Tuesday, July 17, 2012

WASHINGTON STATE AND THE HOH RAINFOREST

    Washington State is an aquatic wonderland of coastal waters, tide pools, saltwater inlets, glacier-fed rivers, low country and alpine lakes, reservoirs, protected wetlands and estuaries teeming with fish, birds and all sorts of watchable wildlife. It is also home to thousands of waterfalls, including some as dramatic and spectacular as Palouse Falls and Snoqualmie Falls. Located about 35 miles east of Seattle, Snoqualmie Falls had a big pop culture moment when it was featured in the opening sequence of the hit ‘90s TV showTwin Peaks.
    Washington State offers almost unlimited opportunities for boating, kayaking, canoeing, whitewater river rafting, swimming, fishing, hiking, sightseeing, bird watching, duck hunting or just pondering as you watch the sun set over water.

    What makes Washington “the Evergreen State”? Millions of acres of national parks, wilderness areas, forests, recreation and scenic areas, state forests and parks, reserves and preserves. Washington’s forests are diverse ecosystems densely populated with cedar, hemlock, Douglas fir, pine, spruce and other evergreens, with just enough deciduous trees to make fall spectacular.
    Old-growth forests still stand tall in places like Olympic National Park, where you can look out from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and see a rare and beautiful panorama of old-growth–covered mountains and river valleys. And in places like the Hoh Rainforest, an environment so beautiful and otherworldly you have to see it to believe it—and even then, you won’t believe it.