Common mergansers, large diving ducks, are frequently seen along rivers, as are great blue herons and spotted sandpipers. Osprey fish the rivers and lakes. They dive from hundreds of feet above the water, then rise with a struggling trout clutched tightly in their talons. Montane Forests Hiking trails wind through most of the major river valleys. Travel off-trail is difficult at best and nearly impossible in many places.
River valleys are nearly impenetrable jungles of vegetation.
Creeks and streambank habitats are choked with armies of inhospitable brush, including spiny devil's club, prickly currant, salmonberry, thimbleberry and willow. Lowland river valleys contain magnificent forests dominated by western hemlock, western red cedar and Douglas-fir trees. While some forests on public and private land are managed for timber harvest and some are managed for multiple use, others are designated wilderness areas. The diversity of age classes in an old-growth forest provides a rich understory and canopy of vegetation. The different levels of canopy allow sunlight to touch the forest floor in places.