Olympic Peninsula

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Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington

Western Washington

Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Range.It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which...
state that lies across Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is an inland marine complex of waterways from the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
from Seattle

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the most populous city in the US state of Washington and the Northwestern United States. The encompassing Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest....
.

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Encyclopedia

The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington

Western Washington

Puget Sound

Seattle, Washington

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, connecting both to the Pacific Ocean....
, and the east by Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Hood Canal

Hood Canal is a fjord off Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is sometimes considered to be one of the four main basins of Puget Sound....
. Cape Alava

Cape Alava

Cape Alava, in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States, is the westernmost point in the Continental United States, with a longitude of ....
, the westernmost point in the contiguous United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, and Cape Flattery, the north-westernmost point, are on the peninsula.

Geography

The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the only temperate rain forest

Temperate rain forest

Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive high rainfall....
s in the world, including the Hoh

Hoh Rain Forest

The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the few temperate rain forests in the world, and is also one of the largest. It is located on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state, United States....
, Queets, and Quinault. Rain forest vegetation is concentrated primarily in the western part of the peninsula, as the interior mountains create a rain shadow

Rain shadow

For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow .A rain shadow or rainshadow, or more accurately, precipitation shadow, is a dry region of land that is leeward of a mountain range or other geographic feature, with respect to prevailing wind direction....
effect in areas to the east, resulting in a much drier climate in those locales.

The Olympic mountain range

Olympic Mountains

The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics face the Pacific Ocean and are thus the wettest place in the 48 contiguous states; the Hoh Ranger Station in the Ho...
sits in the center of the Olympic Peninsula. This range is the second largest in Washington State. Its highest peak is Mt. Olympus

Mount Olympus (Washington)

Mount Olympus is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains range of Western Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is the central feature of Olympic National Park....
.

Major salmon-bearing rivers on the Olympic Peninsula include, clockwise from the southwest: the Humptulips

Humptulips River

The Humptulips River is a river in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, in the United States. Its main tributaries are the East Fork Humptulips River, about long , and West Fork Humptulips River, about long ....
, the Quinault

Quinault River

The Quinault River is a long river located on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates deep in the Olympic Mountains in the Olympic National Park....
, the Queets

Queets River

The Queets River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located on the Olympic Peninsula, mostly within the Olympic National Park and empties into the Pacific Ocean....
, the Quillayute

Quillayute River

The Quillayute River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It empties to the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington. The Quillayute River is formed by the confluence of the Bogachiel River and the Sol Duc River....
, Bogachiel

Bogachiel River

The Bogachiel River is a river of the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates near Bogachiel Peak, flows west through the mountains of Olympic National Park....
, the Sol Duc

Sol Duc River

The Sol Duc River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows west for about 78 miles , joining the Bogachiel River to form the Quillayute River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean....
, the Lyre

Lyre River

The Lyre River is a river in Washington, USA that flows out of Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Originally referred to as "singing waters" by the Indians living near it, the river was first named by Europeans as Rio de Cuesta in 1790 by Gonzalo L?pez de Haro, but was later called River L...
, the Elwha

Elwha River

The Elwha River is a 45-mile-long river located on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Range of Olympic National Park it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca....
, the Dungeness

Dungeness River

The Dungeness River is located in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It rises near Mount Constance in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park, flows through the Buckhorn Wilderness, near the town of Sequim, Washington, and drains into the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the Dungeness Spit....
, the Dosewallips

Dosewallips River

The Dosewallips River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Anderson in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park and drains to Hood Canal and thence to the Pacific Ocean....
, the Hamma Hamma

Hamma Hamma River

The Hamma Hamma River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Washington in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park and drains to Hood Canal and thence to the Pacific Ocean....
, the Skokomish

Skokomish River

The Skokomish River is a river in Mason County, Washington, United States....
, and the Wynoochee River

Wynoochee River

The Wynoochee River is located in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It rises in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park....
.

Natural lakes on the peninsula include Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent is a deep lake located in Clallam County, Washington, previously named Lake Everett. With a maximum depth of 624 feet , it is one of the deepest lakes in the state of Washington....
, Lake Ozette

Lake Ozette

Lake Ozette is the third largest natural lake in Washington state at 29.5 km? , behind only Lake Chelan and Lake Washington. The lake, contained within the northern boundary of the Olympic National Park's coastal strip, is 29 feet above sea level and is drained by the Ozette River in the north end....
, Lake Sutherland

Lake Sutherland

Lake Sutherland is located on the Olympic Peninsula about 17 miles west of Port Angeles, Washington. The lake is located just to the east of Lake Crescent....
, Lake Quinault

Lake Quinault

Lake Quinault is a lake on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state. It is located in the glacier-carved Quinault Valley of the Quinault River, at the southern edge of Olympic National Park in the northwestern United States....
, and Lake Pleasant

Lake Pleasant (Washington)

Lake Pleasant is a lake located in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The lake is one of the few that is surrounded by private property and is open to fishing all year around....
. Four dammed rivers form the reservoirs of Lake Aldwell

Lake Aldwell

Lake Aldwell is a reservoir located about 4.9 miles from the mouth of the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula. The reservoir was created in 1913 behind the Elwha Dam....
, Lake Mills

Lake Mills (Washington)

Lake Mills is a reservoir formed by the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River located about 13 miles from the mouth of the river on the Olympic Peninsula....
, Lake Cushman

Lake Cushman

Lake Cushman is a 4,010 acre lake on the north fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington. The lake originally was a long narrow broadening of the Skokomish River formed in a glacial trough and dammed by a terminal moraine from the last ice age, during the Vashon stade....
, and Wynoochee Lake.

The peninsula contains many state and national parks, including Anderson Lake, Bogachiel, Dosewallips, Fort Flagler

Fort Flagler State Park

Fort Flagler State Park is a List of Washington state parks on the site of Fort Flagler, a former United States Army fort at the northern end of Marrowstone, Washington....
, Fort Worden, Lake Cushman, Mystery Bay

Mystery Bay State Park

Mystery Bay State Park is a List of Washington state parks on Mystery Bay, a small inlet off of Scow Bay/Kilisut Harbor on the western side of Marrowstone, Washington....
, Old Fort Townsend, Potlatch, Sequim Bay, Shine Tidelands, and Triton Cove state parks; Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into three basic regions: the Pacific Ocean coastline, the Olympic Mountains, and the temperate rainforest....
; and the Olympic National Forest

Olympic National Forest

Olympic National Forest is a United States National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of 633,677 acres , it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountains range....
. Within the Olympic National Forest, there are five designated wilderness areas: The Brothers

The Brothers Wilderness

The Brothers Wilderness area is located on the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula south of Buckhorn Wilderness and north of Mt. Skokomish Wilderness....
, Buckhorn

Buckhorn Wilderness

The Buckhorn Wilderness is a mountainous U.S. Wilderness Area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, United States. Named after Buckhorn Mountain , the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mount Constance , Inner Constance , Warrior Peak , and Mount Deception ....
, Colonel Bob

Colonel Bob Wilderness

Colonel Bob Wilderness is a 48 km? protected area located in the southwest corner of Olympic National Forest in Washington State. It is named after 19th century orator Robert G....
, Mt. Skokomish, and Wonder Mountain

Wonder Mountain Wilderness

Wonder Mountain Wilderness is a designated wilderness area encompassing Wonder Mountain in the Olympic National Forest on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington in the United States....
. Just off the west coast is the Washington Islands Wilderness

Washington Islands Wilderness

Washington Islands Wilderness is a protected area consisting of more than 600 islands, rocks, and reefs belonging to the three Washington Islands National Wildlife Refuges in Washington state....
.

Clallam

Clallam County, Washington

Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2000, the population was 64,525. The county seat is at Port Angeles, Washington, which is also the county's largest city....
and Jefferson

Jefferson County, Washington

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington and named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2000, the population was 25,953. The county seat is at Port Townsend, Washington, which is also the county's only incorporated city....
counties, as well as the northern parts of Grays Harbor

Grays Harbor County, Washington

Grays Harbor County is a County of Washington, in the United States of America. As of 2000, the population was 67,194. The county seat is at Montesano, Washington, and its largest city is Aberdeen, Washington....
and Mason

Mason County, Washington

Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named for the first Secretary of Washington Territory, C.H. Mason. As of 2000, the population was 49,405....
counties, are on the peninsula.

From Olympia

Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the county seat of Thurston County, Washington. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 44,460 at the 2007 census....
, the state capital, U.S. Route 101

U.S. Route 101 in Washington

In the U.S. state of Washington, U.S. Route 101 is the westernmost state highway, serving the Olympic Peninsula. It runs from the Astoria-Megler Bridge north to the cities of Raymond, Washington, Aberdeen, Washington, Hoquiam, Washington, and Forks, Washington before turning east at the small community of Beaver to the most northern point of the hi...
runs along the Olympic Peninsula's eastern, northern, and western shorelines.

Politics

It is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as "the House", is one of the bicameralism of the United States Congress; the other is the United States Senate....
by Norman D. Dicks

Norman D. Dicks

Norman DeValois "Norm" Dicks , United States politician, has been a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1977, representing ....
.

Cities and towns

Amanda Park
Amanda Park, Washington

Amanda Park is an unincorporated area in the Olympic Peninsula in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States, along U.S. Route 101. Olympic National Park and Lake Quinault are directly to the north....
Brinnon
Brinnon, Washington

Brinnon is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 803 at the United States Census, 2000....
Chimacum
Chimacum, Washington

Chimacum is an unincorporated area in eastern Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States. It lies on the Olympic Peninsula at coordinates ....
Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay, Washington

Discovery Bay is:* A small bay adjoining the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington* An unincorporated area in Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States, located along Discovery Bay....
Eldon
Eldon, Washington

Eldon is an unincorporated area in Mason County, Washington, Washington, United States. Eldon is located along U.S. Route 101 on the scenic Hood Canal....
Forks
Forks, Washington

Forks is a city in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2000 United States Census. It is named after the forks in the nearby Quillayute River, Bogachiel River, Calawah River, and Sol Duc River rivers....
Hoodsport
Hoodsport, Washington

Hoodsport is an unincorporated area in Mason County, Washington, Washington, United States. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal, at the intersection of U.S....
Hoquiam
Hoquiam, Washington

Hoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 9,097 at the 2000 United States Census....
Humptulips
Humptulips, Washington

Humptulips is a census-designated place in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 United States Census....
Kalaloch
Kalaloch, Washington

Kalaloch is an unincorporated area in western Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States. The community is a resort on the bluffs just off of Highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington overlooking the Pacific Ocean....
La Push
La Push, Washington

La Push is a small unincorporated area in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is home to the Quileute and is located along the Quileute River....
Lilliwaup
Lilliwaup, Washington

Lilliwaup is a small unincorporated area in Mason County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is located on US Highway 101 on the western shore of Hood Canal, where Lilliwaup Creek enters into the saltwater fjord....
Moclips
Moclips, Washington

Moclips is a census-designated place in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 615 at the 2000 United States Census....
Neah Bay
Neah Bay, Washington

Neah Bay is a census-designated place on the Makah Indian reservation in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 794 at the United States Census, 2000....
Ocean City
Ocean City, Washington

Ocean City is a census-designated place in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 217 at the 2000 United States Census....
Ocean Shores
Ocean Shores, Washington

Ocean Shores is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 3,836 at the 2000 United States Census....
Olympia
Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the county seat of Thurston County, Washington. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 44,460 at the 2007 census....
Ozette
Ozette, Washington

Ozette is an unincorporated area in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. At 124 degrees, 40 minutes, 1 second West longitude, it is the westernmost populated area in the contiguous United States....
Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach, Washington

Pacific Beach is an unincorporated area in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Washington, United States, by the Pacific Ocean. There are many hotels there and a stretch of usable beach area is available to those who visit....
Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington

Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 18,397 at the United States Census, 2000, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula....
Port Hadlock
Port Ludlow
Port Ludlow, Washington

Port Ludlow is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 United States Census....
Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington

Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle, Washington. The population was 8,334 at the 2000 United States Census....
Potlatch
Potlatch, Washington

Potlatch is an unincorporated area in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is located on the western shore of Hood Canal's Great Bend, at the mouth of the Skokomish River....
Quilcene
Quilcene, Washington

Quilcene is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 591 at the 2000 United States Census....
Quinault
Sequim
Sequim, Washington

Sequim is a city in Clallam County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 5,951 at the 2007 United States Census. But, that does not include the approximately 20,000 residents in the Dungeness Valley immediately surrounding the city limits....
Shelton
Shelton, Washington

Shelton is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Washington, Washington, United States. Shelton is the western most city on the Puget Sound....
Union
Union, Washington

Union is a small unincorporated area in Mason County, Washington, Washington, United States. The town lies along the southern shore of Hood Canal, at an area known as "the Great Bend"....

External links

A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.