Hills in the Puget Lowland, between the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains, including the entire Seattle metropolitan area, are generally between and rarely more than above sea level. Hills are often notable geologically and for social reasons, such as the seven hills of Seattle.
Formation The Puget Lowland lies between the Cascades and Olympic Mountains and once contained a plateau of glacial till not usually more than above sea level.Williams 2000 p. 87USDA 1952 p.5Figge 2008 p. 27 The plateau, "the most prominent single landform of the entire region", was dissected by glacial outwash, forming present-day landforms: rivers, creeks and streams; glacial lakes such as Lake Washington; and numerous kettle lakes, and Puget Sound itself. High points on the plateau remain, most of which are a drumlin (rocky glacial debris), or a bedrock intrusion that predated glaciation. Hills above 500 feet are considered exceptional.
Notable lowlands hills Hills are glacial deposits unless otherwise noted. King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties run up to the crest of the Cascades where their high points reside; therefore, the Cascades and attached foothills are excluded. Likewise for Thurston County in the Mount Rainier area, and Mason County's Olympic Mountains foothills.
North Sound Landforms north of the Tacoma Narrows (Island, King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties)
Island County Whidbey Island and Camano Island are islands in Puget Sound and form the bulk of Island County. Whidbey Island high point, unnamed peak 500 meters from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Camano Island high point, unnamed peak, the lowest high point of any Washington countyMartin 1994
King County Finn Hill, altitude Rose Hill;Raisz 1941 Forbes Creek origin, , Kirkland's high point (also see Bridle Trails State Park) Novelty Hill, Redmond's high point at
Seattle High Point, West Seattle, the highest point in the city at Seven hills of Seattle First Hill, nicknamed "Pill Hill" because of the many hospitals and clinics located there Yesler Hill Renton Hill Denny Hill – regraded, now called the Denny Regrade Capitol Hill Queen Anne Hill Beacon Hill
Kitsap County
The Blue Hills of the Kitsap Peninsula are unusual in that they are composed of basalt bedrock, not glacial till. Gold Mountain, (Kitsap County h.p. & city of Bremerton watershed on mountain contains city h.p.) Green Mountain,
Bainbridge Island is an island in Puget Sound. Toe Jam Hill, Bainbridge Island's high point,
Pierce County South Hill above Puyallup, Argonne Forest hills at Fort Lewis, formed of multiple layers of till deposited during Vashon glaciation; some hills may overlie drumlins from an earlier glacial phase.Fort Lewis forestry plan, p. 8 Hills are designated critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl, an endangered species whose forest habitat in the Puget Lowland has been largely destroyed.Fort Lewis forestry plan, p. 30 Black Hill 502 ft. Heaton Hill 423 ft.DeLorme 2002 p. 62 Kelly Hill 458 ft. Starr Hill 463–467 ft.
Snohomish County Bald Hill, Lake Serene Hill, Lynnwood Clearview Hill, altitude
South Puget Sound Landforms in South Puget Sound (Thurston and Mason counties) Black Hills, southwest of Olympia, basalt bedrock, high point . Bedrock comes to shore of Puget Sound at Mud Bay.Drost et al. 1998, p. 10 Kamilche Hill , Mason County above Little Skookum Inlet
Low mountains The Issaquah Alps Bellevue, Issaquah and Newcastle on the Eastside are considered part of the Cascades foothills by many authors. They are basalt intrusions possibly related to the Blue Hills of the Kitsap Peninsula. Highest point Tiger Mountain summit, .
The Anacortes Community Forest Lands contain several peaks over high, including the Fidalgo Island high point, Mount Erie.
Mason County's Olympic Mountains foothills are called the Satsop Hills.
See also List of highest points in Washington by county List of mountain peaks of Washington (state)
Footnotes
References
Sources (PDF from UW)
List maintained at Peakbagger.com
– 1941 original hand-penned map, 1965 third revision