7 Stunning Local Wonders You Should Visit This Summer With Kids
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The stunning Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park.
2. Olympic National Park rain forest
New Washington state residents might still be under the impression that all rain forests are tropical. Definitions vary in the amount of rainfall required to qualify as a rain forest, but three sections of our own Olympic National Park — Hoh, Queets and Quinault — meet them all with their 12–14 feet of measured rainfall each year.
Find the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center at the end of the Upper Hoh Road on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. It is open daily during the summer, but hours vary by season so check the website for current information. This spot is many visitors' first point of contact with the only rain forest in the continental United States. The visitor center is also the access point for two must-walk nature trails: the famous Hall of Mosses trail and the Spruce Nature Trail. Both are about a mile long and suitable for young children. For avid hikers, try the 17.3-mile Hoh River Trail to Glacier Meadows on the shoulder of Mount Olympus.
Visit more amazing sights around the vast and amazing Olympic National Park with our guides to a family trip centered around Lake Quinault and an itinerary exploring the North Olympic Peninsula with kids.
Next up: Columbia River Gorge
