One of America’s Greenest Places is a Washington Forest with “One Square Inch of Silence”

What is the Hoh Rain Forest?

The Hoh Rainforest sprawls across western Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula as one of America’s largest temperate rainforests.

Its ecosystem remains untouched for thousands of years, making it the most protected rainforest in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Hoh belongs to the Pacific Northwest rainforest that once stretched from southeast Alaska to central California.

Today, it’s one of the best examples of temperate rainforests left in the United States.

UNESCO Declared It a World Heritage Site in 1981

UNESCO crowned the Hoh Rain Forest with World Heritage status in 1981.

Of the Olympic Peninsula’s four rainforests, only Hoh earned this honor, along with being named a Biosphere Reserve.

Receives Over 140 Inches of Rain Annually Fueling Its Lush Greenery

The forest drinks in 140-170 inches of rain yearly, making it one of America’s wettest spots. Some trees here have watched over the forest for more than 1,000 years.

The Pacific Ocean drives this natural shower system as storm clouds roll in from the sea, bumping into the Olympic Mountains and releasing their moisture. 

Contains ‘One Square Inch of Silence’ – Quietest Natural Spot in America

Want pure silence? Head 3.2 miles from the Visitor’s Center up the Hoh River Trail.

After a two-hour walk through ancient trees and ferns, you’ll find a small red stone on a mossy log – that’s the “One Square Inch of Silence,” likely America’s quietest natural spot.

Check your GPS: N 48.12885°, W 123.68234°, 303 feet up.

Some airlines even reroute flights to preserve this peace, thanks to Gordon Hempton’s noise control project started on Earth Day 2005.

Moss Blankets Absorb Sound Creating Surreal Natural Quiet

One of the most beautiful elements of the Hoh are thick moss blankets that drape the trees, working as natural sound dampeners.

These epiphytes – plants that grow on other plants without harmful effects – pull moisture and nutrients straight from the air, rain, fog, and forest debris.

The park hosts hundreds of moss species, from stair-step to cattail moss, creating tiny forests within the forest.

Home to 300-Foot-Tall Trees Older Than European Settlements

Meet the forest’s elders: Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Western Hemlock (Washington’s state tree).

The park’s incredible biodiversity includes some of Earth’s oldest trees, with specimens over 1,000 years old.

These giants stretch past 300 feet high and seven feet wide. The “Quinault Lake Cedar” measures an astounding 19 feet (5.8 meters) across.

Formed by Ancient Glaciers Carving Out the Hoh River Valley

Off the Olympic Peninsula’s coast, underwater volcanoes once erupted and left layers of basalt rock on the ocean floor.

Over time, sediment piled up on the tectonic plates below.

When these plates shifted, they pushed up the basalt and sediment, helping create the landscape that includes the Hoh Rainforest.

Prehistoric Tribes Hunted Mastodons Here Over 12,000 Years Ago

Just outside the park, they found a mastodon’s remains with an embedded spear point. It’s a hint at hunters from 12,000 to 6,000 years before the present (B.P.). Later generations switched from big game to salmon and flatfish for survival.

Hosts Unique Biodiversity Like Banana Slugs & Roosevelt Elk

Roosevelt Elk, Black Bears, and River Otters roam openly here.

But it’s the Bobcats and Mountain Lions that move stealthily at night. The dense forest floor shelters banana slugs, snails, rodents, snakes, and salamanders.

American Robins, Barred Owls, and endangered Northern Spotted Owls also inhabit the ancient ecosystem.

You Can Walk Through Living Green Tunnels on Hall of Mosses Trail

For an easy nature fix, try the Hall of Mosses Trail near the Visitor Center. Perfect for connecting with nature without a long hike, you’ll find it a hundred yards past the visitor center, following the left-pointing sign.

Things to Do in Hoh Rain Forest

Fish for salmon and steelhead, watch Roosevelt elk herds or explore countless trails past rushing rivers and waterfalls through dense rain and old-growth forests.

Start at the Upper Hoh Road’s Visitor Center.

It opens daily in summer, closed from January through early March, and is generally open Friday through Sunday during spring and fall (hours vary by season).

How to Visit the Hoh Rainforest in 2025

Important Update:

As of January 2025, the road to the Visitor Center and trailheads is closed due to erosion. This closure affects all traffic – vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. When it reopens, entrance fees will run $15-$30 per vehicle, covering the driver and all passengers.