Dungeness River

Dungeness River
Country United States
State Washington
County Clallam, Jefferson
Source Olympic Mountains
 - coordinates 47°48′19″N 123°10′0″W / 47.80528°N 123.16667°W [1]
Mouth Strait of Juan de Fuca
 - coordinates 48°9′3″N 123°8′8″W / 48.15083°N 123.13556°WCoordinates: 48°9′3″N 123°8′8″W / 48.15083°N 123.13556°W [1]
Length 28 mi (45 km) [1]
Location of the mouth of the Dungeness River in Washington

The Dungeness River is a 28-mile (45 km) long[1] river located in the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Constance in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park, flows through the Buckhorn Wilderness, passes by the town of Sequim, and empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Dungeness Bay, behind the Dungeness Spit.[2] One of its main tributaries is the Gray Wolf River.

The river was named for Dungeness Spit. The name "Dungeness" refers to the Dungeness headland in England. It was given by George Vancouver in 1792, who wrote: The low sandy point of land, which from its great resemblance to Dungeness in the British Channel, I called New Dungeness.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dungeness River
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dungeness Bay
  3. Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.