Olympic-Nationalpark

The Olympic National Park (English Olympic National Park ) was founded in 1938 and is located in the western part of the U.S. state of Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Since 1976, the National Park is designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. In 1981, the UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Since the National Park is situated on a secluded peninsula, who here can develop some animal and plant species that occur only here in the Park (endemic species). For this reason, the park is a favorite with biologists and zoologists research.

The national park consists of two distinct parts. The coastline is very rugged and often shrouded in mist. Further inland, situated directly on the beaches of the forest on, which often leads to fallen tree trunks lying across the beach. The core area of the park is the mountain region around the Olympic Mountains, is covered by many ancient glaciers. To the west it close to the park boundary Temperate rainforest, here is (apart from Hawaii) the wettest point in the U.S..

History

In the area of the park single finds from the Paleo-Indian period about 12,000 years Before Present were made. Really tangible in the region is only the culture of the Makah, which hardly varied from about the turn of time until contact with Europeans is detectable.

Namesake of the Olympic National Park is Mount Olympus, which was named in 1788 by Captain John Meares as a worthy abode of the gods so. At the end of the 19th century diminished by felling the forests on the Olympic Peninsula, President Cleveland declared 1897 the majority of the forests to the Olympic Forest Reserve. This protective measure regulated the logging, but not the hunt for elk. By 1900 their numbers had fallen to less than 20,000 animals. Therefore, President Theodore Roosevelt had in 1909 a part of the Forest Reserve of Mount Olympus as a National Monument to protect the stock of elk. The withdrawal of so large forest areas for forest management was controversial, and the area of the protected area was halved within a year, so that large parts of the low-lying areas of the Olympic Peninsula could be cleared. In order to protect the fantastic rain forests from deforestation, led Stephen Mather, director of the National Park Service, and his successor in office, Horace Albright a 23-year struggle for the establishment of a National Park on the Olympic Peninsula. After a visit to the territory by President Franklin Roosevelt promised his support for this and signed the 1938 law establishing the Olympic National Park. 1953, the national park was expanded by a strip along the Pacific coast. In 1988, the U.S. Congress 3547 square kilometers, or about 95 % of the park area as Wilderness Area under additional protection. This includes 77 kilometers of coastline on the Pacific Coast as Wilderness. The thus created Wilderness is the largest of its kind in the state of Washington.

Further, the National Park is partially surrounded by the 2564 -square-kilometer Olympic National Forest, which was formed in 1907 from the not to Mount Olympus National Monument that part of the Olympic Forest Reserve. 1984 were established in him five Wlderness era, bordering the Olympic Wilderness and include 357 km ² about 15 % of the area of the National Forest. The Olympic Wilderness is bordered to the northeast by the Buckhorn Wilderness, on the east by The Brothers Wilderness, in the southeast on the Mount Skokomish Wilderness, on the south by the Wonder Mountain Wilderness and in the east and south by the Colonel Bob Wilderness.

The scientific and scenic importance of the national park is internationally recognized. 1976 classified by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, a National Park, 1981, they declared it a World Heritage Site.

The Elwha River is in the north of the park since September 2011 site of the largest restoration program of the United States. Over three years, will be demolished two dams, on account of which are no longer accessible to the natural fish migration since 1910 and thus before the establishment of the park 70 km of the river. After restoring the original water regime in the long term instead of the current about 3000 Pacific Salmon about 400,000 salmon of all five species occurring in the area are expected. Much faster than expected adult Pacific salmon were already in August 2012, just five months after the demolition of the first dam, observed during ascent in the river.

Activities

The main visitor center (English Olympic National Park Visitor Center ) of the park is located in Port Angeles. From there a road to up to 1585 meters, the subalpine Hurricane Ridge, on which there is a small visitor center and partly paved nature trails and hiking trails. A narrow dirt road leads from here to 14 km away, 1965 feet high Obstruction Peak. Other roads in the northern park area lead to the Deer Park and in the valleys of the Boulder and Sol Duc River, which give rise to numerous, sometimes longer hikes. Another visitor center are in the Hoh Rainforest, also here there are several, partly paved nature trails and hiking trails. Overall, the visitors are nearly 1,000 miles of hiking trails in all parts of the park are available. There are small primitive tent sites and some shelters to the extensive hiking trails. On the Pacific coast of the national park, extensive beach walks are possible on the sandy coves such as La Push, Rialto Beach or Ruby Beach. For swimming the waters of the Pacific is too cold even in summer. The visitor center for the beaches and for the western part of the park is located in Forks. In the southwestern part of the park unpaved roads lead to Queets, North Fork, Graves Creek, Staircase and Dosewallips, which are starting points for some multi-day hikes. The lakes such as Lake Crescent and Ozette Lake and the numerous rivers offer the possibility for fishing or boating. In winter you can drive on the Hurricane Ridge ski or snowboard. There are in the park next to the primitive campsites along the trails 17 medium to large campsites that are accessible by vehicles. In the park are located at Lake Crescent Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge two historic mountain hotel.

Flora and Fauna

Since the National Park is situated on a secluded peninsula, who here can develop some animal and plant species that occur only here in the Park (endemic species). For this reason, the park is a favorite with biologists and zoologists research. The best known of these endemic species is the Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadiensis roosvelti ), the largest subspecies of elk. These are up to 450 kg. The national park was founded in 1909 as a National Monument to protect this elk. Among the smallest domestic to Olympic National Park mammal species include various types of Rotzahnspitzmäusen ( Sorex ), which is only a few grams in weight ( p trowbridgii, S. and S. vagrans monticolus ).

Shoreline

Mild temperatures and abundant rainfall make a dense forest on the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to grow. Man-high bushes crowd at the tops of Sitka spruce, western hemlock and American the giant trees of life. Ferns and mosses form a spongy carpet. In some areas, the forest gives way to the humid, coastal prairies. There live acid loving plants such as marsh bearberry, crowberry, Poleiblättrige Laurel Rose, Engblättriger Sumpfporst, sundew and sphagnum mosses.

On the beaches of dense forest extends to the ocean. Due to the prevailing westerly winds are found on the leeward side often huge trees or branches as driftwood. On the tree-tops often sit bald eagles and osprey. Cluttered driftwood lying on the beach, which was washed up on the meandering rivers of the forest here.

On the rugged coast of Olympic National Park, one can observe with a little luck, living exclusively in the sea otter and the seal. The sea otters were extinct at the beginning of the 20th century off the coast of Washington. 1969 and 1970 began reintroduction programs, so that the number of sea otters is now estimated again to about 800 animals. From March to May draw gray whales on their way over to the south on the coast of the National Park. On the coast, one can observe a number of loons and several representatives of the family of the Auks, including the critically endangered Marmelalk which up to 60 km broods as seabird inland.

The northern living Pelikanart North America, the American White Pelican is here more common than its more common in the south relative, the brown pelican. Also on the coast you will encounter three cormorant species, the double-crested cormorant, Pinselscharbe and Meerscharbe.

Mountain Region

At about 1,200 meters to reach the subalpine mountain region. On the west side of the park reign next to the American West Hemlock mainly before Purple firs. On the drier eastern side of purple -fir are found only on the north facing slopes, on the south-facing slopes dominated by Douglas fir and western hemlock American. Forest fires play an active role and create a mosaic of different ancient forest.

In the mountains, the forest limit is 1500-1800 meters. It extends the alpine zone. Here grow a number of wildflowers, such as Campanula piperi, a native only in the mountains of the Olympic Glockenblumenart. Above that you will encounter various grasses and sedges.

Here the golden eagle Lark, Raven and also only in the mountains of the Olympic domestic Olympic Chipmunk ( Tamias amoenus caurinus ), a Streifenhörnchenart, as well as the Olympic marmot live. The gray jays, a close relative of living in Scandinavia Unglückshähers is frequently found in the subalpine coniferous forest, as well as the Steller.

Rainforest

The lush forests in the valleys of the Quinault, Queets, Hoh and Bogachiel River are typical examples of the traditional temperate rainforest. This extends from southern Oregon to South East Alaska. However, outside the protected areas get a little of it. This annual fall up to 4,000 mm of rainfall, with moderate temperature which is not higher than 27 degrees Celsius even in summer. Here epiphytes, mosses, ferns and lichens growing on the tree trunks and branches, which give the forest a jungle -like appearance.

The large, old trees are mainly Sitka spruce and western hemlock American. Many of them are over 100 years old and can grow up to 80 meters high, with a circumference of up to 20 meters. Because of the densely wooded reason many sprouts grow on fallen trees. This rotting over time, the stilt-like roots remain. This process may take centuries to complete and provides an important habitat for mosses, fungi, small mammals, amphibians and insects.

The Roosevelt elk inhabits the rainforest of the National Park. In addition to the elk come in the park in front of the much smaller mule deer. Of the predators here, puma, bobcat, black bear and coyote are represented. The once also an indigenous Wolf applies since the 1920s as extinct. As also extinct or virtually extinct in the Olympic National Park was also the fishermen marten. Due to strong over-hunting and loss of natural habitat of the marten fishing for highly endangered species such as the house cat, marten was great, and thus the largest member of its genus, was reintroduced between January 2008 and February 2010 back to its original home. Since 2007 a ​​reintroduction program for the wolf after the great success in Yellowstone National Park is discussed.

In Olympic National Park about 300 different bird species have been recorded. One of the most famous is the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina ), a subspecies of the spotted owl. Since this places heavy demands on their habitat and the rare old forests now preferred, it has become a kind of emblem of the Olympic National Park. In addition, you can still meet next to her on a number of owls: Western Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Snowy owl, pygmy gnome, Burrowing Owl, Barred Owl, Saw Whet Owl and the Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl and.

Seven out of the 23 different North American woodpecker species occur in the park. Quite often you can Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Flicker, fire head Sapsucker and the largest North American woodpecker, watch the relatives of our black woodpecker, the Pileated Woodpecker. Rare to face do you get blood on the other hand face Woodpecker, Spruce Woodpecker, Black -backed Woodpecker and Rotnacken Sapsucker.

The heron family is represented by five species in the Olympic National Park: The encountered throughout North America Canada herons, which is closely related not only with our Great Blue Heron, but this looks very similar to the occurring only in America Green Heron North American bittern, which in turn, is a close relative of our bittern and the two types occurring in Europe egrets and cattle egrets.

The Anatidae family is represented by 30 species in this national park. The largest Schwanenart, the trumpeter swan is here as well as in front of the slightly smaller Bewick's swan. Both swan species are mainly found in the northern part of the continent and to optically distinguish besides the size only by each other, that the Bewick's swan has a small yellow spot in front of the eye. Otherwise, both have a black beak and a white plumage.

The occurring only in America Grebe you meet there at lakes and rivers. Similarly, one meets there the domestic and in Europe Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe and Black-necked Grebe.

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