Mount Olympus, at , is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains of the U.S. state of Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is also a central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains; however, peaks such as Mount Constance and The Brothers, on the eastern margin of the range, are better known, being visible from the Seattle metropolitan area.

Description

With notable local relief, Mount Olympus ascends over from the elevation confluence of the Hoh River with Glacier Creek in only . Mount Olympus has of prominence, ranking 5th in the state of Washington. these have all been shrinking in area and volume, and shortening in recent decades.

History

According to Edmond S. Meany (1923), Origin of Washington geographic names, citing Joseph A. Costello (1895), The Siwash, their life, legends and tales, the Duwamish used the name Sunh-a-do for the Olympian Mountains (or Coast Range in Costello 1895); besides its unclear origin, some references misuse this name for the Native American name of the mountain. Spanish explorer Juan Pérez named the mountain Cerro Nevado de Santa Rosalía ("Snowy Peak of Saint Rosalia") in 1774. This is said to be the first time a European named a geographic feature in what is now Washington state. On July 4, 1788, British explorer John Meares gave the mountain its present name.

In 1890 an expedition, led by US Army officer Joseph P. O'Neil, reached the summit, of what is today presumed to have been the southern peak.

On March 2, 1909, Mount Olympus National Monument was proclaimed by President Theodore Roosevelt.

See also

  • List of mountain peaks of North America
  • List of mountain peaks of the United States
  • List of Ultras of the United States
  • List of highest points in Washington by county

References

  • The Mountaineers: 1920 Outing to Mt. Olympus - University of Washington Library
  • The Mountaineers Photography - University of Washington Library