Buckhorn Wilderness

Buckhorn Wilderness
Location	Washington, USA
Nearest city	Quilcene, WA
Coordinates	47°50′0″N 123°8′0″W / 47.83333, -123.13333
Area	44,258 acres (179.1 km²)
Established	1984
Governing body	Olympic National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service

Buckhorn Mountain as seen from the southwest

The Buckhorn Wilderness is a 44,258 acre[1] mountainous wilderness area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA. Named after Buckhorn Mountain (6,988 feet above sea level), the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mount Constance (7,756 feet), Inner Constance (7,667 feet), Warrior Peak (7,320 feet), and Mount Deception (7,788 feet).

Administration

The Buckhorn Wilderness, established in 1984, is the largest of the five wilderness areas surrounding the Olympic Wilderness within Olympic National Park. The others are:

• The Brothers Wilderness
• Colonel Bob Wilderness
• Mt. Skokomish Wilderness
• Wonder Mountain Wilderness

The Buckhorn Wilderness is administered by the Hood Canal Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest.

Geography

The lowest elevations of the Buckhorn Wilderness are found in the lower parts of the three principal drainages: 2,470 feet at the Big Quilcene River, 2,700 feet at the Dungeness River, and 3,300 feet at Townsend Creek. The highest point in the wilderness is 7,139 feet at the summit of Mount Fricaba, which lies on the western boundary of the wilderness area, shared by Olympic National Park. The tallest peak entirely within the wilderness is Buckhorn Mountain at 6,988 feet.

Ecology

The wilderness lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Range, resulting in a relatively drier climate. Despite this, the lowland forests (below about 4,000 feet) are still dominated by western red cedar, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir, in addition to numerous understory organisms such as devil's club, salal, thimbleberry, fungi, and mosses. Above about 6,000 feet, alpine vegetation prevails where conditions are not too dry. Some slopes, such as the south side of Buckhorn Mountain, are rather arid above tree line due to fast-draining soils, sunny exposure, and low precipitation in the summer months.

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