Editing Olympic National Park (section)

==Natural and geologic history==

===Coastline===
The coastal portion of the park is a rugged, sandy beach along with a strip of adjacent forest. It is {{convert|60|mi}} long but just a few miles wide, with native communities at the mouths of two rivers. The [[Hoh River]] has the [[Hoh]] people and at the town of [[La Push]] at the mouth of the [[Quileute River]] live the [[Quileute (tribe)|Quileute]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Olympic National Park |author-link=Olympic National Park |title=Coast |url=http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/coast.htm |access-date=August 23, 2009 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

[[File:A058, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA, tidepools, 2002.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tide pool]]s form at low tide]]
The beach has unbroken stretches of wilderness ranging from {{convert|10|to|20|mi}}. While some beaches are primarily sand, others are covered with heavy rock and very large boulders. Bushy overgrowth, slippery footing, tides, and misty rainforest weather all hinder foot travel. The coastal strip is more readily accessible than the interior of the Olympics; due to the difficult terrain, very few backpackers venture beyond casual day-hiking distances.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 14, 2021 |title=The best hikes in Olympic National Park offer sea stacks, waterfalls and ancient petroglyphs |url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-hikes-olympic-national-park |access-date=January 11, 2023 |work=[[Lonely Planet]] |language=en}}</ref>

The most popular piece of the coastal strip is the {{convert|9|mi|adj=on}} Ozette Loop. The Park Service runs a registration and reservation program to control the usage levels of this area. From the trailhead at [[Ozette Lake]], a {{convert|3|mi|adj=on}} leg of the trail is a boardwalk-enhanced path through near primal coastal [[western redcedar|cedar]] swamp. Arriving at the ocean, it is a 3-mile walk supplemented by headland trails for high tides. This area has traditionally been favored by the [[Makah people|Makah]] from [[Neah Bay]]. The third 3-mile leg is enabled by a boardwalk which has enhanced the loop's accessibility.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Olympic National Park |author-link=Olympic National Park |title=Ozette Loop |url=https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/ozette-loop.htm |access-date=January 11, 2023 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Olympic National Park |author-link=Olympic National Park |title=Lake Ozette Area Brochure |url=https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/lake-ozette-area-brochure.htm |access-date=January 11, 2023 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

There are thick groves of trees adjacent to the sand, which results in chunks of timber from fallen trees on the beach. The mostly unaltered Hoh River, toward the south end of the park, discharges large amounts of naturally eroded timber and other drift, which moves north, enriching the beaches. Even today driftwood deposits form a commanding presence, biologically as well as visually, giving a taste of the original condition of the beach viewable to some extent in early photos. Drift material often comes from a considerable distance; the [[Columbia River]] formerly contributed huge amounts to the Northwest Pacific coasts.

The smaller coastal portion of the park is separated from the larger, inland portion. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] originally had supported connecting them with a continuous strip of parkland.

[[File:Olympic-NP-TF.jpg|thumb|A 3D computer-generated aerial view]]
The park is known for its unique [[turbidites]]. It has very exposed turbidities with white calcite veins. Turbidites are rocks or sediments that travel into the ocean as suspended particles in the flow of water, causing a sedimentary layering effect on the ocean floor. Over time the sediments and rock compact and the process repeats as a constant cycle. The park also is known for its tectonic [[mélange]]s that have been deemed 'smell rocks' by the locals due to their strong petroleum odor. Mélanges are large individual rocks that are large enough that they are accounted for in map drawings. The Olympic mélanges can be as large as a house.

===Glaciated mountains===
Within the center of Olympic National Park rise the [[Olympic Mountains]] whose sides and ridgelines are topped with massive, ancient [[glacier]]s. The mountains themselves are products of [[accretionary wedge]] uplifting related to the Juan De Fuca Plate [[subduction zone]]. The geologic composition is a curious [[mélange]] of basaltic and oceanic sedimentary rock.{{cn|date=November 2024}} The number of glaciers within the national park declined from 266 in 1982 to 184 by 2009 due to the effects of [[climate change]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Glaciers and Climate Change |url=https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/glaciers.htm |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=November 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Joseph |date=August 25, 2021 |title=The majestic Hoh Rain Forest is one of the natural wonders of Washington state; venture in and wander |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/the-majestic-hoh-rainforest-is-one-of-the-natural-wonders-of-washington-state-venture-in-and-wander/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=November 27, 2024}}</ref>

The western half of the range is dominated by the peak of [[Mount Olympus (Washington)|Mount Olympus]], which rises to {{convert|7965|ft}}. Mount Olympus receives a large amount of [[snow]] and consequently has the greatest glaciation of any non-volcanic peak in the contiguous United States outside of the North Cascades. It has several glaciers, the largest of which is [[Hoh Glacier]] at 3.06 miles (4.93&nbsp;km) in length. In the east, the range becomes much drier due to the rain shadow of the western mountains; the eastern mountains include numerous high peaks and craggy ridges. The tallest summit in the eastern Olympics is [[Mount Deception (Washington)|Mount Deception]], at {{convert|7788|ft}}.

===Temperate rainforest===
[[File:2000-09-23 GracieByDownedCyprus.jpg|thumb|Downed [[Thuja plicata|western redcedar]]]]
The western side of the park is mantled by [[temperate rainforest]]s, including the [[Hoh Rainforest]] and [[Quinault Rainforest]], which receive annual precipitation of over {{convert|12|ft|cm}}, making this perhaps the wettest area in the [[Contiguous United States|continental United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Olympic National Park |author-link=Olympic National Park |title=Weather Brochure |url=https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/weather-brochure.htm |access-date=January 11, 2023 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2018 |title=11 Things You Didn't Know About Olympic National Park |url=https://www.doi.gov/blog/11-things-you-didnt-know-about-olympic-national-park |work=Blog of the Interior |publisher=[[U.S. Department of the Interior]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603051613/https://doi.gov/blog/11-things-you-didnt-know-about-olympic-national-park |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |accessdate=January 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolford |first=Brooke |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Rainforest in Washington is the wettest in the continental US, officials say |work=[[The Olympian]] |publisher=McClatchy |url=https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article248326730.html}}</ref>

As opposed to [[tropical rainforests]] and most other temperate rainforest regions, the rainforests of the [[Pacific Northwest]] are dominated by [[coniferous]] trees, including [[Sitka Spruce]], [[Western Hemlock]], [[Coast Douglas-fir]] and [[Western redcedar]]. [[Moss]]es coat the bark of these trees and even drip down from their branches in green, moist tendrils.

Valleys on the eastern side of the park also have notable [[old-growth forest]], but the climate is notably drier. Sitka Spruce is absent, trees on average are somewhat smaller, and undergrowth is generally less dense and different in character. Immediately northeast of the park is a [[rainshadow]] area where annual precipitation averages about 17&nbsp;inches.