One of the most magical and majestic places on earth, and certainly within the United States, the Hoh Rainforest is a true sight to behold. Located within the equally magical and majestic Olympic National Park in northwestern Washington state, it should be a priority to visit at least once in your lifetime. One of the largest temperate rainforests in the country – and the wettest forest in the lower 48 states – the Hoh Rainforest contains 24 miles of beautiful foliage along the Hoh River, safely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of busy Seattle. The Hoh Rainforest requires a pretty decent journey to get to, but it’s 100% worth it.

The closest airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; however, I do NOT recommend staying in Seattle if your primary goal is to visit the Hoh Rainforest (or the western half of Olympic National Park, including the sea stacks along the coast). The Hoh Rainforest is located a good 4 hours from Seattle, regardless of which direction you choose to take – i.e., south, then north, passing Olympia, or northwest, then south, passing Port Angeles. Both are approximately a 4-hour drive. We chose the northwest/south option, as our Airbnb (https://abnb.me/e/S27NG1ihnFb) was located within the picturesque medium-size town of Port Angeles, which is 2 to 3 hours from the airport, depending on how lucky you are with traffic.

I highly recommend staying in Port Angeles, as it’s a nice town with lots of restaurants, a Walmart, and plenty of Airbnb/hotel options. It takes you much closer to the Hoh Rainforest (2 hours) than staying in Seattle (4 hours) or Olympia (3 hours). It also gives you access to Victoria, Canada via ferry (we could see Canada from our Airbnb’s front window) and it is simply much safer.

We visited in early November, which is an excellent time to visit not only the Hoh Rainforest, but Washington state in general. The fall leaves were in full effect, casting a beautiful sea of yellow, orange, and red throughout the heavily forested state. The rain (it did rain a lot) caused a beautiful fog to roll throughout the mountainous forests, giving off the quintessential Washington vibe that many associate with the state. We were told that fall, by far, is the best time to visit, not only for the above-mentioned reasons, but also because the rainfall guaranteed that the Hoh Rainforest would be at its full potential – beautifully green and the moss would be heavy.  

The Hoh Rainforest is most well-known for the amazing Hall of Mosses Trail. This is what most people who venture to the Hoh Rainforest seek, as it’s quite a marvel to see. An easy, approximately 1-mile scenic trail, it takes you into the heart of the Hoh Rainforest, past the “old growth forest”, with massive maple trees that are completely saturated in an abundance of club moss. The trailhead is located about 45 minutes south of Forks, Washington (yes, that Forks, for all the Twilight fans), with an official address of Hoh Valley Rd, Forks, WA 98331. There is a small visitors center with indoor bathrooms, a few exhibits, and a very friendly park ranger ready to answer any questions you may have. You pay the entrance fee inside the center (I advise getting a National Parks Pass if you enjoy visiting America’s treasures!).

Another good reason to visit during fall time – way fewer people. As with any National Park – or really, anywhere – it is far busier during the summer months, and the winter months are a gamble due to snow. However, I still strongly recommend visiting as early in the morning as possible. We arrived around 10am, leaving our Airbnb by 8am, and the number of other visitors was light. After we finished hiking the Hall of Mosses, along with hiking the nearby Spruce Nature Trail and stopping to view the Hoh River, we arrived back to the parking lot around 12:30pm, where we found it to be about 90% fuller. It was jarring to see the explosion of cars and people only 2.5 hours later. The park is open 24/7, 7 days a week, providing there isn’t a catastrophic event, like a landslide. Get there early!

As mentioned, there is also the Spruce Nature Trail, another easy and scenic, 1.2-mile trail, located opposite the Hall of Mosses Trail. We found the Spruce Nature Trail to be much less crowded, as it’s not as famous and is a “new growth forest”. Nonetheless, I strongly urge you to do this trail too, as it’s very easy, and the trailhead is a stone’s throw from the trailhead of Hall of Mosses. It also takes you right up to the Hoh River. The third and final trail within the Hoh Rainforest is the Hoh River Trail, which we did not take. It is significantly longer, and more difficult, coming in at almost 17.5 miles to Glacier Meadows (the last campground area) or 18.5 miles to the Blue Glacier moraine, which looks up at Mount Olympus (the ultimate ending-point of the trail – no campground). However, for those desiring to camp within the Hoh Rainforest, the Hoh River Trail is perfect for you.

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Overall, visiting the Hoh Rainforest within Olympic National Park, and hiking the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trails, along with seeing the Hoh River, is something I consider to be a lifetime achievement. It’s one of America’s least visited National Park areas, with around 415,000 annual visitors, most likely due to its remote location (for comparison, the Grand Canyon National Park (it’s really grand). and Zion National Park. see close to 5 million annual visitors). It’s a shame, because it’s otherworldly beautiful; my friend and I regularly commented to each other that we felt like we’d been transported to a different planet. While visiting in November guaranteed that it’d be on the chillier side with plenty of rain, I do not regret visiting at this time, as it also guaranteed striking green moss in abundance, vibrant fall colors, and way fewer people! For any lover of travel, or visiting National Parks, the Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park should be right at the top of your list.