What do Hoh, Quinault and Queets Have In Common?

Hoh, Quinault and Queets are all temperate Rain Forests in the Olympic National Park. We spent three days exploring and hiking in these remote and unusual micro-ecosystems.

The Park protects the largest old-growth forest in
the Pacific Northwest.

Huge trees, ferns and moss create an abundant
biomass supported by 140+ inches of precipitation annually.

Not one surface of the forest is left bare.
The moss creates an eerie out-of-this-world effect.



Due west of Hoh Rain Forest is the beautiful Ruby Beach.

This Pacific coast beach is a unit of the Olympic National Park.

Kalaloch (Clay-lock) National Park Lodge
overlooks the Pacific coast, south of Ruby Beach,
was a great (only available) stop for dinner.



Odd Spruce Burls at the Beach 1 Trail South of Kalaloch



On another day we explored the Quinault Rain Forest, also known as the Valley of the Giants. Quinault contains six record setting size trees, Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar, Western Hemlock and Mountain Hemlock.

What is Virginia taking a picture of?

The World's Largest Douglas Fir
40'10" circumference, 302' tall

Quinault Nature Loop Trail

Picnic Lunch on the Shore of Lake Quinault

We saw these iridescent clouds, clouds with
rainbow colors, on the south shore of Lake Quinault.
This happens when especially tiny water droplets or
small ice crystals individually scatter light.

The World's Largest Sitka Spruce
59' circumference, 191' tall

This tree is over 1,000 years old.

On the north shore of Lake Quinault is the trail to the
1889 Kestner Homestead.

We enjoyed some salmon berries along the trail.
These were in season and growing along most trails
in the rain forest.

Largest Western Red Cedar in the World
63'5" circumference, 174' tall

The center is hollow enough to hold a party.



It's a little scary when it creaks in the wind.