The Buckhorn Wilderness is a mountainous wilderness area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA. Named after Buckhorn Mountain (), the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mount Constance (), Inner Constance (), Warrior Peak (), and Mount Deception ().
History In 1984, the U.S. Congress established five wilderness areas within the Olympic National Forest: Buckhorn Wilderness Colonel Bob Wilderness Mount Skokomish Wilderness The Brothers Wilderness Wonder Mountain Wilderness
Buckhorn Wilderness is the largest of the five, all of which sit on the eastern flank of the Olympic Wilderness within Olympic National Park. 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: at the Big Quilcene River, at the Dungeness River, and at Townsend Creek. The highest point in the wilderness is 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 . A notable historical site in the Buckhorn Wilderness is the Tubal Cain mine.
Ecology The wilderness lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, resulting in a relatively drier climate. Despite this, the lowland forests (below about ) are still dominated by stands of old-growth 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 , 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.
Recreation More than of trails provide access to the wilderness for backpacking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, hunting, hiking, camping, viewing wildlife, and fishing.
See also List of U.S. Wilderness Areas List of old growth forests
References
External links Buckhorn Wilderness U.S. Forest Service Buckhorn Wilderness Wilderness.net (The University of Montana)