Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area
A short loop enters a cool grove of immense western redcedars where fire, moisture, decay, and centuries of growth can be read at walking pace.
Artwork inspired by Jessie Wilber
The grove is a climate pocket. Massive trunks, nurse logs, shade plants, canopy gaps, and decomposing wood reveal a forest driven as much by death and moisture as by tree height. Lichen, fern, and fallen wood also show how the grove stores water and creates habitat long after a tree stops growing.
The access road is narrow and seasonal, parking is limited, and the grove is easily damaged by shortcuts. Stay on trail and boardwalk, touch without carving or climbing, and visit quietly enough to notice water, birds, and decay. Taken together, Western redcedar and Some trees exceed five centuries provide a practical test for what is distinctive here and what belongs to the wider regional story.
- Forest
- Old-growth western redcedar
- Vehicle access
- Closed by flood-damage order
- Normal loop
- 0.9 mile, currently disrupted
Quick guide
- Current reality
- Read the current Forest Service road order before departure
- If approaching
- Expect added distance, storm damage, and no services
Wait for a safe, documented approach
- Closure first
- Read the current Forest Service order before departure; long-term vehicle restrictions can add significant walking or cycling.
- No improvised trailhead
- The agency has not documented safe legal closure-era parking, so do not treat Westshore Drive as an automatic walk-in lot.
- Damage reality
- Foot and bicycle travel may remain legal, but expect slumping road edges, debris, displaced bridges, and obscured trail sections.
- When reopened
- Return to the old-growth loop for western redcedars, nurse logs, canopy gaps, and moisture—but recheck toilets and accessible-route restoration first.
Good to know
Road damage can remove motor access and visitor services well beyond an ordinary seasonal gate closure, while the map pin still marks the trailhead. Confirm reopening before planning a normal visit.
Notice these
- Ancient western redcedars
- Nurse logs and canopy gaps
- Moist mountain forest