A narrow gravel trail winds through dense old-growth rainforest, framed by lush ferns, moss, and bright green undergrowth. Soft morning light filters through the canopy, with hanging moss draping from tall trees overhead.

Quinault Rain Forest Loop

Quinault, WA

The Quinault Rain Forest features a network of trails through old-growth temperate rainforest along the shores of Lake Quinault. The area contains several record-holding large trees including a massive Sitka spruce and western red cedar. The half-mile Rain Forest Nature Trail and the longer Maple Glade Trail wind through cathedral-like groves.

Photography Guide

Best Time: morning
Crowds: Moderate
Shot Types: widedetailportraitlandscape
Best Seasons: springsummerfallwinter

Practical Tips

The south shore trails are managed by the U.S. Forest Service and do not require a park pass, while north shore trails require an Olympic National Park pass. Rain gear and waterproof boots are recommended.

Is it a good day to go?

7-day outlook

Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.

Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.

Author's Comments

Quinault is a forest that does not photograph easily, and that is part of what keeps me coming back. The scale is the problem. A Sitka spruce two hundred feet tall and fifty feet around does not fit inside a frame in any way that communicates what it actually is, and the moss draped from every branch flattens into mush in any light that is not carefully considered. So I have stopped trying to photograph the bigness. I look for smaller things now. A November morning is when this forest shows itself best. The rain has usually been falling for hours or days, and the trails on the south shore go quiet in the way only a rainforest can - not silent, but cushioned, the sound of water hitting moss instead of bark. The Maple Glade trail in particular goes almost theatrical when the mist is sitting low among the bigleaf maples and the licorice ferns are at their most saturated green. The light, when it arrives, comes down in shafts through the canopy and lands on a single trunk or a single fallen log carpeted in something that looks almost engineered. I shoot details here. The base of a cedar where it meets the forest floor and the line between tree and ground becomes negotiable. A single fern unfurling against dark bark. The spruce, when I attempt it, I shoot from far enough back that a person can stand at its base for scale, because that is the only honest way I have found to convey the size. Bring waterproof everything. The forest does not care whether you stay dry.

Gallery

A narrow dirt trail with a weathered wooden railing curves through dense rainforest, surrounded by bright green ferns, moss, and leafy understory. Tall old-growth trunks rise in the background, creating a cool, shaded canopy. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Close-up of a massive rainforest tree trunk at the base, its bark and roots thickly carpeted in bright green moss. Small clover-like plants and ferny undergrowth spread across the damp forest floor, with soft morning light giving the scene a lush, humid feel. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

A dirt trail curves through dense old-growth rainforest, bordered by lush sword ferns and bright green understory. Moss drapes a fallen log and tree trunks overhead, giving the scene a cool, misty morning feel. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Moss-covered tree roots spread across a brown forest trail, with bright green ferns and dense understory crowding the background. The base of the trunk rises from the center-right, emphasizing the old-growth rainforest’s damp, lush texture. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

A small waterfall spills through a dense rainforest ravine, dropping over moss-covered rocks and fallen logs into a clear stream. Ferns and bright green undergrowth blanket the steep, wet banks beneath tall old-growth trees. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

A moss-covered fallen tree trunk lies across a damp forest floor beside a winding dirt trail, with a huge uprooted stump and exposed roots in the center. Tall old-growth trees, sword ferns, and bright green understory fill the rainy rainforest in soft morning light. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

A small rustic visitor building sits in a grassy clearing at the edge of the rain forest, framed by dense evergreen trees and shrubs. Soft morning light catches the mountain rising in the background, with a thin wisp of mist below its summit. Photo: cascadevideoproductions / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

A small waterfall drops through a dense old-growth rainforest, surrounded by moss-covered boulders, sword ferns, and tall trunks draped in green. Soft morning light filters through the canopy, brightening the lush, layered vegetation along the rocky streambed. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

A wet paved path curves through a dense evergreen rainforest, with bright yellow edge lines leading into tall dark trees and misty morning light. Ferns and mossy greenery crowd the trail edges, giving the scene a lush, damp feel. Photo: Selim Karadayı / Pexels

Nearby Places

A calm morning view across Lake Quinault shows a wide, pale reflection of snow-dusted, forested mountains beneath a low band of mist. Dark evergreen trees frame the scene, with a manicured green lawn and a pair of chairs in the foreground near the water’s edge.

Photogenic

Quinault, WA

Lake Quinault Lodge Shoreline

The shoreline of Lake Quinault near the historic Lake Quinault Lodge offers calm water reflections of the surrounding rainforest-clad mountains. The lake is glacially formed and sits at 295 feet elevation. Morning mist frequently rises from the lake surface, creating atmospheric photography conditions.

morningspring · summer

A mossy rainforest creek winds through wet rocks and exposed roots, with a small silky cascade tucked under a fallen log in the background. Dense green ferns and bright foliage frame the scene, emphasizing the lush, shaded forest setting.

Waterfalls

Quinault, WA

Merriman Falls

Merriman Falls is a 40-foot waterfall visible directly from the South Shore Road along Lake Quinault. The falls cascade over a mossy rock face surrounded by dense temperate rainforest. No hiking is required, as the waterfall is steps from a roadside pullout.

morningspring · winter

The entrance to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center sits beneath a low, flat roof, with double doors propped open to a dim interior and forest greenery visible beyond. Signage and a yellow caution notice flank the entry, while soft morning light falls across the concrete forecourt.

Parks & Wilderness

Forks, WA

Hoh Rain Forest

One of the largest temperate rainforests in the U.S., the Hoh Rain Forest receives over 12 feet of rain annually. Massive Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and bigleaf maple trees are draped in thick curtains of moss and ferns. The Hall of Mosses Trail and Spruce Nature Trail offer accessible loops through the old-growth canopy.

morningspring · summer