Huge Trees
Due to the the abundant moisture on the Olympic Peninsula, trees are known to be taller and larger in diameter than those in other parts of the world. For instance, several specimens have reached more than 200 feet in height and more than 20 feet in circumference. In fact, six of the park’s coniferous trees are considered the largest of their kind.
Additionally, the peninsula is home to seven champion trees recognized by American Forests as the largest living trees of their species. These nine trees are among 825 national champions. The huge species of trees include:
Sitka Spruce - Sitka spruce trees have thin, purplish bark that resembles large scales. The needles are flat, with sharp, pointed ends. This tree also has cones that measure two to four inches in length, with paper-like scales. Sitka spruce trees are known to grow as tall as 300 feet and live as long as 600 years.
Due to the competition from lush plants and mosses that carpet the forest floor, Sitka spruce seedlings often have difficulty growing on the floor of the forest. Instead, the seedlings get their start on nurse logs, which are downed logs upon which seedlings land, germinate and begin growing. Nurse logs are an essential part of forest regeneration.
The champion Sitka spruce that grows on the Olympic Peninsula is 191 feet tall and 707 inches in circumference. This particular tree is located in Olympic National Forest, near Lake Quinault.
Western Hemlock - The western hemlock is very special to the state of Washington. The state has designated the western hemlock with the honor of being Washington’s state tree. This species can reach heights of 200 feet and often lives to be 500 years old.
The western hemlock thrives in shady lowland forests and, like the Sitka spruce, most western hemlock trees in the rain forest get their start on nurse logs. One distinct characteristic is that the leader, or top of the tree, droops. Its needles are uneven and vary in length from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch long. Western hemlock needles are also are also soft and flat, with blunt ends.
Olympic National Park has three co-champion western hemlocks, which range from 174 to 202 feet tall and 270 to 341 inches in circumference. One of these champion trees can be found along the Hoh River trail, 100 yards from Cougar Creek crossing, 10 yards north of the trail. Another champion western hemlock can be found east of Wynoochee Trail, 1.2 miles from the end of the road. The last of the Olympic National Park’s champion western hemlocks is two miles east of the Enchanted Valley chalet, just below the trail.
Douglas-fir - The bark of a Douglas-fir is reddish-brown. If the tree is old, its bark will be deeply furrowed and may be as thick as one foot, which protects and insulates the tree in the event of fire. The cones on a Douglas-fir are approximately three to four inches long and have three prongs under each scale. The needles on this species have dull points with bud scales at the tips, and they radiate around the twigs.
The Douglas-fir only grows in soil where minerals and sunlight are plentiful. Since the forest floors at Olympic National Park are covered with mosses, ferns and various other plants, it is difficult for the Douglas-fir to germinate. These trees are often found in areas where a fire has opened a patch of the forest, allowing direct sunlight in.
Douglas-fir trees have been known to live up to 1,000 years and may grow as tall as 300 feet. The park's largest Douglas-fir, measuring 212 feet high with a circumference of 533 inches, is located along the Queets River trail.
Western Red Cedar - One unique feature of western red cedar is its amazing resistance to decay. The coastal Indians discovered this asset and used the wood and bark to make canoes, clothes and baskets. The western red cedar has stringy, fibrous bark and its needles are flat and scaly. The tree’s oval-shaped cones measure approximately one half inch long. Typically, the western red cedar grows to be 200 feet tall and may live 1,000 years.
Olympic National Park is home to one champion western red cedar. Reaching a height of 159 feet and a circumference of 761 inches, the tree can be found on the north shore of Lake Quinault, across from the Rain Forest Motel. This tree shares its title with another western red cedar in Forks, Washington.
Additional record-size trees found on the Olympic peninsula include an Alaska cedar with a height of 124 feet and circumference of 451 inches. This tree can be found in the Quinault subdistrict, approximately one mile east of Three Lakes. Another champion tree in the Olympic National Park is the subalpine fir which stands 125 feet tall and has a circumference of 252 inches. This tree is located at the head of the Hoh River drainage, east of Cream Lake.