Olympic National Park, Washington State

The 1,400 square miles of Olympic National Park in northwestern Washington state encompasses not only snow-capped Mount Olympus, glaciers, alpine meadows and rocky Pacific Mountain coastline but also one of the few temperate rain forests in the world. The luxuriant forest is created by the warm, moisture-laden air from the Pacific, meeting the mountains and dropping more than 12 feet of rain a year. This cool, perpetually damp environment results in a dense, green, jungle-like world. It is home to some of the world's largest conifers, towering 230 feet; moss-enshrouded maple trees with 40 foot spans; and a dense undergrowth of shrubs, wildflowers, ferns and lichen. All are vying for light and room to grow. The cycle of growth and decay is abundantly demonstrated here, foe example when new trees sprout up along the decaying trunks of fallen trees. The biological evolution, the ecological variety and the sheer splendor of the coastline, forests and mountains of Olympic make it a special place. (Inscribed in 1981)