Hiking Olympic National Park
By Erik Molvar

Spruce Nature Trail

One of the two popular interpretive walks in the Hoh Rainforest, this 
1.3-mile loop visits impressive stands of old-growth Sitka spruce that 
grow along the Hoh River. This paved, wheelchair-accessible trek begins 
from the endpoint of the short visitor center loop path, and soon makes 
its way to an old river terrace from which the stout boles of spruce 
and Douglas fir tower skyward. This is old-growth rainforest at its 
finest: The ancient conifers are widely spaced, and plenty of sunlight 
streams through to support the multiple canopy layers of younger trees, 
tall shrubs, and a rich ground cover of ferns, mosses, and woodland 
flowers. As the path approaches the river, it visits old flood channels 
that are shaded by groves of red alder. This tree is a specialist at 
colonizing flood-scoured openings, where thin soils and ample sunlight 
favor alder seedlings over other plants. At the river's edge, the trail 
turns downstream to follows the braided channels that course across a 
barren plain of gravel. Geologically, this is a young river, and its 
swift current pushes a heavy load of gravel down the riverbed, clogging 
its own channel and forcing the water to seek a new and lower pathway 
to the sea. After a brief riverside journey, the trail turns inland 
through a tangle of vine maples draped with club moss. The path soon 
strikes a spring-fed creek and follows it back to the visitor center.