Hall of Mosses Trail

Hall of Mosses is the best-known short walk in the Hoh Rain Forest: a 0.8-mile loop into old-growth temperate rainforest, with about 100 feet of climbing. From the signed trailhead beside the visitor center, the path crosses Taft Creek on a short bridge, then circles through a grove of bigleaf maples draped with moss and ferns. The iconic mossy archway is the image to look for. If you want the Hoh's signature forest without giving up half a day, this is the one I'd choose. Give it 45 to 60 minutes for the walk and stops, and expect to share the trail.

The tread is compacted gravel, usually 3 to 6 feet wide. It starts gently, then pitches up and down in short bursts: some grades reach 7 to 25 percent, usually for less than 50 feet at a time. Large steps, roots and rocky patches make parts of the loop feel rougher than its easy rating suggests. The east half is the more rugged side. If that's more than you want, turn back at the junction before it climbs instead of completing the loop; you'll see a lot of the same forest on the out-and-back.

Bigleaf and vine maples host epiphytes, plants that grow on other plants, while mosses and ferns fill the ground below. The moss-draped archway gives you both layers at once. A separate 200-foot spur leads to a fenced view of a group of moss-covered maples; take it if you want to linger, but it isn't needed to complete the loop. For a photo, frame a hanging maple limb with the fern layer beneath it so the scene has depth.

Dead trunks decay slowly in this wet forest and become nurse logs, giving new plants a place to take root. Look along a fallen tree for seedlings and ferns growing where the old giant once stood. Grazing elk help keep the understory open. The wider Hoh Valley supports Roosevelt elk, black bears, river otters and smaller forest wildlife, though sightings aren't guaranteed. At Taft Creek, look for young coho salmon; whether they're visible varies.

Park in the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center area and follow the signs from the information boards to the Hall of Mosses trailhead. The common 0.8-mile figure is for the loop; the longer parking-area access route is listed at about 1.04 miles in the detailed accessibility directions. The visitor center has exhibits and educational sales items, but no food or gas. Picnic tables and accessible restrooms are in a separate nearby area. The center closes in January and February, so don't count on indoor services then. Pets aren't allowed on Hoh trails. The separate Mini Rain Forest loop is just 0.1 mile; the longer Spruce Nature Trail runs about 1.2 miles and reaches the Hoh River.