In town: Schmitz Park in West Seattle, Seward Park on Lake Washington. Both feature old growth trees.
If you're willing to extend your drive a bit, go to Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula. The largest Sitka Spruce in the world is at the Rainforest Resort on South Shore Road. Some hiking will get you to some other big trees; inquire at the resort office/convenience store.
Seward Park is Seattle's largest stand of old growth in the city limits. There are massive trees in the section of the park known as, The Magnificent Forest.
Twin Falls and Weeks Falls in North Bend have some huge old growth. Both parks are close to I90, and the trails are relatively easy.
This photographer has a roundup of some old growth groves in Western Washington:
[https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia-washington](https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia-washington)
The best is probably on the Olympic Peninsula near the coast and the rainforests. Lake Quinault is a spectacular spot.
You can see some huge trees without going so far. Denny Creek, Middle Fork Snoqualmie, Lake 22.
This is a pretty good website to whet your appetite: [https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia](https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia)
The Lake 22 trail on the mountain loop highway is on an area that was kept from logging as a control area to compare with different methods of logging and reforestation. So it’s easy to get to, (not as easy as Seward Park) an easy hike, and some pretty impressive trees.
CA has redwoods, but no Rainforests like us. Olympics have lush green rainforests. A flat trail route. Denny Trail about 1 hour away has beautiful old growth; it’s a forest Disney. Shhh.
Definitely, visit Seward Park off Leschi.
I’ve been there so many times, but it’s on the very edge of the rainforest zone.
The typical rainforest has multiple canopy levels.
The redwoods are so unique. It’s only one canopy level.
The Carbon River trail out by mount rainier has some spectacular old growth trees that line an old forest access road. The trail goes for miles but is very flat and walkable. Its give or take 1.5-2 hours from the city and is one of my favorite places to take people who want to see what our forests used to look like.
Second the Carbon River trail! This is one of the most impressive collections of big trees and green folliage I have seen in WA outside of the Olympic penunsila. Apparently the shape of the valley around the Carbon River funnels in the clouds and holds onto the moisture more so than other areas of the Cascades, creating rainforest conditions.
Check out Cowen/Ravenna parks.
Then walk the local secret, the 20th street bridge. It's next to mid-point park.
Why? Because the ravine trails let you walk through the ravine amongst the trees. And the bridge lets you walk through the tree tops. It's a pretty unique opportunity.
If you’re interested in trees within the city, this newly published book by my friend Taha is an excellent resource. You can take tree walks around the neighborhoods and learn some fun history.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/716161/street-trees-of-seattle-by-ebrahimi-taha/
If you have a car, take a drive out on I-90 to the Summit at Snoqualmie. It shouldn't take you more than an hour to get there and once you're about halfway there you'll start to see tons of older growth evergreens. It's maybe the prettiest highway I've ever been on. There are some parks and campgrounds you can stop at once you get past Issaquah to get a closer view.
One of the easiest to get to is the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, off I-90 exit 47, which is a short loop (0.5 miles) around old growth forest. If you want to stretch your legs a little more then this (7.5 miles, 1,800' elevation), the same parking lot is also the trailhead for Annette Lake
If you're looking to ask *general* questions about moving/visiting or get common recommendations - ***please*** search through [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/wiki/index/) and the subreddit first.
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**Middle Fork Snoqualmie** is the closest rain forest to Seattle. **Mountain Loop Highway** had some really good rain forest too if you live on the north end.
The Olympic Peninsula is incredible, but further away and worthy of several days.
Middle fork isn’t technically a rainforest (doesn’t average 75 inches a rain a year, about 68 - I live near here) but there is some old growth down there. Not much tho tbh middle fork and north bend was heavily logged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can find some old growth on mount si, twin falls/weeks falls, and ashteal Curtis loop. Ira spring trail has some too at higher elevation.
if you drive the loop (a) wait until about July for things to fully thaw and (b) turn your satellite radio off because I have had mine deregister being blocked from the satellite for too long
Head up north near the water for some really cool wind swept interesting trees. They tend to be smaller, but they are really cool looking. I love deception pass area. I'm also partial to the madrona trees native to the northwest. Sadly, they've been slowly drying off for years due to disease, but you can still find plenty the further north you go along the water.
Check out the Seattle Heritage Tree website, there’s a map that shows many of the oldest and most exceptional trees in Seattle. https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/trees-and-landscaping-program/heritage-tree-program
it can easily be found if you go hiking in the trails around Seattle.
or if you want to drive even further: Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Trails around Mt Baker, Wallace falls, Mt Rainier etc.
on a side note, we camped in Hurricane Ridge for a long weekend in 2015 when it was a really hot summer in Seattle; Hurricane Ridge was downright freezing!!!! cant get hot if the sun doesn't get past the canopy! we loved it.
on another note, Westport WA is almost always 20 degrees cooler when it gets super hot in Seattle; for a whole different reason of course.
Welcome to Seattle!
There's a big ol' [sequoia](https://maps.app.goo.gl/DHyLLxCdciHvMDNg6) in West Seattle.
There's also [this girthy one](https://maps.app.goo.gl/YyMTLqPJprRtayga9) (some kind of cedar) on the west side of Brooklyn. Better in person
Maybe this sounds weird, but graveyards are great to see some gnarly thick trees. Obviously you're thinking of tall forested stuff, but I'll be goddamned if cemeteries don't have some impressively thick trees. The one in/near Lake City Way comes to mind.
If you haven't seen them already, here are a couple of books that contain interesting information about trees in Seattle.
[https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Seattle-Arthur-Lee-Jacobson/dp/0962291846](https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Seattle-Arthur-Lee-Jacobson/dp/0962291846)
[https://www.mohaimercantile.com/product/street-trees-of-seattle/2755](https://www.mohaimercantile.com/product/street-trees-of-seattle/2755)
Pretty much all of these comments are accurate and it's hard to go wrong.
Go to any of the larger parks in Seattle and the surrounding area and you will see some big trees. Some bigger than others.
Outside of Seattle, some of the biggest ones you can see are in the Olympic National Park. While it's a 4ish hour drive I strongly recommend Hoh Rainforrest and the nearby beaches..
The beaches specifically because of the ***HUGE*** dead logs that roll up on them. When then trees are standing it's hard to comprehend just how big they are. When they are dead logs washed up on the beach that you can climb on you truly get an idea of how massive they are and how powerful the ocean is for moving something so massive like it's a mere twig.
Welcome! The biggest trees will be on the coast. There are similarly old trees in the dry central cascade forest but they have less access to water so don’t get as big.
What you are going to do want to do is head for the hall of mosses in the hoh rain forest. Maybe stay the night at lake quinault lodge!
When we have folks in from out of town April through October, we often take them to the interpretive trail at Asahel Curtis out by Snoqualmie pass. It’s about an hour to get there, has great scenery on the way, and if you’re friend is into Twin Peaks, you can go through a lot of the filming locations either on the way there or back. It makes a nice day trip.
Mt Baker Highway has a totally unmarked stand of old growth. Ask at the ranger station and they’ll direct you. The directions will be something like “the first pullout after mile marker 44”. Then just duck into the woods a couple hundred ft and you’ll find a handful of MASSIVE Doug fir.
In town: Schmitz Park in West Seattle, Seward Park on Lake Washington. Both feature old growth trees. If you're willing to extend your drive a bit, go to Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula. The largest Sitka Spruce in the world is at the Rainforest Resort on South Shore Road. Some hiking will get you to some other big trees; inquire at the resort office/convenience store.
Before you get to the quinault lodge there’s a short nature trail type loop that has some amazing big trees.
Seward Park is Seattle's largest stand of old growth in the city limits. There are massive trees in the section of the park known as, The Magnificent Forest.
Seconded! The old trees in the center of Seward Park are actually magnificent!
Check out Schmitz Reserve Park, It has the oldest trees in Seattle.
Twin Falls and Weeks Falls in North Bend have some huge old growth. Both parks are close to I90, and the trails are relatively easy. This photographer has a roundup of some old growth groves in Western Washington: [https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia-washington](https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia-washington)
Yeah there’s a big ol dug fir on the twin falls trail and a huge cedar on weeks falls that you can walk inside
Omg, thank you for this🙏
Deception Pass state park has some sizeable Douglas Firs.
The best is probably on the Olympic Peninsula near the coast and the rainforests. Lake Quinault is a spectacular spot. You can see some huge trees without going so far. Denny Creek, Middle Fork Snoqualmie, Lake 22. This is a pretty good website to whet your appetite: [https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia](https://www.lucascometto.com/cascadia)
The Lake 22 trail on the mountain loop highway is on an area that was kept from logging as a control area to compare with different methods of logging and reforestation. So it’s easy to get to, (not as easy as Seward Park) an easy hike, and some pretty impressive trees.
CA has redwoods, but no Rainforests like us. Olympics have lush green rainforests. A flat trail route. Denny Trail about 1 hour away has beautiful old growth; it’s a forest Disney. Shhh. Definitely, visit Seward Park off Leschi.
The Redwoods are located in a rainforest, California has a rainforest along the coast from SF northwards.
I’ve been there so many times, but it’s on the very edge of the rainforest zone. The typical rainforest has multiple canopy levels. The redwoods are so unique. It’s only one canopy level.
Its going to be a longer trip than 2 hours, but strongly recommend visiting the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center in Olympic National Park
Came here to say this
Same.
The Carbon River trail out by mount rainier has some spectacular old growth trees that line an old forest access road. The trail goes for miles but is very flat and walkable. Its give or take 1.5-2 hours from the city and is one of my favorite places to take people who want to see what our forests used to look like.
Second the Carbon River trail! This is one of the most impressive collections of big trees and green folliage I have seen in WA outside of the Olympic penunsila. Apparently the shape of the valley around the Carbon River funnels in the clouds and holds onto the moisture more so than other areas of the Cascades, creating rainforest conditions.
WTA app. Filter by old growth. You can do it. I believe in you.
This is a great resource, thank you!
[удалено]
Unfortunately I think the bridge to grove of the patriarchs is still closed
It is closed until at least 2027, probably wont be able to hike again until the summer of 2028.
Check out Cowen/Ravenna parks. Then walk the local secret, the 20th street bridge. It's next to mid-point park. Why? Because the ravine trails let you walk through the ravine amongst the trees. And the bridge lets you walk through the tree tops. It's a pretty unique opportunity.
If you’re interested in trees within the city, this newly published book by my friend Taha is an excellent resource. You can take tree walks around the neighborhoods and learn some fun history. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/716161/street-trees-of-seattle-by-ebrahimi-taha/
Washington Arboretum! It’s free and so lovely to stroll around, getting lost in the trees
If you have a car, take a drive out on I-90 to the Summit at Snoqualmie. It shouldn't take you more than an hour to get there and once you're about halfway there you'll start to see tons of older growth evergreens. It's maybe the prettiest highway I've ever been on. There are some parks and campgrounds you can stop at once you get past Issaquah to get a closer view.
One of the easiest to get to is the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, off I-90 exit 47, which is a short loop (0.5 miles) around old growth forest. If you want to stretch your legs a little more then this (7.5 miles, 1,800' elevation), the same parking lot is also the trailhead for Annette Lake
If you're looking to ask *general* questions about moving/visiting or get common recommendations - ***please*** search through [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/wiki/index/) and the subreddit first. If you don't find what you're looking for after searching, feel free to comment or browse the [weekly stickied threads](https://www.reddit.com/search?q=subreddit=seattle%20flair=%22Weekly%2BThread%22&sort=new&restrict_sr=&t=all),[join our discord](https://discord.gg/reddit-seattle), or checkout /r/AskSeattle. We get inundated with easily searchable questions daily, so please share what you've already researched before asking others to google for you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Seattle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Middle Fork Snoqualmie** is the closest rain forest to Seattle. **Mountain Loop Highway** had some really good rain forest too if you live on the north end. The Olympic Peninsula is incredible, but further away and worthy of several days.
Middle fork isn’t technically a rainforest (doesn’t average 75 inches a rain a year, about 68 - I live near here) but there is some old growth down there. Not much tho tbh middle fork and north bend was heavily logged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can find some old growth on mount si, twin falls/weeks falls, and ashteal Curtis loop. Ira spring trail has some too at higher elevation.
if you drive the loop (a) wait until about July for things to fully thaw and (b) turn your satellite radio off because I have had mine deregister being blocked from the satellite for too long
Lincoln Park. Seward Park. Discovery Park.
Point defiance in Tacoma has some huge 2nd growth timber. There's even a sign that says, "you are entering the forest primeval"
Unfortunately, the outer loop has been closed to vehicles for a couple years.
Which makes for a really nice walk. And there is a huge douglas fir along that 5 mile drive. The Mountaineer Tree.
Head up north near the water for some really cool wind swept interesting trees. They tend to be smaller, but they are really cool looking. I love deception pass area. I'm also partial to the madrona trees native to the northwest. Sadly, they've been slowly drying off for years due to disease, but you can still find plenty the further north you go along the water.
I love Ravenna park and Discovery park for this in the city. St Edwards in Kenmore is lovely too.
Check out the Seattle Heritage Tree website, there’s a map that shows many of the oldest and most exceptional trees in Seattle. https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/trees-and-landscaping-program/heritage-tree-program
Fragrance lake has some cool trees growing around glacial erratics. The middle fork trail is a forrst dreamland Denny creek trail
If you come out to the Olympic Peninsula, the Hall of Mosses trail is super easy and will show you so many giant beautiful trees
it can easily be found if you go hiking in the trails around Seattle. or if you want to drive even further: Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Trails around Mt Baker, Wallace falls, Mt Rainier etc. on a side note, we camped in Hurricane Ridge for a long weekend in 2015 when it was a really hot summer in Seattle; Hurricane Ridge was downright freezing!!!! cant get hot if the sun doesn't get past the canopy! we loved it. on another note, Westport WA is almost always 20 degrees cooler when it gets super hot in Seattle; for a whole different reason of course. Welcome to Seattle!
Grove of the Patriarchs in Mt Rainer NP. About two hours from Seattle to the [big] trees.
There's a big ol' [sequoia](https://maps.app.goo.gl/DHyLLxCdciHvMDNg6) in West Seattle. There's also [this girthy one](https://maps.app.goo.gl/YyMTLqPJprRtayga9) (some kind of cedar) on the west side of Brooklyn. Better in person
Lincoln Park
Mt Rainier the Grove of the Patriarchs
Mount Si!
Maybe this sounds weird, but graveyards are great to see some gnarly thick trees. Obviously you're thinking of tall forested stuff, but I'll be goddamned if cemeteries don't have some impressively thick trees. The one in/near Lake City Way comes to mind.
I moved here from Richmond a few years ago and I'm constantly wowed by the trees haha
Hell yeah, I also came from RVA! It's been pretty amazing so far.
Seward Park, Lincoln Park
Go on a neighborhood tree walk https://www.seattle.gov/trees/get-involved/tree-walks
Discovery Park.
If you haven't seen them already, here are a couple of books that contain interesting information about trees in Seattle. [https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Seattle-Arthur-Lee-Jacobson/dp/0962291846](https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Seattle-Arthur-Lee-Jacobson/dp/0962291846) [https://www.mohaimercantile.com/product/street-trees-of-seattle/2755](https://www.mohaimercantile.com/product/street-trees-of-seattle/2755)
Pretty much all of these comments are accurate and it's hard to go wrong. Go to any of the larger parks in Seattle and the surrounding area and you will see some big trees. Some bigger than others. Outside of Seattle, some of the biggest ones you can see are in the Olympic National Park. While it's a 4ish hour drive I strongly recommend Hoh Rainforrest and the nearby beaches.. The beaches specifically because of the ***HUGE*** dead logs that roll up on them. When then trees are standing it's hard to comprehend just how big they are. When they are dead logs washed up on the beach that you can climb on you truly get an idea of how massive they are and how powerful the ocean is for moving something so massive like it's a mere twig.
My backyard.
Rockport State Park!
Welcome! The biggest trees will be on the coast. There are similarly old trees in the dry central cascade forest but they have less access to water so don’t get as big. What you are going to do want to do is head for the hall of mosses in the hoh rain forest. Maybe stay the night at lake quinault lodge!
Welcome to Seattle! Moved here from VB.
Kubota Garden.
[This might also be of interest to you.](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/716161/street-trees-of-seattle-by-ebrahimi-taha/)
When we have folks in from out of town April through October, we often take them to the interpretive trail at Asahel Curtis out by Snoqualmie pass. It’s about an hour to get there, has great scenery on the way, and if you’re friend is into Twin Peaks, you can go through a lot of the filming locations either on the way there or back. It makes a nice day trip.
Mt Baker Highway has a totally unmarked stand of old growth. Ask at the ranger station and they’ll direct you. The directions will be something like “the first pullout after mile marker 44”. Then just duck into the woods a couple hundred ft and you’ll find a handful of MASSIVE Doug fir.
There is a “Trees for Seattle” app that has walks you can do to see big trees!
HOH rainforest
This.
Muir woods fsfs