After spending a day on the northern tip of the peninsula, it was time to check out the western part of Olympic National Park. Driving west on the 101, we headed for the town Forks. For those who don’t know (like I didn’t), Forks is home to the filming of Twilight Saga. Surrounding Forks to the east is the Hoh Rainforest which is what we planned on spending the day exploring. I was ready to spend my day walking through the ancient temperate rainforest.
Forks and Twilight
We arrived from the east to Forks which welcomes you with a nice little sign. One main road rides through the center of town with signs promoting Twilight as you drive through. The welcome center located on the western entrance of town is an ode to Twilight. Cardboard cutouts and memorabilia are on display along with cheerful staff who can answer everything about Forks and Twilight.
Hoh Rainforest at Olympic National Park
After stopping at the rest area, we continued west on 101 towards the Hoh Rainforest section of Olympic National Park. From the 101, we turned down Upper Hoh Road which becomes a very long dirt road. We almost thought we were lost until we came across the Olympic National Park sign. Along the road, the Hoh River flows next you as you make your way to the visitors center.
After parking, there are several options for hiking that all start from the same point. We decided to do the two small trails, Hall of Mosses, and Spruce Nature Trail. With barely any elevation gain for both trails, they are a cake walks and welcome everyone to explore. The combined distance of both of these trails is at two miles.
The Hall of Mosses trail is lined with mosses that are every shade of green. They grow everywhere! Everything on the trail is covered in moss and it’s stunning. The second trail we did, Spruce Nature Trail, bring you towards the Hoh River. Huge maples line the trail and plenty of them have fallen over leaving large holes in the ground. The Hoh River gives an amazing contrast against the lush greens. The Hoh Rainforest is a mystical place and I fully understand why they filmed Twilight in these rainforests.
