Kalaloch Big Cedar – Forks, Washington - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Kalaloch Big Cedar

Olympic National Park
Forks, Washington

This tree has witnessed nearly 1,000 years of history.  

View all photos
The Kalaloch Big Cedar is the third-largest of its species.
The Kalaloch Big Cedar is the third-largest of its species.
Worth the visit. Felt the old soul’s presence of greatness. renepierce (Atlas Obscura User)
Sunny Spring Day in the cedar forest. This giant Cedar tree has layers and layers of life, plants, and ecosystems! Kelly Blumenthal (Atlas Obscura User)
75
203
Top Places in Forks
Hall of Mosses
Hall of Mosses
Forks, Washington
Forks Timber Museum
Forks, Washington
One Square Inch of Silence
Forks, Washington
 See All
This entry is a stub
Help improve Atlas Obscura by expanding Kalaloch Big Cedar with additional information or photos.

Around the time Leif Ericson and his fellow Vikings were sailing to North America, this mighty Sitka cedar tree was just a sprout. Even in this forest of ancient trees, this mighty specimen has a particularly powerful presence. Botanists believe it to be roughly 1,000 years old. At 175 feet tall, the tree is the third-largest of its kind. 

The weathered bark bears the scars of a coastal storm that tore the trunk almost in two in 2014. Despite the damage, the tree continues to produce leaves. It shows the cycle of life through their decomposing and froth into a nurse tree.

Know Before You Go

The trail to this mighty tree is short, flat, and accessible to hikers of all levels.

national parks trees
Nearby
Kalaloch Tree of Life
4.32 miles
Second Beach
18.01 miles
Forks Timber Museum
18.08 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Kalaloch Tree of Life
Forks, Washington

Kalaloch Tree of Life

This large Sitka spruce that appears to be floating in mid-air, has defied logic for years.
Forks, Washington

Second Beach

A surreal landscape where fanged rocks rise from the ground and the ocean feels like a great mystery.
Forks Timber Museum
Forks, Washington

Forks Timber Museum

A glimpse into the "Logging Capital of the World" at a time when there was far more forest and far less machinery.
Chilean Memorial
La Push, Washington

Chilean Memorial

A tiny plaque hidden miles into the Washington wilderness is all that remains to honor a shipwreck that left 18 people dead.
Related Places
Hume, California

General Grant

The second-largest giant sequoia in the world.
Lemon Cove, California

John Muir Statue

This massive statue of John Muir on the side of a California highway was carved from a redwood tree.
Tharp's Log.
Three Rivers, California

Tharp’s Log

A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.
“Barba de Viejo” (old man's beard) trees cover the quiet El Gallineral Park, jammed between two rivers.
San Gil, Colombia

The 'Wise Old Men' of El Gallineral Park

The centuries-old trees are draped with Spanish moss to make them look like wizened elders.
Appears in 1 List
List

24 of the Oldest Trees in the World

From Methuselah the bristlecone pine to a descendant of Japan's first tea tree.
Jonathan Carey April 19, 2024
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web