Washington is home to plenty of natural wonders but did you know it’s home to five of the largest trees in the world? The National Forestry Association recognizes each of these five particular trees as being the largest living specimen of their respective species. What’s more, they’re all visible in one general area.
If you guessed Olympic National Park, you’d be correct. The biodiverse park is home to many wonders like petroglyphs, Hurricane Ridge, and dog-friendly beaches. The Lake Quinalt area is where these trees can be found.
It’s worth noting that Washington was once home to not five but six of the world’s largest trees. It was once home to the largest Western Red Cedar, which fell in 2016. The tree has been left to complete its life cycle and its once-popular trail is now decommissioned.
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That being said, you can still visit the other awe-inspiring trees. The following tree information and location data is via the Lake Quinault community.
Largest Sitka Spruce: This Sitka Spruce is the state’s third-largest tree and is located in the Rain Forest Resort Village.
Largest Yellow Cedar: This tree is located “7 miles up trail, one mile east of the Three Lakes, 40′ north of the Big Creek Trail.”
Largest Mountain Hemlock: This tree is located “13 miles up trail at the head of the Enchanted Valley.”
Largest Western Hemlock: This treee is also located up the Enchanted Valley trail at 14 miles.
Also in Washington is Largest Douglas Fir, however, this tree is in the Quinalt Research Natural Area and is away from developed trails and therefore unreachable to the general public.
For ease sake, the easiest tree to visit is the Sitka Spruce. If you plan on hiking up to visit any of the other trees, be sure to be prepared and know your park safety.
Keep in mind as trees are living beings, their designations change due to them dying off and new tress being found. That’s part of what makes them all the more special and worth visiting if you’re thinking of heading over to Olympic National Park.
