Olympic Peninsula
Large peninsula in Western Washington with Olympic National Park.
The Olympic Peninsula sits in Western Washington, across Puget Sound from Seattle, and encompasses Olympic National Park. Its western edge meets the Pacific Ocean, its northern boundary is the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and its eastern side is defined by Hood Canal. The peninsula covers roughly 3,600 square miles (9,300 km²) and includes Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous United States, as well as Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point. For years, this area held some of the last uncharted territories in the lower 48 states; most of its topography and timber resources remained unmapped until Arthur Dodwell and Theodore Rixon surveyed them between 1898 and 1900.
Clallam and Jefferson Counties lie on the peninsula, along with the northern parts of Grays Harbor and Mason Counties. The Kitsap Peninsula, separated by Hood Canal and Puget Sound, is a distinct landform not connected to the Olympic Peninsula. U.S. Route 101, starting from the state capital Olympia, traces the peninsula’s eastern, northern, and western shorelines. At the center sits the Olympic mountain range, the second largest in Washington State, with Mount Olympus as its highest peak. A current initiative called the Wild Olympics campaign seeks to protect more wilderness areas, safeguard salmon streams under the Wild and Scenic River Act, and allow Olympic National Park to purchase adjacent land from willing sellers.
Most of the peninsula experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), though many populated areas have a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb). Temperate rain forests—such as the Hoh, Queets Rain Forest, and Quinault—thrive here, especially on the western side, because the interior mountains create a rain shadow that leaves the northeast much drier. Major salmon-bearing rivers include, moving clockwise from the southwest, the Humptulips, Quinault, Queets, Quillayute, Bogachiel, Sol Duc, Lyre, Elwha (site of the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration), Dungeness, Dosewallips, Hamma Hamma, Skokomish, and Wynoochee. Natural lakes include Crescent, Ozette, Sutherland, Quinault, and Pleasant. Two dammed rivers form the reservoirs of Lake Cushman and Wynoochee Lake; two former reservoirs—Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills—were removed as part of the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration.
The peninsula hosts numerous state and national parks: Anderson Lake, Bogachiel, Dosewallips, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, Lake Cushman, Mystery Bay, Old Fort Townsend, Potlatch, Sequim Bay, Shine Tidelands, and Triton Cove state parks, plus Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest. Within the national forest are five designated wilderness areas: The Brothers, Buckhorn, Colonel Bob, Mt. Skokomish, and Wonder Mountain. Just off the west coast lies the Washington Islands Wilderness. Politically, the peninsula is represented in the U.S. House by Democrat Emily Randall, and in the Washington State Legislature by Democratic state senator Kevin Van De Wege and Democratic state representatives Mike Chapman and Steve Tharinger. Cities with populations of at least 10,000 include Port Angeles, Aberdeen, Shelton, and Port Townsend.
- Area
- About 3,600 square miles (9,300 km2)
- Location
- Western Washington, bounded by Pacific Ocean, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Hood C
- Highest peak
- Mt. Olympus
- Westernmost point
- Cape Alava
- Northwesternmost point
- Cape Flattery
- Counties
- Clallam, Jefferson, northern Grays Harbor, northern Mason
- Major cities
- Port Angeles, Aberdeen, Shelton, Port Townsend
Lore & Background
The Olympic Peninsula remained largely unmapped until Arthur Dodwell and Theodore Rixon mapped most of its topography and timber resources between 1898 and 1900. The Olympic mountain range sits in the center of the peninsula; it is the second largest in Washington State, and its highest peak is Mt. Olympus. Most of the peninsula has an oceanic climate, or Cfb under the Köppen climate classification, though most populated areas have a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, or Csb. The peninsula is home to temperate rain forests, including the Hoh, Queets Rain Forest, and Quinault. Rain forest vegetation is concentrated primarily in the western part, as the interior mountains create a rain shadow effect in areas to the northeast, resulting in a much drier climate in those locales.
Reader's Guide
The Olympic Peninsula is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democrat Emily Randall, and in the Washington State Legislature by Democratic state senator Kevin Van De Wege and Democratic state representatives Mike Chapman and Steve Tharinger. Major salmon-bearing rivers include, clockwise from the southwest, the Humptulips, the Quinault, the Queets, the Quillayute, Bogachiel, the Sol Duc, the Lyre, the Elwha (see Elwha Ecosystem Restoration), the Dungeness, the Dosewallips, the Hamma Hamma, the Skokomish, and the Wynoochee River. Natural lakes include Lake Crescent, Lake Ozette, Lake Sutherland, Lake Quinault, and Lake Pleasant. Two dammed rivers form the reservoirs of Lake Cushman and Wynoochee Lake; two previous reservoirs, destroyed in the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration, were Lake Aldwell (behind the former Elwha Dam) and Lake Mills (behind the former Glines Canyon Dam). The peninsula contains many state and national parks, including Anderson Lake, Bogachiel, Dosewallips, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, Lake Cushman, Mystery Bay, Old Fort Townsend, Potlatch, Sequim Bay, Shine Tidelands, and Triton Cove state parks; Olympic National Park; and the Olympic National Forest. Within the Olympic National Forest, there are five designated wilderness areas: The Brothers, Buckhorn, Colonel Bob, Mt. Skokomish, and Wonder Mountain. Just off the west coast is the Washington Islands Wilderness. A major effort called the Wild Olympics campaign is under way to protect additional wilderness areas on the Olympic Peninsula, protect salmon streams under the Wild and Scenic River Act and provide a means for Olympic National Park to offer to buy land adjacent to the Park from willing sellers.
Did You Know?
- Cape Alava is the westernmost point in the contiguous United States, and Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point, both on the Olympic Peninsula.
- The peninsula remained largely unmapped until Arthur Dodwell and Theodore Rixon mapped most of its topography and timber resources between 1898 and 1900.
- The Olympic mountain range is the second largest in Washington State, with its highest peak being Mt. Olympus.
- The peninsula contains five designated wilderness areas within Olympic National Forest: The Brothers, Buckhorn, Colonel Bob, Mt. Skokomish, and Wonder Mountain.
- Two reservoirs, Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills, were destroyed as part of the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Olympic Peninsula?
Olympic Peninsula is a roughly 3,600-square-mile landmass in Western Washington that sits directly across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bordered by the Pacific on the west, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, and Hood Canal to the east.
What are Olympic Peninsula's powers/role?
Its most celebrated feature is Olympic National Park, which shelters one of the last truly wild stretches of terrain in the lower 48 states. The peninsula also claims Mt. Olympus as its highest peak and Cape Alava as its westernmost point.
How does Olympic Peninsula's story end?
For decades the interior remained largely unmapped and uncharted. That changed between 1898 and 1900, when surveyors Arthur Dodwell and Theodore Rixon finally documented most of its topography and timber resources, effectively closing the book on its era of mystery.
Why is Olympic Peninsula important?
It spans four counties—Clallam, Jefferson, and the northern portions of Grays Harbor and Mason—and protects a remarkable mix of temperate rainforest, alpine tundra, and coastline. Its status as one of the final unexplored regions in the contiguous U.S. gave it outsized significance in American geographic history.
Where does Olympic Peninsula live?
It occupies the northwestern corner of Washington State, stretching from Cape Flattery at its northwestern tip down through the Olympic Mountains. The peninsula sits directly across Puget Sound from Seattle, making it one of the most geographically prominent landforms on the U.S. West Coast.
More in Peninsulas 1-24
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