- Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a state-protected Natural Area in the southwest corner of Thurston County, Washington. The site was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1966 as an example to protect mima mounds.
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Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 18.8 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area. The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 sq mi), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 sq mi), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi). Moscow is among the world’s largest cities, being the most populous city in its entirety in Europe, the largest urban and metropolitan area in Europe, and the largest city by land area on the European continent.
- The mounds were formed approximately 15,000 years around the time of the last glacial retreat.
- The volcanic rock, andesite, is heavily present in the mounds.
- The mounds were documented by Charles Wilkes in May 1841 during a global expedition. Wilkes speculated the mounds were burial sites of Native Americans, but after digging into a few of the features, no relics were found by his team.
- Indigenous people used controlled burns at the site [Mime Prarie] to maintain the landscape as a prairie, allowing vegetation used for food or medicine to prosper.
- The mounds, also described as hillocks, are situated on a plain of underlying cobble that is most likely a remnant of a glacial lake.
- A longer, unpaved gravel 1.5 mile loop trail to the south explores the mounds with possible views of Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens.
- The origins of the word, mima (MY-ma), has been reported to be unknown, though it may mean, “newness”, under the language of the Chehalis people.
- The site [Mima Mounds NRCA] is located on an outwash plain of the Vashon Glacier.
- The mounds were once part of a larger stretch of a prairie ecosystem encompassing approximately 180,000 acres (73,000 ha), spanning from present-day Joint Base Lewis–McChord through Chehalis and into Oakville.
- Immediately north of Mima Mounds was the southern reach of the Puget Lobe.
- There are approximately 8-10 mounds per acre, measuring 1–7 feet (0.30–2.13 m) in height and having diameters 7–40 feet (2.1–12.2 m).