Old Growth Cedar Trail, Rockaway Beach, OR

We spent several days this past week at Cannon Beach, OR. The weather was chilly but sunny, and the wind on the beach was ferocious, but it was a relaxing getaway none the less. While there, we took a drive to Rockaway Beach to stroll along the Old Growth Cedar Trail which leads to one of the oldest and biggest Red Cedar trees on the west coast of the US.

The 1.2 mile (1.9 km) trail along a boardwalk is a lovely place to see beautiful flora and fauna. But the absolute highlight is the ancient cedar tree that is estimated to be between 800 – 1200 years old! It is 154 feet (46.9 meters) tall and 50 feet (15.2 meters) in circumference, and is an amazing site to behold.

There are many other things to see along the trail including lots of skunk cabbage which was quite fragrant.

We spotted what looked like a large nest, not large enough for an eagle, but perhaps for a hawk.

We saw some interesting critters; I nearly fell off the boardwalk when I spotted this garter snake sunning itself on a log.

The trail and parking are free, but the parking lot is small and fills up quickly. Visitors should stay on the boardwalk to order to preserve the fragile ecosystem.

Next week I’ll write about Cannon Beach, where we saw some amazing creatures in the vast tide pools, including some very colorful starfish. However, click here to read theTravelsketcher’s post about our time at the beach.

Happy hiking!

Tricia