Tuesday Afternoon: Hoh Rainforest, Tree of Life, Sunset, and Car Camping at Kalaloch Campground

After finishing my hike to Sol Duc Falls (previous blog entry), I drove to the Hoh Rainforest. It didn't matter that the visitor center was closed today because I already knew the two hikes I wanted to take: the Hall of Mosses Trail, and the Spruce Nature Trail.

The rainforest is so beautiful that it was hard not to take a lot of photos. Here is a sampling of the photos I took.

In a couple of places, I heard a knocking sound in the trees, and after looking in the direction of the sound, located the woodpeckers.

A couple of elk were feeding in the underbrush. I took a photo of one of them. They keep the forest from getting too overgrown and tangled with berry vines.

The top of this tree snag and the exposed tree roots are a couple of good places for animals to hide, although I didn't investigate.

There are a lot more ferns near the river. Across the river doesn't appear to be a rainforest.

This group of trees, all in a row, have grown out of a nursing log. Fallen trees can become a good nursery for seedlings to take root and grow, due to the moisture, nutrients, and warmth they provide.

After finishing my rainforest hikes, I headed west, towards Highway 101 and the beach.

The "Tree of Life" is the name given to a Sitka Spruce tree that grows along a bluff at Kalaloch beach. The soil around the tree's roots has eroded away, making it an interesting sight and a popular tourist attraction. The tree is still alive.

I arrived at the beach just before sundown, so I sat on a log and watched the sun drop below the horizon.

I was pleased to find that the parking lot for the "Tree of Life" beach has a pay station and sign-in board for the campground next to it! The campground is still open and has available sites, so that is where I'm spending the night! I didn't want to drive all the way to Olympia in the dark tonight anyway!

My campsite is quite mossy! I'm sleeping in my car, though, so I can enjoy the beauty without worrying about the moisture.