Olympic National Forest

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Olympic National Forest
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)

Location:	Washington, USA
Nearest city:	Quinault, WA
Area:	633,677 million acres
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

Olympic National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of 633,677 million acres, it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountain range. Olympic National Forest contains parts of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Mason counties. The landscape of the national forest varies, from the temperate Olympic rain forest to the salt water fjord of Hood Canal to the peaks of Mt. Washington.

Annual precipitation averages about 220 inches, giving rise to streams such as the Humptulips River.

Olympic National Forest was originally created as Olympic Forest Reserve in 1897, then renamed to Olympic National Forest in 1907. It is administered in two ranger districts: the Pacific Ranger District, on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula, and the Hood Canal Ranger District, on the east side.

The four forest offices are located in Olympia, Forks, Quinault, and Quilcene. The former office in Hoodsport closed in 2005, and now houses a local Chamber of Commerce, which still sells Northwest Forest Passes.

Other Washington towns near entrances of the forest include Port Angeles, Sequim, and Amanda Park.