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Mount Lena over Upper Lena Lake, Olympic National Park (Trip 3)

Southeastern Olympic Mountains

The Olympic Mountains fill the center of the Olympic Peninsula, a wild extension of land in western Washington that is separated from the rest of our region by Puget Sound and its numerous tidal arms. This was one of the last areas in the Lower 48 to be explored, and to this day much of the peninsula remains wonderfully wild, thanks largely to the protection provided by Olympic National Park. Although relatively low in elevation (the highest peaks are only around 7000 feet), the mountains are remarkably “tall,” because they begin practically at sea level. They are also exceptionally rugged, having been eroded into sharp ridges and deep valleys by ancient glaciers and the enormous quantities of rain that continue to fall today. Only a small portion of the far southeastern edge of this range is close enough to Portland to make a reasonable weekend destination, but that sampling is well worthwhile and, with the exception of lush rain forests, it includes all of the attributes found elsewhere in these mountains: plenty of wildflowers, abundant wildlife, lovely streams and lakes, and terrific mountain scenery.