North Cascades National Park
Trail of the Cedars
easy FamiliesPhotographersOld-Growth Lovers
0.3 mi Distance
Varies Estimated Time
loop Trail Type
What to Expect
This is one of the shortest and most rewarding walks in the entire North Cascades — a gentle boardwalk loop that winds through a cathedral of ancient western red cedars, some of them older than most European countries. The trail is almost entirely flat, threading through a moss-draped old-growth forest where the light filters green and the air smells like damp earth and wood. You'll cross a footbridge over a rushing creek, pass ferns taller than a kindergartner, and crane your neck at trunks so wide three adults couldn't link arms around them. The whole thing takes about fifteen to twenty minutes, but you'll want to linger. This is the perfect trail for anyone who thinks hiking has to hurt to be worth it — it doesn't. Families with strollers, grandparents, photographers, and anyone who just wants to stand inside a living old-growth forest will love every step.
Trail Details
Distance 0.3 miles round-trip
Difficulty easy
Estimated Time Varies
Trail Type loop
Pets Not allowed
Season Year-round
Trailhead Trail of the Cedars
Pro Tips
Trail Tip
Arrive before 10 a.m. in summer to have the boardwalk mostly to yourself — by midday, tour buses from the North Cascades Highway pull over here and it gets crowded for such a small loop.
Trail Tip
The boardwalk can be slick when wet, which in the North Cascades means most of the year. Shoes with any kind of tread will do, but skip the flip-flops.
Trail Tip
Bring a wide-angle lens — the massive cedar trunks and canopy overhead are almost impossible to capture with a standard phone camera. The footbridge over the creek is the money shot.
