Wonder Mountain Wilderness
Encyclopedia
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
. The wilderness was established in 1984 and comprises 2349 acre (10 km²). It borders Olympic National Park
and is administered by the US Forest Service.
Wonder Mountain Wilderness is roughly triangle-shaped. A high ridge encompasses the southern point of the triangle, rising to the peak of 4848 feet (1,478 m) Wonder Mountain. Below the summit stands a heavy forest of western hemlock
, Douglas fir, and silver fir
. Alder
, willow
, and vine maple
grow along McKay Creek and Five Stream, both of which are have their headwaters in the wilderness. Huckleberry
and thimbleberry
are also common.
There are no trails leading into or through Wonder Mountain Wilderness. Two forest roads that run near the southeast and southwest borders close to motor vehicles in fall and winter to provide protection for wildlife.
Olympic National Forest
Olympic National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of 633,677 acres , it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountain range. Olympic National Forest contains parts of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Mason counties...
on the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
of Washington in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The wilderness was established in 1984 and comprises 2349 acre (10 km²). It borders 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 four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
and is administered by the US Forest Service.
Wonder Mountain Wilderness is roughly triangle-shaped. A high ridge encompasses the southern point of the triangle, rising to the peak of 4848 feet (1,478 m) Wonder Mountain. Below the summit stands a heavy forest of western hemlock
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, Douglas fir, and silver fir
Silver Fir
Abies alba, commonly known as the European silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, and south to southern Italy and northern Serbia.-Description:...
. Alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
, and vine maple
Vine Maple
Acer circinatum is a species of maple native to western North America, from southwest British Columbia to northern California, always within 300 km of the Pacific Ocean coast....
grow along McKay Creek and Five Stream, both of which are have their headwaters in the wilderness. Huckleberry
Vaccinium parvifolium
Red Huckleberry is a species of Vaccinium native to the western North America, where it is common in forests from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south through western Washington and Oregon to central California. In the Oregon Coast Range, it is the most common Vaccinium...
and thimbleberry
Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry or salmonberry, is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan, and south to northern Mexico...
are also common.
There are no trails leading into or through Wonder Mountain Wilderness. Two forest roads that run near the southeast and southwest borders close to motor vehicles in fall and winter to provide protection for wildlife.