Olympic National Park
A place where glacier-capped mountains and temperate rainforest coexist; the reverse bears a Roosevelt elk.
Olympic National Park is a special natural landmark in the state of Washington where snow-capped mountains, dense rainforest, and seashore all come together in one place. Because such different landscapes exist together within a single park, it may well be called “a place where several worlds gather.”
The reverse of the coin depicts a Roosevelt elk standing by the Hoh River and Mount Olympus seen in the distance. A large elk standing proudly by the river and a mountain rising behind it are held together on the coin.
The Roosevelt elk is a large deer that lives in this region, and it is a representative animal of Olympic, dwelling in the dense rainforest and along the riverbanks. This animal and the mountain behind it together show the rich nature of this place, where forest, river, and mountain come together.
Olympic began to be protected on February 22, 1897, and later took its place as a national park, preserving its varied nature. It is a precious space that left mountain, forest, and sea all at once.
When you look at the elk and mountain on the coin, you feel as if you were standing by a river in a mist-shrouded rainforest. In effect, a small quarter leads you into the deep nature of Washington.