Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington

Ferns in the temperate rain forest

River running through the rain forest

Notice the decayed log on the ground. This was once a large log that the standing tree started to grow from. The roots of the standing tree grew around the log.

Line of trees growing on a single fallen tree.

Two fallen trees with Kevin standing in the middle.

The Hoh Rain forest is a temperate rain forest that receives about 140 inches of rain each year. Because of the climate, western red cedar trees and western hemlock trees grow up to 200 feet tall. The Sitka spruce and Douglas firs can reach up to 300 feet. The ground is covered with ferns and the trees get covered with moss. In this area moss grows on the entire tree, not just the north side as we see in the south.

The most interesting thing is how the forest nourishes itself. Older trees fall due to wind and rain. New trees then sprout from the logs of the fallen trees. The new trees get their nutrients from the old logs (called nurse trees) and their roots grow around the fallen trees. When the old logs decay, the trees that have grown around them look like they are standing on stilts.