River of the Month | June, 2020

Hoh River

One of the nation’s great salmon streams, the Hoh River runs for 56 miles from the glaciers of Mt. Olympus, through the towering Hoh River Rainforest, to the wild Pacific Coast. The Hoh’s pristine upper 30 miles flow through Olympic National Park, and then the river winds through the Hoh River Recreation and Conservation Area, which WRC assembled in the 2000s. It then flows through the Hoh Indian Reservation, where it empties directly into the sea in one of the most natural major river mouths on the West Coast.

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Large woody debris (known as LWD) is a critical component of healthy salmon and steelhead rivers. WRC's conservation efforts have helped ensure that LWD remains a part of the river outside the national park.
Large woody debris (known as LWD) is a critical component of healthy salmon and steelhead rivers. WRC's conservation efforts have helped ensure that LWD remains a part of the river outside the national park.
Photography | Lee Rentz

Why It Matters

Protected for much of its length, the Hoh is one of the most important salmon and steelhead rivers in the Lower 48. It is the main artery through the majestic Hoh River Rainforest and is known for its abundant rainfall and iridescent glacial-blue water. Within the national park, its colossal rainforests are designated as both an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.

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Fish

The Hoh River sustains the greatest diversity of salmonids in the continental United States with 13 populations, including spring and fall Chinook, coho, chum and sockeye. With no dams and diminished hatchery influence, the Hoh is one of the West’s best strongholds for wild salmon and trout. Its fish runs have long been in decline, however, and there has been an increasing push to improve habitat along the lower river and to limit angler pressure.

Wildlife

The Hoh River flows through one of the most intact and protected temperate rainforests on Earth. These ancient forests—including western hemlock and Sitka spruce that reach 10-plus feet in diameter—shelter great biodiversity including Roosevelt elk, bald eagle, black bear, black-tailed deer, Pacific tree frog, Northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet.

How to See It

Nearly the full length of the Hoh River is accessible to hike, boat, fish and otherwise explore. Start from the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center to explore Olympic National Park and the river’s upper reaches. Downstream, the lower river is accessible through the Hoh River Recreation and Conservation Area, land that WRC acquired and later transferred to the Hoh River Trust and The Nature Conservancy.

  • Hike

    Hike

    From the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center you can access two easy rainforest loops, the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail, as well as the popular Hoh River Trail, which traces the river for 18 miles to the shoulder of Mt. Olympus at 3,700 feet. The South Fork Hoh River Trail offers a day hike in Olympic National Park with more solitude. You can also comb the beach at the river’s mouth on the Oil City Trail.

  • Fish

    Fish

    Fishing is currently closed. The Hoh receives immense angling pressure, and with precious few fish in the river, local guides, agencies and fly shops have begun to explore ways to limit angler impact on fish. When the river is open, barbless hooks are required, wild steelhead are catch-and-release, and some guides even advocate for swung flies only, decreasing the odds of hooking a fish. Always check regulations.

  • Camp

    Camp

    Wake up in a misty rainforest at a handful of campsites on state lands, like Hoh Oxbows and the primitive South Fork Hoh Campground, or within the national park at Hoh Campground. Most sites are first-come, first-served. Another great launch point is Kalaloch, which has a beachfront lodge and reservation campground within the park’s coastal unit.

The WRC Story

To ensure the Hoh River was permanently protected from source to sea, Western Rivers Conservancy undertook a nine-year initiative to purchase nearly all industrial forest lands along the lower river corridor, which were then managed primarily as a tree farm. Piece by piece, we purchased nearly 7,000 acres along 30 miles of the river. We then partnered with Wild Salmon Center to create the Hoh River Trust to manage the new Hoh River Recreation and Conservation Area for the sake of fish, wildlife and people. In 2017, we worked with the trust to transfer the lands to The Nature Conservancy, ensuring they remain protected and open, free of charge, for the public to hike, fish, hunt, boat and otherwise enjoy. With the upper river protected within Olympic National Park, nearly the entire length of the Hoh River is now conserved—a critical gain for a globally significant stronghold for salmon, steelhead and wildlife.

Google Map

Best Time of Year

Hiking
May-Oct
Salmon fishing
May-Nov
Steelhead fishing
Jan-Mar
Boating
Year-round

Go Deeper

  • Saving One River: Hoh Steelhead in Decline

    (Patagonia)
    Learn More

  • Hoh Rainforest Visitors Guide

    (Olympic National Park)
    Learn More

  • Large-scale restoration and renewal for 30 miles of Hoh River

    (Peninsula Daily News)
    Learn More

  • Hoh River Rainforest Backpack

    (I Heart Pacific Northwest)
    Learn More

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