On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, I spent another full day exploring the western and southwestern areas of Olympic National Park. I started in the Hoh Rain Forest, then continued to the Quinault Rain Forest, Kalaloch Beaches 1 through 5, and ended my day watching the sunset at Ruby Beach.
Hoh Rain Forest: Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail
I arrived at the Hoh Rain Forest around 7:40am and had no trouble finding parking. During the busy summer season, I had read that it's best to arrive at the Hoh Entrance Station before 8:00am to avoid potentially long lines to enter the park.
Once there, I hiked both the Hall of Mosses Loop and the Spruce Nature Trail. These two easy, mostly flat trails are located near the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center and can easily be combined into one scenic hike. Together, they showcase some of the most iconic features of the Hoh Rain Forest, including massive old-growth trees, hanging mosses, nurse logs, Taft Creek, and views of the Hoh River.
The Hall of Mosses Loop is the shorter and more famous of the two, at about 0.8 miles. It winds through an enchanting old-growth forest filled with moss-draped bigleaf maples and towering trees. Highlights include the iconic moss-covered Maple Grove, a moss-draped archway, and dense old-growth forest.
The Spruce Nature Trail is slightly longer, at about 1.2 miles, and offers a somewhat different experience as it passes through both old-growth and younger forest, alongside Taft Creek and near the Hoh River. The combination of forest scenery and river views makes it a worthwhile addition to the Hall of Mosses Loop.
I started hiking around 8:00am and left the area around 10:00am, spending about two hours exploring the trails and taking photos. Altogether, I hiked about 2.8 miles before continuing on to the Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail in Olympic National Forest, my next stop of the day.
Olympic National Forest for Quinault Rain Forest Trail
After visiting the Hoh Rain Forest, I drove about an hour and 40 minutes to the Quinault Rain Forest.
The Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail is an easy 1-mile loop in the Olympic National Forest near Lake Quinault. Located about 1.4 miles up South Shore Road from Highway 101, the trail winds through lush rainforest filled with moss-covered trees, giant old-growth forest, and views of Willaby Creek.
The Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail is an easy 0.5-mile loop in Olympic National Forest near Lake Quinault. Located about 1.4 miles up South Shore Road from Highway 101, the trail winds through a lush rainforest filled with moss-covered trees, towering old-growth trees, and views of Willaby Creek.
The trail itself is short and family-friendly, with interpretive signs along the way that help explain the surrounding rainforest ecosystem.
I arrived around 11:30am and hiked until around 12:45pm. Although the main loop is only half a mile, I took my time exploring the area and ended up hiking almost 2 miles total.
It was a peaceful stop after visiting the Hoh Rain Forest earlier in the day and offered another beautiful look at Washington's temperate rainforest landscape.
Kalaloch Beaches 1 through 5
I spent the afternoon exploring the Kalaloch beaches, a series of rugged coastal access points along Highway 101 in Olympic National Park, about 40 miles south of Forks. Each beach has its own character, but they all feature classic Olympic coast scenery: driftwood-covered shorelines, rocky outcrops, tide pools, ocean views, and wild Pacific Northwest coastline.
I started at Beach 1 around 1:20pm. This beach requires a short walk through the woods and down a set of stairs before opening up to a wide, driftwood-lined shoreline. From there, I continued north, stopping at the other numbered beach access points along the way.
Beach 2 felt quieter and more peaceful, with coastal fog, driftwood, and ocean views.
Next, I stopped at Kalaloch Beach and the Kalaloch Campground to see the famous Tree of Life. Its exposed roots stretch across an eroded gap in the bluff, making it one of the most unique and popular sights along this stretch of coastline.
Beach 3 had more rocky areas and tide pool opportunities, especially at lower tide. Beach 4 is considered one of the best beaches in the Kalaloch area for tide pooling, with access via a short trail, boardwalk, stairs, and a final scramble down to the beach. Both beaches are known for colorful tide pools filled with marine life.
Beach 5 felt more remote and less visited, with dramatic surf and a wilder feel.
For anyone interested in exploring even more of the coastline, there's also the lesser-known Beach 6, located north of Kalaloch Lodge and accessible from a small roadside pullout. It took me a little while to find the sign marking the trailhead, but I eventually found it! However, the path down to the beach looked narrow and steep. By then, it was getting a little late, and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to explore Ruby Beach and set up my camera for sunset, so I ultimately decided to skip it.
Exploring the different beaches, along with the Tree of Life, was a wonderful way to experience the variety of the Kalaloch coastline in one afternoon.
Sunset at Ruby Beach
My last stop of the day was watching the sunset from Ruby Beach. Sunset was scheduled for 9:00pm that evening. I arrived around 7:30pm and stayed until about 9:30pm. Known for its dramatic sea stacks, massive driftwood logs, and rugged shoreline, it was a beautiful place to end another full day exploring Olympic National Park.
Afterward, I drove about 30 minutes back to the Dew Drop Inn in Forks to shower, change, and crawl into bed.
