"Long-leafed" ponderosa pine still grow here, as Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals. The ponderosa are old-growth trees, as are the cottonwood that abound in the park.
Periodic flooding gives the park its marked riparian character. Flooding lays down sediment and slows competition from weedy species, allowing the unusual vegetation of pine trees in the midst of arid grassland.
Another contributing influence to the existence of the pines is the park's very wet, almost "rainforest" mini-climate. The narrow piece of Touchet River valley, on which the park is built, constricts airflow and causes moisture to remain in the park. | | • Cedar • Douglas Fir • Ponderosa Pine • Alder • Apple • Ash • Birch • Cherry • Maple • Oak • Poplar • Daisy • Rose • Berries • Moss or Lichens • Thistle
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