 |
Home |
| Parks | |
| About the Site | |
| News |
|
Olympic National Park
|
Olympic National Park is one of the national park system's most diverse national parks, encompassing snowcapped peaks, temperate rain forest, and windswept ocean coastal areas. The park is located on the Olympic Peninsula in the extreme northwest corner of Washington state, surrounded by the Strait of Juan De Fuca on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Puget Sound. Although it's only a short distance to Seattle across the Sound, the park seems very remote as the population of Washington's Olympic peninsula is not great.
The park itself is quite large, containing 922,000 acres. These lands include 60 glaciers, 13 rivers, 57 miles of coastline, over 600 miles of trails, the greatest remaining true wilderness forest in America, and the largest herd of Roosevelt elk in the United States. The park includes three separate and diverse ecosystems--subalpine forest and wildflower-rich meadows, temperate rain forests, and the Pacific coastline. Pictures and descriptions of all of these ecosystems are contained in this Park Vision site.
Park History
The Olympic peninsula has a long history of human habitation and use, dating back some 12 thousand years to a time when human beings fed on animals such as mastodons. Some nine Indian tribes made use of the area for fishing, hunting, and gathering food. The area provided ample resources such as sea food, berries, roots, elk, and deer for food, and the bark of cedar trees for robes, mats, and baskets.
European explorers first became aware of the area in 1774 on a voyage by Spanish navigator Juan Perez. In 1788 sea captain John Meares sighted the park, and named its highest mountain, Mt. Olympus. Although the Spanish established a settlement near Neah Bay in 1791, the rugged topography and dense vegetation made the park area itself somewhat impenetrable and the mountains were not crossed until the James Christie expedition in 1889. Mt. Olympus itself was first climbed in 1907.
For potential visitors, ParkVision recommends "Story Behind the Scenery" guides and "Trails Ilustrated" maps.
The first suggestion for setting aside the area as a park was made by Lt. Joseph P. O'Neill, who explored the area from 1885-1890. O'Neill could see no other use for the rugged country. In 1897 Grover Cleveland designated the area as the Olympic Forest Preserve. In 1909, much of the future Olympic National Park area was declared a national monument by the most conservation-minded of all the U.S.'s presidents, Teddy Roosevelt. Finally, Olympic was designated as a national park on June 29, 1938, and the coastal area of the park was added in 1953. However, heavy logging of the forest surrounding the park on the Olympic peninsula still takes place.
Olympic Mountains
The most famous features of Olympic National Park are the spectacular Olympic Mountains which form a circular range in the central area of the park. These precipitous, snow-capped mountains were formed by the uplifting forces of the techtonic action of the collisions of plates of the earth's crust, rather than volcanic activity which is characteristic of the northwest's Cascade Mountains.
The snow and ice on the mountain tops contrasts sharply with the dark green color of the heavily forested lower slopes. Some of the most popular views of these mountains are at the Hurricane Ridge area. The mountains to the west of of this viewpoint form the Bailey Range which contains some of the highest peaks in the park, including Mt. Olympus.
Above and below are pictures of the center of the park looking west from the ridge area.
The Olympic mountains themselves are not all that high, compared with mountains in parks such as Glacier and Rocky Mountain, ranging generally in the 7000-8000 foot area. However, the mountains rise from virtually sea level, making the mountains appear much higher than they might otherwise seem. In fact, the Olympic Mountains are visible from as far away as 100 miles in the Puget Sound area.
The following view looks south from a peak near the Hurricane Ridge area. In the bottom section of the picture the Hurricane Ridge Road can be seen winding around the mountain, climbing to a little over 5,000 feet. Fog and clouds can be seen covering many of the lower valleys; the lower elevations may be completely fogbound while Hurricane Ridge is bathed in sunshine, as on this day.
There are a number of additional pictures of the Olympic Mountains on another page.
Pacific Coast
One of the things which makes Olympic National Park so special is the juxtaposition of steep, spectacular, snowcapped mountains with the rugged coast. A 57 mile long strip of the coast west of the mountainous park area is part of the national park.The coast area is lined with trees and in some places features sandy beaches while in others, such as in the picture below, the coast is lined with gravel. In most places huge slabs of driftwood and logs litter the beach area like so many sticks in the forest. Below is a scene of some of these logs on Rialto Beach.
The area along the coast seems pretty desolate; in this area of Washington there are few towns and none whatsoever right on the coast itself.
More of the coast is seen here.
One of the most interesting features of the coast area of the park are the "sea stacks" standing offshore in the water. These are remains of headlands, previously attached to the mainland, which have been separated from it through the incessant erosive effects of the ocean. Examples of these stacks can be seen in the photographs above. That's Ruby Beach, covered by driftwood and featuring prominent views of sea stacks and the rocky coast.
There are additional pictures of the coast area of the park on another page.
Rain Forest
One of the most unique of Olympic's features is the rain forest. Drenched by more than 12 feet of precipitation each year, these areas host a multiplicity of types of vegetation. The pictures in this section show features of the Hoh Rain Forest, one of the most well known in the park. Immediately below the lush green nature of the forest can be seen. Even the dead trees host new life. In the foreground a large fallen tree covered is covered by moss and other plants; in fact, there are 250 species of moss in the park
Olympic's climate is the wettest in all of the lower 48 states of the U.S. The Hoh area receives between 120-150 inches of precipitation each year. The results of all of this moisture can be seen below. On the left one tree grows on the remains of a dead stump.
Here fungus grows on the side of a large tree.
Below moss, one of 90 species of epiphytes, can be seen clinging to the branches of a number of trees. Epiphytic plants can absorb over a ton of water but do no harm to the tree they live on. There are more of these plants here than in any other temperate rain forest on earth.
The Olympic Mountains act as a rain shield, ringing the moisture out of the air flowing east across the park. The result is that area east of the mountains may receive only 18 inches of rain per year.
Additional pictures of the Hoh Rain Forest are visible on another page.
Hoh River
Near the rain forest runs one of the park's major rivers, the Hoh. The first picture below, taken along the banks of the river and looking southeast, provides a view of the Olympic mountains in the distance.
More pictures of the lovely Hoh River are shown below.
The flow of the river may change considerably depending on the season and the amount of recent precipitation.
Lake Crescent
One of the most beautiful areas of the park is Lake Crescent. This large lake, which lies in the extreme northern park of the park not far south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, is 600 feet deep in places and was formed by the action of Pleistocene glacier. The first view below shows the eastern section of the lake from the north shore.
The personality of the park changes considerably depending on the time of day and the quality of light. First, below, the clouds dominate.
Next, a ribbon of sun shows through, lighting a section of the lake's south shore.
Some more pictures of Lake Crescent can be seen on another page.
Elwha Valley
One of the entry points into the park is the valley of the Elwha River in the north central portion of the park, south and east of Port Angeles. Part of this valley is covered by Lake Mills, which can be seen below is a view toward the northeast.
An additional view of the lake (actually a reservoir) can be seen in the picture here, looking from the opposite direction of the picture above.
Next is a view of the Elwha River, looking north, a few miles downstream of the lake.
Animals
Olympic National Park abounds with wildlife. Interestingly, because of its separation from the other portions of the continent by large glaciers in prehistoric times, the park contains the "endemic 16"--16 species of wildflowers and animals which exist in no other place in North America. Conversely, a number of species found elsewhere in the northwest--grizzly bears, pika, golden mantle ground squirrels, mountain goats--are not found within the confines of the park.
Among the most visible of the larger animals are the deer which can be viewed throughout the park. The variety of deer which are most visible in the Hurricane Ridge area of the park are the Columbia black-tailed deer, so named for obvious reasons.
The deer are most visible in the higher altitude meadows where they may be seen grazing on grass and other plants.
There are deer in many areas throughout the park. More pictures of these wonderful animals can be seen on another page.
There are a large variety of smaller animals as well. Below some sea birds can be seen roosting on a snag in the Quillayute River.
Here is an Olympic marmot, one of the "endemic 16" which occur nowhere else in the world. These gregarious animals whistle to one another to warn of perceived danger and live in extensive burrows under the ground.
Another common but interesting animal is the chipmunk, pictured below.
A number of birds inhabit the park. That's a grouse nestled among the grass below.
Another picture of the grouse is shown here.
Ducks are also easy to find, especially on and around the lakes within the park. The fellow below was spotted near Lake Crescent.
Trees
As in other parks of the great Pacific Northwest, the climate and abundant precipitation results in extensive forest which contain extremely large trees. In Olympic National Park the vast forests contain western hemlock, Sitka spruce, red cedar, Douglas fir, Pacific silver fir, and several other species of trees.
The first picture below shows subalpine firs on Hurricane Ridge. These trees grow at higher elevations below the tree line in cold, windswept, harsh environments. The tree is shaped like an "A-Frame" dwelling to shed the heavy snows which fall in winter. The lower portions of these trees are often covered by snow, and this cover protects the branches from the wind. This results in longer branches--the characteristic "skirt" which can be seen on these trees.
Three types of trees can be viewed below. First is a stand of Douglas Fir trees.
In the middle stands the magnificent Sitka Spruce, the one of the largest and most dominant trees in the rain forest. Mature specimens of these trees, which grow from Alaska to southern Oregon, typically range from 200-300 feet in height.
Below is a group of red alder trees, characteristic of a younger forest area which often takes root after a climax forest is cleared of trees as a result of fire.
The Douglas Fir is the largest of the northwest's trees. These trees may reach several hundred feet in height.
Plants and Wildflowers
Olympic National Park is known for its lush vegetation, some of which can be seen here. Below is sorrel.
Here is bracken fern, one of several ferns which can be seen in the park.
Yet another of the numerous ferns is the sword fern, visible below.
Wildflowers are also abundant, either in groups of flowers of the same variety or in fields which host a number of different species.
A field of lovely wildflowers is shown here.
Below are examples of blue bells.
Buildings
The park has few famous buildings such as the Awahneee Hotel in Yosemite or Old Faithful Inn, but some visitor's facilities are available. The picture below shows the main building of Log Cabin Inn, which features individual cabins, on the north shore of Lake Crescent.
The main visitor's center is located just north of the park in Port Angeles. The center is on the road which leads directly to Hurricane Ridge, 17 miles to the south and 5000 feet higher.
Hurricane Ridge also features a facility which contains a snack bar, gift shop, and visitor's center. The picture below shows a silhouette of this facility as it looks out across the Olympic Mountains.
References
Information about Olympic National Park has been drawn from personal experience, data available in the park itself, and a number of other sources, including:
- National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States. National Geographic Society, 1992.
- National Parks of North America. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1995.
- Scharf, Janet. In Pictures: Olympic, the Continuing Story. Las Vegas: K.C. Publications, 1993.
- The Sierra Club Guide to National Parks: Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. New York: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, 1984.
- Warren, Henry C. Olympic: The Story Behind the Scnery. Las Vegas: K.C. Publications, 1982
|
|
|
|
|
|