Yachats in Lincoln County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua

Picea sitchensis

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

1. Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua Marker

Inscription.
Before Columbus sailed to the Americas, this Sitka spruce began its life nourished by a nurse log. As it grew, it shared Cape Creek with the Indians who lived just one-half mile west at their large seasonal campsite by the ocean. When the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp at Cape Perpetua in the early 1930's, they built the first trail to the Giant Spruce, likely reopening the path of the ancient Indian trail.

Circumference 40 feet
Height 185 feet
Approximate Age 550 years

Erected 2007 by Heritage Tree Committee Oregon Travel Information Council.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Horticulture & Forestry • Native Americans. In addition, it is included in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) series list.

Location. 44° 16.863′ N, 124° 5.458′ W. Marker is in Yachats, Oregon, in Lincoln County. Marker can be reached from Oregon Coast Highway (U.S. 101) south of NFD 55, on the right when traveling north. Marker and subject tree can be accessed via hiking trail from the Siuslaw National Forest Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. It's a beautiful one-mile (two-mile round trip) hike through old growth rainforest from the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2400 US Highway 101, Yachats OR 97498, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the

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crow flies. Welcome to the Oregon Coast (approx. 2.2 miles away); Alsea Sub-Agency (approx. 2.7 miles away); Elk Forage (approx. 4½ miles away); Waldport (approx. 10 miles away); Road Behind And Sea Beyond (approx. 10.1 miles away); A Battle With the Elements (approx. 10.1 miles away); Designed for Seafarer Safety (approx. 10.1 miles away); Hard Work at a Lonely Light (approx. 10.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yachats.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Oregon Heritage Trees

Also see . . .
1. Giant Spruce Trail.
The Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua is a truly amazing specimen of Sitka spruce. The 500 year-old tree is the return point for this 2-mile there-and-back hike along Cape Creek. It stands over 185 feet tall and has a circumference of over 40 feet. It was even taller until the Columbus Day storm of 1962, when winds in excess of 160 mph blew off the uppermost 35 feet of the tree. The trail starts at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center and follows the south side of Cape Creek. As you climb gently up the narrow valley, a number of large Sitka spruce line the trail. While these trees seem enormous, they appear more ordinary when compared to the Giant Spruce at the end of the trail. (Submitted on February 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Picea sitchensis.
The Sitka spruce is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to almost 330 ft tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 16 ft. It is by far the largest species

Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

2. Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua Marker (wide view)

of spruce and the fifth-largest conifer in the world (behind giant sequoia, coast redwood, kauri, and western red cedar); and the third-tallest conifer species (after coast redwood and coast Douglas fir). Its name is derived from the community of Sitka in southeast Alaska, where it is prevalent. Its range hugs the western coast of Canada and continues into northernmost Oregon. (Submitted on February 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Giant Sitka Spruce trunk (<i>in front of marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

3. Giant Sitka Spruce trunk (in front of marker)

Giant Sitka Spruce top (<i>above marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

4. Giant Sitka Spruce top (above marker)

Giant Spruce (<i>a second marker beside this one</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

5. Giant Spruce (a second marker beside this one)

This Sitka Spruce is over 15 feet thick and was 225 feet tall until a windstorm in 1962 broke off the top 35 feet. It started its life over 500 years ago as a seedling growing on top of a fallen, decaying log and into the ground in search of more water and nutrients.

When moisture, insects and fungi had completely broken down the nurse log, the tree remained, its roots forming a natural tunnel.

Sitka Spruce grows in a four-mile wide zone along the Pacific coast, from Northern California to Kodiak Island in Alaska. The wood is light and strong and was valuable during World War I for building airplanes.

Trail sign along route to tree and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 3, 2015

6. Trail sign along route to tree and marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 591 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.