growing in the bushes, covering fallen logs…everywhere!

Looking at Michael standing there, surrounding by vegetation that appeared to come straight from the Jurassic period, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a Triceratops peaking slyly from behind a moss-covered tree as it munched a bit of lunch.

I love Arizona, of course! But that doesn't mean I don't also love the deep forest…and I do. What a lovely place to spend a morning, or a day! We heartily recommend it.

Links

• Olympic National Park official site
• Hoh Rain Forest