Although only 0.8 miles long, the Hall of Moss Trail landscape epitomizes the rainforest ecosystem that has made the Hoh River Valley so famous. Here, old-growth Sitka spruce reach heights of up 250 feet, and western hemlocks dominate the forest canopy. The forest floor is blanketed in soft mosses and countless ferns, and bigleaf maples droop with the weight of soggy epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants).

Keep an eye out for wildlife along the trail, as numerous animals call the forest home. The Hoh River Valley is home to roughly 10% of the National Park's 4-5,000 Roosevelet elk. Additionally, during the quiet off-season along Taft Creek you're likely to hear pileated woodpeckers knocking against an old snag, see a Douglas squirrel, or be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of an elusive bobcat or river otter.

Forest Trees + Moss

With roughly 144 inches of rain annually, the temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the largest trees found on our planet and the most diverse and abundant collections of moss anywhere. Click on the following links to learn more about many of these trees and moss.