Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is one of the premier areas to see old-growth forest in Washington state. It features a varied landscape from coasts, to mountains, to old-growth forests across the Olympic Peninsula. West of the Olympic Mountains are temperate rain forests, with abundant rainfall and verdant mossy forests. Across Olympic National Park are multiple access points to lowland old-growth forests with towering Douglas fir and western Hemlocks, some up to 1,000 years old. This area has a rich diversity of conifers, also including Sitka Spruce, Grand Fir, Western Redcedar, Western White Pine, and Lodgepole Pine. 

The dynamics of an old-growth forest are evident throughout these lowland areas, with decaying, fallen trees often serving as nurse logs for the next generation of seedlings. The constant cycles of growth and decomposition have created a rich layer of soil and abundant rain (sometimes measured in feet) feeds the lush understories of ferns and mosses.

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