Don"t let this sunny picture fool you. The Hoh, a temperate rainforest on the western side of Olympic National Park in Washington state, sees between 12 and 14 feet of rain each year, making it one of the wettest places in the continental US. But all that moisture creates a lush, even mystical environment. The forest features a mix of conifers and deciduous trees draped heavily with moss, like the arching big leaf maple in our homepage image. A stroll through the forest will also reveal the massive Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees that may reach more than 300 feet up into the dense canopy. Below, the woods teem with ferns, lichen, and other vegetation. It"s an enchanted forest right out of a fairy tale.
Welcome to the Hoh
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
A national icon
-
The aftermath of a meteorite
-
Daylight saving time begins
-
Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia
-
Fresh water on the Silk Road
-
Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
-
Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
-
Happy 300th, NOLA!
-
Sounds of Bach come to Bath
-
Celebrating Helsinki’s birthday at the Kiasma Museum
-
A universe underground
-
Travel Sunday: San Francisco
-
Ski touring in Austria
-
A unique elephant encounter in Nantes
-
Winter at Valley Forge
-
The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
-
A holiday beacon of light
-
An ice cap-puccino
-
Paleontology meets art
-
1.1 billion opportunities for a better world