The Binocular Site
Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic National Park is located on the northwest coast of Washington state. It was established in 1938, and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. It encompasses 922,561 acres of land, and its coastline is 73 miles long.
Along with its sandy beaches and rocky cliffs, other disparate regions can be found here. The Olympic Mountains, including Mount Olympus, are located in the center of the park, and are topped with ancient glaciers. On the western side of the park is a temperate rain forest, which is the wettest area in the continental United States. Because the park is isolated on a peninsula, it has developed several unique species of animals and plants.
Along with the 73 miles of coastline, there are over 3,000 miles of streams and rivers, as well as hundreds of lakes within the park, so fishing is abundant. The park also offers miles of hiking and walking trails. Nearly 40,000 people camp in the park each year.
Over 250 species of birds can be found in Olympic National Park. The diverse habitats provide nesting grounds for both inland and coastal birds. Species found in the forested area include blue grouse, gray jays, woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches. Coastal birds such as western gulls, rhinoceros auklets, and bald eagles may also be seen. The park's visitor center has bird checklists available.
See the Olympic National Park website for more information.
The official state bird of Washington is the American Goldfinch and you can find a checklist for birding activities in Washington here.
Photo credit to ((brian)), used with permission under the creative commons license.
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