13 WASHINGTON
Hall of Mosses Trail
Nestled within the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park lies the 0.8-mile Hall of Mosses Trail. As I hiked, I looked for something interesting and thought I saw a big bird on this stump. At first, it scared me because of the size; I was about 30 feet away. Then I noticed the shape of this “bird” was completely natural and made out of moss. The leaves glistened after a rain shower, part of the 140 inches of average precipitation the forest receives each year.
MIGHTY GIANTS
The lush undergrowth of greenery and moss in the Hoh Rain Forest, part of a designated World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, is mainly due to the canopy of mossladen Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees towering overhead.
BONUS HIKE
Combine the Hall of Mosses Trail with the flatter and easier 1.4-mile Spruce Nature Trail loop, which runs partway along the Hoh River. Wear water shoes and watch for the Roosevelt elk that frequent the area.