Gordon Hempton protects silence in Hoh Rain Forest
June 06, 2026
Gordon Hempton works to preserve one of America’s quietest places. In the Hoh Rain Forest, he monitors soundscapes, combats noise pollution, and advocates for designated quiet zones, emphasizing the urgent need to protect natural silence for wildlife and human well-being.
Gordon Hempton is protecting a rare natural treasure
A single square inch of silence in the Hoh Rain Forest
Step into a place where sound fades away
You are standing in one of the quietest environments in the United States
For Hempton, this forest is more than nature
It is a sanctuary defined by what you don’t hear
He travels the world capturing disappearing soundscapes
Silence, he says, is now the rarest of them all
Even here, true quiet is fragile
It takes miles to escape human-made noise
An elk trail once led him to this precise spot
A place where natural stillness still survives
His mission is constant monitoring and protection
Every unwanted noise is tracked and challenged
Aircraft and distant human activity threaten the balance
Noise pollution reaches farther than most realize
Through advocacy, he pushes for lasting protection
Including turning Olympic National Park into a designated quiet zone
The message is simple and urgent
Protect silence now, or risk losing it forever