Cheewhat Giant Trail

Cheewhat Giant Trail is a 1.4-mile (2.25-km) out-and-back from Rosander Main to the Cheewhat Giant. That is the full return distance; the app map follows the roughly 0.68-mile trail corridor once, and you come back the same way. Allow about 1½ hours, longer if the route is hard to follow. This is a short destination hike for confident hikers who are comfortable with a rough, informal trail and a long logging-road drive, not a quick walk on an easy boardwalk.

The roadside start leads across a logged clearing and slash to the old-growth edge, where route accounts describe fallen trees. The track drops through blowdown to a fern-covered flat among large cedars. It then crosses a low ridge, doubles back along a bench through salal and cedar-hemlock rainforest, and descends past two large redcedars to the Giant. The route stays enclosed by forest; its payoff is the grove and enormous tree, not a lake panorama. Return on the same path.

The modest distance hides steep, uneven ground. Accounts describe roots, rocks, deadfall and short scrambles, with flagging that can be difficult to follow. One visitor reported rope aids, but their current presence and condition are unknown. No current trail maintenance or ground conditions were verified, so allow extra time and be ready to turn back if you lose the route. The simple mileage does not capture the remote access or the wayfinding effort.

This western redcedar is about 55 metres tall and 6 metres across, and is widely described as Canada's largest living tree by volume. Look for the pale stripped strip down its broad trunk and the hollow at its base; a low angle with a person beside it shows its scale. The Giant stands on Ditidaht territory. Modern accounts credit Maywell Wickheim with identifying its record size in 1988, while making clear that this was not the first time Ditidaht people knew this forest; they have lived in the area for thousands of years.

The trailhead is a small roadside pullout on Rosander Main, an industrial logging road, with no formal lot or verified parking capacity. Keep your vehicle fully clear of the road. Road and bridge reports have differed, and access to the exact trailhead was not confirmed; check current local road notices before setting out. No toilet, drinking water or food stop was found at the trailhead. Pet rules are unconfirmed, so check with Parks Canada before bringing a dog.