Pacific Northwest Old-Growth ◆ Washington / Oregon

PNW Old-Growth, the cathedral forests.

The Hoh, the Quinault, Opal Creek, Valley of the Giants — fragments of the temperate rainforest that once covered the Pacific Northwest, with trees 200 feet tall and 800 years old.

Field guide ◆ Pacific Northwest Old-Growth

Plan the trip.

Less than 5% of the original old-growth temperate rainforest in the Pacific Northwest still stands — the rest was cut between 1850 and 1990. What remains is fragmented, protected, and unlike anything else in the United States: trees 200+ feet tall, 800+ years old, draped in moss and fern, with annual rainfall of 12-14 feet creating a constantly damp green cathedral.

The biggest fragments: Hoh and Quinault rainforests in Olympic National Park (already covered on the Olympic page). Beyond Olympic: Opal Creek Wilderness in central Oregon (Pacific Northwest's largest old-growth in a single contiguous block); Valley of the Giants in Oregon's coast range; the Willapa Hills 'shadowed' groves; Drift Creek Wilderness.

Best window: late April through October. The forest receives most of its rainfall November through March — go in summer if you want it merely damp, not soaking.

Best seasonApril to October

Trip length2–4 days

DifficultyEasy to moderate

PermitWilderness permit for some areas

On the map ◆