Olympic Mountains

Olympic Mountains, highest part of the Coast Ranges, on the Olympic Peninsula, NW Wash. Mt. Olympus (7,965 ft/2,427 m) is the highest point in the mountains, which are composed mainly of sedimentary rock. The western side of the mountains is in one of the areas of greatest precipitation in the United States, with an annual rainfall of c.130 in. (330 cm); the northeast side, in the rain shadow, is in one of the driest areas on the West Coast. On the upper slopes are about 60 small glaciers fed by heavy winter snows. The greater part of the Olympic Mts. is included in

Olympic National Park, 922,651 acres (373,674 hectares). Proclaimed as Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909, it was established as a national park in 1938. Rugged mountains, alpine meadows, coniferous rain forests, glaciers, lakes, and streams characterize this area. The national park includes a 50-mi (80-km) stretch of scenic Pacific shoreline that contains wildlife sanctuaries. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Olympic Mountains

Segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges, northwestern Washington, U.S. The mountains extend across the Olympic Peninsula south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and west of Puget Sound within Olympic National Park. The chief peaks are Mount Olympus, at 7,965 ft (2,428 m), and Mount Constance, at 7,743 ft (2,360 m). There is heavy rainfall, creating rainforests dominated by Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. Some trees are nearly 300 ft (90 m) high and 8 ft (2.5 m) in diameter.

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Olympic Mountains 

an isolated mountain massif in the Coast Ranges, in the state of Washington, USA. The Olympic Mountains are composed of quartzites, argillaceous schists, and intrusions. There are elevations to 2,424 m (Mount Olympus). The mountains constitute one of the most humid regions in the United States, having an annual precipitation of more than 2,000 mm. The slopes are covered with high coniferous forests; alpine meadows and glaciers cover the peaks. Most of the massif is part of Olympic National Park.