Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus sits deep in the heart of the Olympic Peninsula, a 7,980-foot peak that receives more precipitation than almost anywhere else in the contiguous United States. The moisture feeds a network of glaciers that cling to the upper mountain despite its relatively modest elevation. Reaching the summit requires a long approach through old-growth rainforest, river crossings, and glacier travel, keeping it far quieter than the Cascades volcanoes visible across Puget Sound.

This map reveals the complex drainage pattern that defines the Olympic massif. Ridgelines radiate outward from the summit in multiple directions, each separating deep, glacier-carved valleys. The Blue Glacier on the northeast side is the most prominent feature, its contour lines tracing a broad tongue of ice that descends from the summit plateau. The surrounding terrain is steep and deeply incised, with the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault river valleys fanning out toward the coast.