End of an Era: Olympic Big Cedar Tree Splits in Two

Over the weekend, an Olympic giant, one of the largest western red cedars in the world, split during a storm. While the news feels like a loss, the fallen segment will likely have an important future nourishing the unique ecosystem of the rainforest floor.

Here's what Olympic National Park reported when they shared a photo of the split tree on Facebook:

On March 8th, during a coastal storm, Kalaloch's Big Cedar Tree split in two. In some ways, the centuries-old tree is still hanging on to life. You can see half of the tree still stands on the left side of the picture.

The gnarled tree figured in the memories of countless families who visited it during their coastal adventures around Kalaloch. (The tree can be found via a small sign just south of Beach 6.)

Before it split, the tree measured 19.5 feet in diameter and was 174 feet tall.

Marking time with Washington's natural wonders?

Do you have a memory at the base of the big cedar on the coast? What other Washington wonders figure into your favorite memories?