Hoh Rainforest facts for kids
The Hoh Rainforest is one of the biggest temperate rainforests in the United States. It's found on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state. This amazing forest stretches for about 24 miles (39 km) along the Hoh River. The river valley itself was shaped thousands of years ago by huge sheets of ice called glaciers.
A large part of the Hoh Rainforest is protected inside Olympic National Park. This means people can't cut down trees or use the forest for business. Outside the park, closer to the Pacific Ocean, some parts of the forest were logged (trees cut down) in the last 100 years. But many beautiful forest areas still remain.
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Weather in the Hoh Rainforest
The Hoh Rainforest is super wet! It's actually the wettest forest in the lower 48 states, getting more than 100 inches (254 cm) of rain every year. Imagine that much rain! It has a cool, moist Oceanic climate, which means it gets a lot of rain and doesn't have extreme hot or cold temperatures. This constant moisture helps the rainforest grow thick and green.
Amazing Plants of the Hoh Rainforest
The main trees you'll see in the Hoh Rainforest are Sitka spruce and Western hemlock. Some of these trees grow incredibly tall, reaching up to 312 feet (95 meters) high! That's taller than a 30-story building! Their trunks can be as wide as 23 feet (7 meters) across. Other trees found here include Douglas fir, Western red cedar, Bigleaf maple, Red alder, Vine maple, and Black cottonwood.
The rainforest is also home to many unique mosses and lichens. One special type is called lettuce lichen (Lobaria oregana). It needs the cool, wet conditions found under the tall trees of old forests. Animals like deer and elk love to eat it!
Animals of the Hoh Rainforest
Many native animals call the Hoh Rainforest home. You might spot a Pacific tree frog, a northern spotted owl, or even a bobcat. Larger animals like cougars, raccoons, and Olympic black bears also live here. You might also see Roosevelt elk, coyotes, Cascade red foxes, and black-tailed deer.
Scientists are working to bring fishers back to the forest. These animals almost disappeared from Washington state. The rainforest is also home to the banana slug, a bright yellow slug. However, a new type of slug, the black slug from Northern Europe, is an invasive species that is starting to threaten the banana slugs.
Exploring the Hoh Rainforest
The Hoh Rainforest has a National Park Service ranger station. This is where you can start your adventure! From here, you can find trails that go deep into the national park.
Close to the visitor center, there's a short trail called the Hall of Mosses Trail. It's about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long and lets you see the amazing plants and trees up close. You'll see maple trees covered in huge growths of spikemoss, which looks like a green carpet hanging from the branches. There's also the Spruce Nature Trail, which is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long. Along this trail, signs help you identify the different trees and plants you see.
Gallery
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The Hoh River that runs through the forest.
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A herd of elk grazing in the forest.
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A banana slug.
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A nurse log providing nutrients for other growing trees.
See also
In Spanish: Selva Hoh para niños
