An Ancient Community

Mount Rainier’s old-growth lowland forests are ancient communities dominated by western hemlock and western red-cedar, with some trees more than 200 feet tall and as old as 850 years. These large, old trees live together with others of different ages, and this diversity creates a rich understory and canopy of vegetation that provides habitat for a variety of animals. Some of the last extensive stands of old-growth forest left in the United States are found in Mount Rainier’s lowland forests, including areas such as Ohanapecosh, Longmire, and Carbon River.

Washington · United States