The Olympic Mountains are thought to be about 100 million years old and we created by shifting plates and glaciers. The area has been under water a number of times since then and the glaciers are responsible for the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and Hood Canal. A wide variety of soil and rocks can be found here, much having been left behind as the glaciers receeded after the last ice age.
There are seven zones in North America and four of them occur on the Olympic Peninsula. These zones are identified by the plant life found in them. The first is called the Lowland Forest Zone and starts at sea level and rising to about 1500 feet. These are the forests most people see as they travel across the Peninsula. Next, the Montane Zone rises to about 3500 feet, followed by the Subalpine to about 5000 feet and last, the Artic-Alpine Zone. As you move from the Lowland Forest Zone to the Montane Zone, the forest becomes very dense and undergrowth almost disappears. The most spectacular photos are generally of the Subalpine Zone, marked with open meadows with wildflowers and lakes. The Artic-Alpine Zone is identified by barren meadows, snow and glaciers.
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