Hills in the Puget Lowland facts for kids

The Hills in the Puget Lowland are small mountains or bumps in the land found between the Cascade Range and the Olympic Mountains. This area includes the big city of Seattle. These hills are usually between 350 and 450 feet tall. They are rarely taller than 500 feet above sea level. These hills are important for their geology (how they were formed) and for social reasons, like the famous seven hills of Seattle.

How These Hills Were Made

The Puget Lowland is a flat area between the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. Long ago, this land was covered by a thick layer of glacial till (rock and dirt left by glaciers). This layer was usually about 350 to 450 feet high.

Giant glaciers carved out this flat land. As the glaciers melted, they created rivers, streams, and lakes. Some lakes, like Lake Washington, are glacial lakes. Many small, round kettle lakes were also formed. Even Puget Sound itself was shaped by these glaciers. The highest spots left behind are often drumlins (piles of rocky glacial debris). Some hills are also older bedrock that was there before the glaciers. Hills taller than 500 feet are quite rare and special.

Cool Hills in the Lowlands

Most of these hills were made by glaciers. We are not including the very tall mountains of the Cascades or the Olympic Mountains. This section focuses on hills in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Island, Kitsap, Thurston, and Mason Counties.

North Sound Hills

These hills are found north of the Tacoma Narrows. This includes Island, King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

Island County's High Points

Whidbey Island and Camano Island are islands in Puget Sound. They make up most of Island County.

• Whidbey Island's highest spot is an unnamed peak. It is about 520 to 540 feet tall. It is near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
• Camano Island's highest spot is also an unnamed peak. It is about 580 feet tall. This is the lowest high point of any county in Washington.

King County's Notable Hills

• Finn Hill is about 440 feet tall.
• Rose Hill is Kirkland's highest point. It is about 535 feet tall.
• Novelty Hill is Redmond's highest point. It is around 585 feet tall.

Seattle's Famous Hills

• High Point in West Seattle is the highest spot in the city. It is about 520 feet tall.
• Seattle is famous for its seven hills of Seattle. These are:
  • First Hill, sometimes called "Pill Hill." This is because many hospitals are located there.
  • Yesler Hill
  • Renton Hill
  • Denny Hill was leveled to make way for new buildings. It is now called the Denny Regrade.
  • Capitol Hill
  • Queen Anne Hill
  • Beacon Hill

Kitsap County's Hills

The Blue Hills on the Kitsap Peninsula are special. They are made of basalt rock, not glacial dirt.

• Gold Mountain is 1,761 feet tall. It is Kitsap County's highest point.
• Green Mountain is 1,639 feet tall.

Bainbridge Island is another island in Puget Sound.

• Toe Jam Hill is Bainbridge Island's highest point. It is about 425 feet tall.

Pierce County's Hills

• South Hill above Puyallup is 541 feet tall.
• The Argonne Forest hills at Fort Lewis were formed by many layers of glacial till.

Snohomish County's Hills

• Bald Hill is 737 feet tall.
• Lake Serene Hill in Lynnwood is 649 feet tall.
• Clearview Hill is about 600 feet tall.

South Puget Sound Hills

These hills are in Thurston and Mason counties.

• Black Hills are southwest of Olympia. They are made of basalt rock. Their highest point is 2,664 feet.
• Kamilche Hill in Mason County is about 1,210 feet tall. It is above Little Skookum Inlet.

Low Mountains in the Area

Some landforms are bigger than typical hills. They are sometimes called low mountains.

The Issaquah Alps are near Bellevue, Issaquah, and Newcastle. Many people consider them part of the Cascade foothills. They are made of basalt rock, similar to the Blue Hills of the Kitsap Peninsula. The highest point is Tiger Mountain summit, which is 3,004 feet tall.

The Anacortes Community Forest Lands have several peaks over 1,000 feet high. This includes Mount Erie on Fidalgo Island, which is 1,273 feet tall.

In Mason County, the Olympic Mountains foothills are known as the Satsop Hills.