Sight · Olympic National Park
A fallen 14-foot cedar, tucked just off an easy loop.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this place
Staircase: Rapids and the Fallen Cedar“Up ahead is Staircase, where I’d choose the Rapids Loop for a short outing beside the North Fork Skokomish River.”
Plays as you drive up to Staircase Big Cedar Tree in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Staircase Big Cedar Tree is a fallen western red cedar on a short spur from Staircase Rapids Loop. Its trunk is 14 feet in diameter, and a smaller, still-living cedar stands at the end. If you’re already at Staircase, take the detour; it adds a striking stop to the easy two-mile loop through old-growth forest without turning the visit into a big hike.
Start at the Staircase parking area and cross the bridge over the North Fork Skokomish River. Follow the compacted-gravel path to the signed Big Cedar turn. The final stretch is 410 feet. Overall distance estimates differ, so follow the signs rather than planning around one exact total. The route is generally six to eight feet wide; the first 140 feet have two short sections up to an 8% grade, then it’s gentler. It’s accessible with assistance. Staircase is reached by gravel Forest Service Road 24 along Lake Cushman.
Get close enough to see the weathered trunk, then include the living cedar in your frame for scale. Flush toilets and drinking water are available in the Staircase developed area during summer only.
Wildlife
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyBig Cedar Trail (Staircase)0.4 mi · 20 min · 0.1 mi awayA short gravel path to a fallen cedar 14 feet across.
ChallengingFlapjack Lakes Trail15.6 mi · 9.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA long forest climb ends at twin lakes below the Sawtooths.
ChallengingNorth Fork Skokomish River Trail25 mi · 16 hr · 0.2 mi awayA long river-valley walk to a remote Olympic mountain pass.
ModerateShady Lane Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 0.2 mi awayA narrow cedar trail with river views and two small bridges.
EasyStaircase Rapids Loop Trail2.1 mi · 1.3 hr · 0.2 mi awayA shady loop to river rapids and an enormous fallen cedar.
ChallengingWagonwheel Lake Trail5.6 mi · 6 hr · 0.3 mi awayA relentless climb ends at a small, turquoise subalpine lake.
ChallengingBlack and White Lakes Primitive Trail14 mi · 11.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA steep climb to an open basin of lakes and mountain views.
ModerateFour Stream Trail4.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA mossy creek confluence marks the halfway point to the park boundary.
Ranger station · 0.3 mi awayStaircase Ranger StationSeasonal ranger help beside an easy river loop
Picnic area · 0.3 mi awayStaircase Picnic AreaTables by the North Fork Skokomish make a handy meal stop.
Campground · 0.3 mi awayStaircase CampgroundCamp beside the North Fork beneath Olympic old-growth forest.
Entrance station · 0.4 mi awayStaircase Entrance StationBuy your pass and get oriented before exploring Staircase.
Picnic area · 2.7 mi awayLake Cushman Day Use Area Site 5A simple picnic table with a view over Lake Cushman.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
