© Pete Saloutos/Panoramic Images (Washington Title Image Large)
HomeExplore Places and TopicsFind Your StateWashingtonEcosystems and HabitatsFeatured EcosystemsIconic EcosystemsRainforest
Olympic Rainforest
The Olympic Peninsula of Washington is home to one of the few temperate rainforests in the world. Annual precipitation is 12 to 14 feet!
Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees dominate the forest canopy. The largest trees are hundreds of years old and can be up to 250 feet tall and 30 to 60 feet in circumference. And everywhere there are mosses, ferns, and lichens. The thick canopy helps to moderate the temperature throughout the year, making it a welcome environment for the largest herd of Roosevelt elk in the U.S.
Representative Ecological Systems of the Olympic Rainforest
North Pacific Hypermaritime Southern Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest
North Pacific Hypermaritime Western Red-cedar-Western Hemlock Forest
Additional Resources
