Ross Creek Cedars over 12 feet in diameter and 175 feet tall

“Between every two pines there is a doorway to a new world.” John Muir (1838-1914) ‘Father of National Parks’ naturalist and author.

Recently my wife and I went on a day trip south of Troy, Montana, to the Ross Creek Cedar forest and saw some towering giants over 1,000 years old. The Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area has protected a grove of ancient western red cedar trees (Thuja plicata) since 1960. Nestled next to Ross Creek, some of these cedars are more than 175 feet tall and up to 12 feet in diameter.

Thuja is from the Greek thyia (a fragrant tree), which itself comes from thyo (perfume); plicata is from the Latin plicare (to fold), referring to the tree’s pleated leaf pattern.

In many ways this grove of giant western red cedars is just as spectacular as the snow-capped peaks. The giant Western Red Cedar is Idaho and Montana’s largest tree, and certainly one of its most beautiful. Strolling among these ancient giants, I’m always awed by their vastness and soothed by the quiet, peaceful, tranquil surroundings.

The Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area is located 29 miles south of Troy off Highway 56 on Ross Creek Road 398. The scenic area is 100 acres in size and is home to ancient western red cedar trees.

The 0.9 mile-long accessible loop trail will lead you along a path with informative signs of the history and ecology of the many plants and animal species native to the area.

Western Red Cedar are native only to the Northwest and are found throughout wet, low-elevation forests in northwestern Montana, and northern Idaho, western Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. In the inland mountains they grow in canyon bottoms near streams so their roots can access water all summer. In this very wet soil, they can dominate the forest because most other conifers grow poorly with such saturated soil.

Despite their thin bark and dense branches, western cedars are relatively resistant to fire. That’s due to their enormous size. Mature western red cedar groves have survived many devastating burns when most neighboring trees were reduced to ash. In fact, fire can benefit cedar groves, reducing competition from other species and adding nutrients to the soil.

Besides its girth, the most distinguishing feature of the western red cedar is the furrowed gray to reddish-brown bark that runs in deep vertical ridges. The branches, often drooping down then curving upward in a j-shape, hold sprays of soft, green leaves. Instead of the needle leaves found on most conifers, western red cedar leaves are flat and braided. When crushed they emit a spicy pineapple scent that I find almost intoxicating.

Considering the tree’s vast size, the slender cones are surprisingly tiny, ranging from just 1/3 to ½ inch long. Though some western red cedars in Montana and Idaho reach 175 feet high several other tree species in the two states are taller. Yet none is so broad at the base. It is the western red cedar’s combination of girth and height that qualifies it as the largest tree in both Montana and Idaho.

The trees provide food, shelter, or both to salamanders, squirrels, songbirds, woodpeckers, elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and dozens of other wildlife species. Their massive canopies provide cooling shade in summer and catch snow and block wind during the cold months.

Many of these trees still growing in the grove today were here before Columbus set sail for the new world.