We are staying at the Riverview RV Park in Forks, WA while visiting the Olympic National Park for a week, June 22 to 29. Our first outing was to see the Hoh Rainforest, about an hour drive south from our RV park. Once we arrived at the Hoh Rainforest the line of cars to enter the Park was about a 30 minute wait to get to the Visitor Center. From here we took the Hall of Mosses Trail, 0.8 miles, a short loop trail with 100 ft elevation gain. As we walked along the trail we got a feel for the local ecosystem and saw maples draped with large growths of spikemoss. The dominant species in the rainforest that we saw are the Sitka spruce and western hemlock, some grow to tremendous size, reaching 312 feet in height and 23 feet in diameter. We walked down to the Hoh River which runs through the rainforest, the valley was formed thousands of years ago by glaciers. The size of the trees and the lichen growing from their branches was quite impressive and worth the short walking trail. Did you know that the yearly total of rain fall in the Hoh Rainforest is 140 to 170 inches? Click on thumbnail to view images
Hoh Rain Forest
Sol Duc Falls
We drove north from our RV park toward Port Angeles to visit Sol Duc Falls, considered the most beautiful falls in Olympic National Park. We took the 1.6 mile Sol Duc Nature Trail a moderate , nice flat short hike through old growth forest to beautiful three prong waterfall that captures rainbows in the spray. We hiked to the the Sol Duc Falls that rages under a wooden bridge and the hike has a wooden platform at the end of the trail where we sat and enjoyed the falls. Click on thumbnail to view images
Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls
We drove around beautiful Lake Crescent to the trailhead for Marymere Falls. The falls are accessed by a one-mile, well-maintained, dirt trail through old-growth lowland forest consisting of fir, cedar, hemlock and alder trees. The view of Marymere Falls from the trail was wide open and very impressive, falling 90-feet into the Barnes Creek. On our way out we took the side trail to the Lake Crescent Lodge, where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch. This historic lodge was built in 1915 and is an ideal setting situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Crescent. Entering the lodge is like walking back into yesteryear with the antique-furnished lobby and the stone fireplace, or settling in to the cozy sun porch and take in a spectacular sunset over the lake. Definitely would like to return to this lodge to experience its tranquility for a few days. Click on thumbnail to view images
