The Practice of Shinrin-yoku Forest Bathing
Forest bathing is not swimming in a river beside a forest. It’s not a hike or an exercise or a naked dip in a lake. Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, was developed in Japan in the 1980s as a health benefit that scientific studies have backed up.
Photo: Nick Hall Photography
Time spent meandering in a forest causes blood pressure to drop, cortisol levels to plummet, and helps move stress into an alert calm. In addition, there’s growing scientific evidence of blood sugar levels in diabetics decreasing and stabilizing with time spent in the forest, but here’s the trick: shinrin-yoku is connecting with nature slowly and deliberately. Forest bathing is a portal for the senses as you pay attention to the sounds of the forest, the pungent crush of pine needles, the feel of cold creek water on fingertips.
It’s simple: leave the electronic devices at home and take photos with your mind. Find a place in nature—a park, a forest, or beside a creek or a river—and allow the senses to be your guide with no end goal or destination. Follow your nose, your ears, or your eyes and most importantly take your time. Feel the texture of bark, throw rocks into water and watch the ripples, listen to the birds flitting and calling through the canopy. You’re not going anywhere. You’re taking in a powerful antidote to a stressful, indoor life. You are forest bathing your cares away.
You can practice forest bathing anywhere, but here are a few inviting places that will elevate your experience:
Grand Forest
Bainbridge Island
No pass needed at trailheads
Easy
7 miles of trails
Negligible elevation gain
Catch a ferry to beautiful Bainbridge Island to get to the Grand Forest. Even though it’s a popular place for locals, there are enough spur trails to find yourself alone for contemplative forest bathing. If you don’t want to get lost (some forest bathers do!)
Get a map here: https://biparks.org/printable-maps/
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/grand-forest
Shadow of the Sentinels
Baker Lake Area
Pass needed at the trailhead: Northwest Forest Pass
Easy .5 mile loop
Elevation gain: 50 feet
This sweet and short loop is accessible for strollers and folks with mobility issues, allowing everyone to breathe in the old growth air. The parking lot is just off of Baker Lake Road and is filled with old giants that will tower above you. Baker Lake Trail is only 3.5 miles further down the road and is also a wonderful place to wander.
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/shadow-of-the-sentinels
Hoh River Trail to Tom Creek Meadows Camp
Olympic National Park
Pass needed at the trailhead: America the Beautiful Interagency Pass
Easy
6 miles round trip out and back
Elevation gain: 600 feet
This trail covers the first 3 miles of the iconic 17.5 Hoh River Trail, winding through one of the most beautiful untouched rain forests in the Pacific Northwest. The trail gently meanders through truly majestic old growth trees, and follows the river for 3 miles to Tom Creek Meadows Camp. Plan on spending the night in the park:
Klaloch Lodge https://www.thekalalochlodge.com/ or
Lochaerie Cabins are good choices https://www.lochaerie.com/cabins.
https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/hoh-river-trail.htm
Upper Icicle Creek Trail
Alpine Lakes Wilderness/Leavenworth
Pass needed at the trailhead: Northwest Forest Pass
Easy
3 miles round trip out and back
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Upper Icicle Creek Trail is an inviting and level trail studded with trees and a lush undergrowth. Even better it’s a refreshing change from the crowded hikes further down Icicle Creek Road. At the confluence of Icicle and French Creek there are campsites perfect for families and first timers to backpacking. At night the soothing song of moving water is your background score.
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/upper-icicle-creek
Grove of the Patriarchs
Mount Rainier National Park
Pass needed at trailhead: America the Beautiful Interagency Pass
Easy
1.5 miles round trip out and back
Elevation gain: 50 feet
This is an unforgettable place for tree aficionados - there are trees here over a thousand years old. The gentle trail follows the Ohanapecosh River then crosses it with a suspension bridge to an island where the trees tower above you and reign over the sky. There are excellent interpretive signs along the boardwalk on the rich complexity of an old growth forest when you are finished meandering and want to learn more.
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/grove-of-the-patriarchs
Trail of Two Forests Mt. St Helens
Mt St Helens National Monument
Pass needed at the trailhead: Northwest Forest Pass
Easy
.5 mile
Elevation gain: 50 feet
Two forests stand side by side on this trail: one an ancient old growth, and the other a young forest preserved in lava from a Mount St Helens eruption nearly 2,000 years ago. The trees were burned by the eruption, and left behind their shapes encased by the flow. These casts are fascinating to explore. There is much to wander and ponder here, a perfect place for shinrin-yoku!
Old Salmon River Trail
Mount Hood National Forest
Pass needed at trailhead: Northwest Forest Pass
Easy
5 miles round trip out and back
Elevation gain: 200 feet
The Salmon River is pure and primal and a designated Wild and Scenic for its entire 33 mile length. In some sections it pools lazily and in others it slams violently against canyon walls, smashing down steep waterfalls making it famous among professional kayakers as the ‘Mount Everest of Oregon kayaking.’ This meander offers the sweeter side of the Salmon River and is a lovely ramble filled with the sound of water moving over rocks. Near the turnaround after 2.5 miles there is a great beach in the shade of cedars, perfect for a picnic before returning. https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Old_Salmon_River_Hike