The holidays are upon us, and that means time with family and also some time to myself to create some new images! In that spirit, I spent a day last week with my friend Jon out on the Olympic peninsula. We started at the Hoh Rainforest, which is the subject of this post, and then headed out to Ruby Beach which I’ll cover in another post.

The Hoh is a truly amazing place and very deserving of its world-class status. It had been forever since I had last visited, and it was fun to explore it for what was essentially the first time. Although we only had a few hours, we managed to make the most of it exploring some of the trails in the area. The intense green color of the moss and vegetation is really remarkable, and the enormous trees really help cement the ancient feel of this place.

Most of the trails in the area are accessible to all ages and abilities, so it’s a great choice for everyone in the family. The Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center is an obvious base with lots of options for trails, ranging from the short Hall of Mosses loop to the 20+ mile long Hoh River Trail. Also in the area are several state parks, national forest land, and other public land to explore. There is a small campground at the National Park Visitor Center, along with a few more out the Hoh River Valley towards Highway 101. The closest town is Forks with some non-camping options available.

If you haven’t visited lately (or at all), make a point to do so. It’s a long drive from anywhere, but worth seeing in person for sure.