SEE UNIQUE AUTUMN BEAUTY IN RAINFOREST
While leaf peepers flock to New England and mid-Atlantic mountains, you can find incredible autumn beauty without all the crowds in Olympic National Park. This place is like no other, with unique landscapes, ecosystems and wildlife.
The Hoh Rainforest, within the park, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its pristine old-growth trees, in particular. It has a living standing biomass which may be the highest in the world. It contains one of the world’s largest stands of undisturbed temperate rainforest.
While many people visit in summer, the forest empties of tourists in fall, its rainy season, when the rainforest gets about 14 feet of rain annually. But we say, get suited up with some serious rain gear at Outdoor Research and embrace the rain so you can be treated to this region’s extraordinary autumn treasures. Hike along the Hall of Mosses and other rugged trails to find them.
Draped in lush moss, the trees put on a spectacular leaf color show. Hemlock, Sitka spruce, big-leaf and vine maple are the predominant trees in this forest. Thanks to the abundant rain, the vegetation is quite dense. Some trees are over one thousand years old and over 200 feet high. It’s in stark contrast to the lowland forest outside the boundaries of Olympic National Park which have mostly been logged to death.
The forest floor sprouts a rainbow of wild mushrooms in autumn. Delicate apricot colored chanterelles are especially abundant. The best places to find them are near the Quinault, Hoh and Staircase regions of Olympic National Park.
Fall is mating season for the Roosevelt elk that roam through these woods. Named after Theodore Roosevelt, who designated the Olympic National Park to protect their habitat, the giant elk are breathtaking, with their massive antler racks. You’ll hear the males bugling and see them males rut, clashing and fighting to establish dominance and mating privileges.
The best places to see elk and deer are the Quinault and Hoh River Valleys, but smaller herds can be found up nearly every river in the park. Early morning and evenings are the best time to view and hear them.
The Hoh, Quinault, Sol Duc and Elwha Rivers swell and rush with the rain, with dramatic waterfalls tumbling over moss-covered rocks. In late autumn, they are filled with coho salmon making their way upstream from the Pacific Ocean to spawn. They are relatively easy pickings for local otters, bobcats, and eagles.
The beaches are people-free for the most part, so it’s a perfect time to experience their beauty. Don’t mind the salty wind. Drink in the beauty as you watch the extra-huge waves crash against sea stacks along over 73 miles of coastal wilderness.
The best places to see monster waves are Kalaloch, La Push, or Shi Shi Beach. For the ultimate, watch them roll in from miles away as you perch on the bluffs of Cape Flattery, the northwestern-most point in the contiguous United States.
The first few weeks of autumn are generally rain-free here, so it’s a perfect time to get a taste of Olympic National Park’s beauty without getting wet, if that’s your preference.
Check out The Outdoor Society book, The Ultimate Fall Guide to Olympic National Park. It’s full of beautiful images, important resources, and fascinating information about the area.
Check out Experience Olympic for a variety of guided tour adventures.
Read more about Autumn Beauty all this week on BeautifulNow, And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.
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