Walking among giants

WALKING UNDER CENTURIES-OLD TREES IS A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE

The Valley of the Giants, a 51-acre site of old-growth forest, is home to some of the largest Douglas firs and hemlocks in Oregon. Trees as tall as 200 feet and as old as 450 years reside in this area. In 1976, the Valley of the Giants was designated as a protected place by the Bureau of Land Management and later an Outstanding Natural Area and Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

Home to researchers, educators and hikers, the Valley of the Giants is an area of pristine beauty. Hikers who make it to the trailhead can take an easy-to-moderate 1.4-mile loop through the forest, but the real difficulty is locating the Valley of Giants.

The Valley of Giants is 15 miles northeast of Falls City as the crow flies, but travelers must navigate through a winding labyrinth of logging roads which leads them on a 30-mile journey. Starting from Falls City, a one-way trip to the trailhead takes about 90 minutes.

Before you make a trip up to the Valley of the Giants, call the Salem BLM office (503375-5657) to ensure that the area is still open. The area is usually closed during fire season (August through November).

The trip to the trailhead is on narrow graveled roads with the potential of log truck traffic.

“They (truckers) don’t slow down — it’s your job to get out of their way,” said Kimber Townsend, a Monmouth resident who frequently schedules group hikes to the Valley of Giants – so make sure to drive carefully.

Another obstacle to reaching the Valley of the Giants is the absence of road markings. The road frequently branches off and there’s only an occasional wood marker on the side of the road.

“Every once in a while the state goes through and puts up directional markers on the roadways ... and the markers either disappear or get spray-painted over,” Townsend said, “I really think that it’s people trying to protect it and not make it an easily found area. “

Global positioning systems don’t work well in the area and online directions are inaccurate and can lead you miles away from the Valley of the Giants. A brochure put out by the BLM provides detailed instructions to finding the place, so have access to that before you leave.

Not all is bad on the drive. The road takes you through the gorgeous scenery of the Oregon Coast Range, crosses many streams, goes through an empty lake bed, and follows a river for most the drive that offers some amazing swim spots.

If you make it to the trailhead, the hike will prove well worth your time. The trail, which is organically kept, begins on a steep descent, but levels out shortly after.

Being among the ancient trees is an awe-inducing experience.

“These giant, old trees, you put your hand on that tree and think about the hundreds of years that tree has stood in that spot, and what has passed under their branches,” Townsend said. “So you get that feeling of time. When you pass through this enormous tree, it’s like a heart in the forest.”

About halfway through the trail, there is a picnic table next to the Valsetz River that provides a nice resting spot. Going a little past the picnic table, you will find the 600-year-old Douglas-fir, Big Guy, that was toppled over in a windstorm in 1981 (It was the second largest Douglas-fir in Oregon).

“I love the examples of nature and rebirth and how it kind of takes its own,” Townsend said. “There are multiple places where there were trees that have been cut or trees that have fallen, and directly off of those stumps or logs you see new trees growing. We just don’t have many places that you can walk through an old-growth forest like that and understand what tree growth potential is.”

Valley of the Giants

What: A hike amongst centuries-old massive Douglas fir trees. For more information: For directions to the Valley of the Giants, call the Salem BLM office at 503-375-5657.