We took off from work a little early on a sunny Friday. The ferry ride plus a long drive out to the end of the Olympic Peninsula made for around five hours of a trip out to the Hoh Rainforest. We didn’t bother stopping along the way except to pick up firewood and made it to the campground with daylight to spare.
Mt Olympus seen from the road in to the Hoh Campground
Arriving at the campground, we had our pick of which spot to claim – there was nobody else camping yet. A few couples were hanging out around the guest center, but the camping loops were void. We chose a nice spot overlooking the river.
As the sun set, Bryan got to work building a fire and I made some sandwiches. It may have been a glorious warm day, but here in the forest and at night, it was very chilly and the fire was needed to stay warm. I had on every layer I brought including my Ninja Suit – very good choice for this weather.
Bryan and the Hoh, enjoying some coffee
We slept in the back of our car (a typical choice for us), so we stayed warm through the night. I love sleeping in the car. The wedge (Prius) makes for a great skylight to the stars, our heads at the rear and the stars blanketing the sky above. It’s really cozy in there.
Saturday we got an early start. Up and making breakfast & coffee before 8am – we were ready for a couple hikes around the campground. Originally we wanted to hike up the trail heading to the Glacier Meadows, there are a few campgrounds on the way up there and we were going to check one out. But, due to poor planning for lunch supplies, we didn’t have the option to pack in a lunch. Instead, we did the one-mile loop called the Hall of Mosses and then another 1.3 mile loop called the Spruce Nature Trail. Both were very easy, but the Hall of Mosses was the coolest.
The Hoh Rainforest receives 12-14 FEET of rain each year, resulting in some 14 types of mosses
Inside the Hall of Mosses
Even the water seemed to have moss in it!
A theme of this visit were the Roosevelt Elk. They were all throughout the park and they were huge and ornery. Rangers passing through advised us to stay at least 100 meters away because they were easily riled and up for a fight. Beautiful creatures.
This beast appears closer than we actually were
I would love to come back and visit the Hoh Rainforest again. The mossy grounds and lush trees make it a very comfortable place to visit. Not sure we would like it as much during the high season – there are probably over 80 campspots in this little space. It feels well spread out but that could be due to there being only 4 other campers in with us? I would also be interested in hiking all the way up to the Glacier Meadows near Mt. Olympus. It’s a 37-mile hike round trip, so definitely something to take time off for and visit on its own.
Nom nom nom - squirrel and his pinecone
Driving in to the Hoh Rainforest, we passed through a thick part of forest where you couldn't see through the trees. It was dark as dusk at 11am.
