Olympic National Park, Washington State

 

Take a silent hike along Douglas fir- and western red cedar- lined trails in the Pacific temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park in Washington State.  (This Hackwhacker has explored a tiny fraction of this park, which stimulates all of the senses as you are absorbed by it.)  Coastline views of sea stacks are also part of the hike. Interesting fact about the temperate rainforests that stretch from Northern California to Alaska:  "In sheer mass of living and decaying material - trees, mosses, shrubs, and soil - these forests are more massive than any other ecosystem on the planet. In part, this is due to the rarity of fire. Unlike drier forests, which burn periodically, temperate rain forests are naturally subject to only small-scale disturbances, such as blow-downs and avalanches."  No wonder it's a World Heritage Site.