Page 35 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

A POR TR AIT OF THE P A CIFIC NOR THWEST  33

Gorges
Mountain Areas Gorges reveal the dramatic geological history of
The mountains in the Pacific Northwest the region. Over the course of thousands of years,
form a barrier that traps great amounts of rushing rivers have carved away rock and earth,
moisture, which in winter can cause heavy leaving behind huge gorges as well as long and
snowfall on peaks such as Oregon’s narrow chasms, such as Oregon’s Oneonta Gorge
Diamond Peak. in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Waterfalls
The spectacular Lower Kentucky Falls in
Oregon’s Siuslaw National Forest is one
of thousands of waterfalls in the Pacific
Northwest. The Kentucky Creek runs
through old-growth forest before spilling
over a cliff, plummeting 75 ft (23 m), then
an additional 25 ft (8 m), to the rocky
slopes below.

Dry Lands and Desert Country
East of the mountains, the terrain tends
to be flat, and precipitation can average
as little as 12 inches (30.5 cm) a year.
As a result, the landscape here is vastly
different from that found in the mountain
and coastal regions. In eastern Oregon,
steppes and deserts are covered
with juniper and sagebrush. Rocky
outcroppings, usually composed
of volcanic basalt, are also common
here, and vegetation is often sparse.

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