The 16 Biggest Trees in Washington State

Washington State is known for its beauty, especially when it comes to the land. We’ve put together information on 17 of the biggest trees in the state, which could mean the tree is tall, wide, or simply very old. Many of the trees are on private property, which means you may not be able to get too close to them, but many others are on public land and should be very easy to visit. Even the trees located on private property may be easy to see if you know where to look.

If you are interested in viewing photographs of any of these trees or simply want more information on them, you can usually find that online. Whether you’re a tourist or a citizen of the state of Washington, you owe it to yourself to visit the state and enjoy some of the largest and most beautiful trees found anywhere in the nation.

16. Pacific Yew in Lewis, Pacific Yew (taxus brevifolia), 60 feet

Taxus brevifolia
Walter Siegmund Taxus brevifolia

This tree sits in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest just north of the Cowlitz River. It is northwest of Road FS-17 and has a girth measurement of roughly 15 feet. Since the late 1960s, this tree has been designated as the largest tree of its species, making it one tree that is worth the trip to see.

15. Rocky Mountain Maple in Lewis, Rocky Mountain Maple (acer glabrum), 62 feet

Rocky Mountain Maple (acer glabrum)
Rocky Mountain Maple (acer glabrum)

Just like other maple trees, the leaves of the Rocky Mountain maple tree turn beautiful colors in the fall. The exact location of this particular tree is unknown, but these types of trees can live for a very long time, even though they don’t always get up to 62 feet in height.

14. Butternut in Thurston, Butternut (juglans cinerea), 81 feet

Juglans cinerea
Erwin Gruber Juglans cinerea

This tree is also called the Bush butternut tree because it was planted by an African-American founder for the city of Tumwater named George Washington Bush. He planted the tree around 1845, and it is thought to be the oldest butternut tree in the United States and maybe even the world. Whatever the case, it is a very old tree with a very interesting history.

13. American Chestnut in Thurston County, American Chestnut (castanea dentata), 94 feet

American Chestnut
Under The Same Moon American Chestnut

Located in the town of Turnwater in Thurston County, this tree has a girth measurement of roughly 19 feet and lives on the grounds of a funeral home named Mills & Mills Funeral Home and Memorial Park. It is a beautiful tree that while large, is not overwhelming, which is perhaps one of the things people like most about it.

12. Subalpine Larch in Chelan County, Subalpine Larch (larix lyallii), 104 feet

Subalpine Larch
J Brew Subalpine Larch

The subalpine larch is a great specimen because its leaves are soft, the tree emits a wonderful scent, and the leaves turn all different beautiful colors when in bloom. These trees are usually found in higher elevations and are somewhat tall and slender, but you’ll be caught off-guard by their beauty when you see them.

11. Coast Redwood West of Little Beef Bridge .4 miles in Seabeck, Coast Redwood (sequoia sempervirens), 116 feet

Sequoia sempervirens
Tim Sheerman-Chase Sequoia sempervirens

This tree was planted around 1955, plus or minus four years, making it roughly 67 years old (give or take four years). It is on personal property and has a girth of around 16 feet. It might be impossible to get too close to it but you might be able to view it once you get close to the tree.

10. Giant sequoia in Jefferson Park in Tacoma, Giant Sequoia (sequoiadendron giganteum), 119 feet

Sequoiadendron giganteum.
Jim, the Photographer Sequoiadendron giganteum.

Located in Jefferson Park in Pierce County, this 119-foot giant sequoia has a girth of roughly 36 feet and is a tall, slender tree, even though the branches do become a little wider the closer to the top of the tree that you get. It should be a very nice-looking tree to visit.

9. Kalaloch Redcedar, Western redcedar (thuja plicata), 123 feet

Western Red Cedar
TravellingOtter Western Red Cedar

This beautiful redcedar tree can be found in the city of Kalaloch in Olympic National Park. It has a girth of around 62 feet and was planted somewhere around the year 450, give or take 200 years. This means that as of the year 2022, this tree is around 1,572 years old (plus or minus 200 years).

8. Alaskan Cedar in Jefferson, Alaskan Cedar (cupressus nootkatensis), 124 feet

cupressus nootkatensis
JOE BLOWE cupressus nootkatensis

Also called the yellow cedar and the Alaskan cypress, this tree usually has a diameter of 11 to 13 feet. The bark is thin and purplish when the tree is young but it eventually turns flaky and gray in color. They have cones that are less than an inch long and dark-green leaves that are small as well. 

7. Western Redcedar in Clallam, Western Redcedar (thuja plicata), 164 feet

Western Red Cedar
TravellingOtter Western Red Cedar

Redcedars live a long time, sometimes getting as old as 1,500 years. They become more hollow and gnarly with age, and they have tops that can be spiked or sparsely foliated. The exact location of this Western redcedar – also called a Pacific redcedar – is unknown.

6. Thuja Western Hemlock in Jefferson, Western Hemlock (tsuga heterophylla), 190 feet

Western Hemloc Tsuga heterophylla
abdallahh Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

The Western hemlock can get to heights of more than 250 feet and has bark that is a reddish-brown color and trunks that are very wide. They are very impressive trees indeed.

5. Quinault Lake Spruce, Sitka Spruce (picea sitchensis), 190 feet

Sitka Spruce
Matt Howry Sitka Spruce

Located in Lake Quinault close to the resort in Grays Harbor County, this 190-foot tree is the third largest sitka spruce when you consider volume. Compared to other trees of these species, this particular tree has the largest base, making the tree very noticeable even if you’re not into looking at large trees. The girth of the tree is roughly 56 feet.

4. Western Balsam Poplar Close to Bulson Falls in Conway, Western Balsam Poplar (populus trichocarpa), 200 feet

Populus trichocarpa
Thayne Tuason Populus trichocarpa

Very tall and with spike-like branches especially close to the top, this tree is located in Skagit County and has a girth measurement of roughly 20 feet. If you can find Bulson Falls, it shouldn’t be difficult to find this amazing-looking tree.

3. Abies Noble Fir in Cowlitz County, Abies Noble Fir (abies procera), 252 feet

abies procera
Liz Lawley abies procera

According to some research, this tree is no longer alive. It was reported to have a spread of around 42 feet and is located not far from the crater of Mount St. Helens. Noble firs are known to have very slim trunks and very tough wood that is useful for a number of purposes.

2. Lake Quinault Douglas Fir, Common Douglas-fir (pseudotsuga menziesii), 293 feet

Pseudotsuga menziesii
Andreas Rockstein Pseudotsuga menziesii

This Douglas fir tree is located in Olympic National Forest close to Lake Quinault. At nearly 300 feet high, it is a very impressive tree, which is one of the reasons it was designated the champion of its species, as well as the largest known Douglas fir in the United States, in the year 2018.

1. Coast Douglas Fir in Grays Harbor County, Coast Douglas Fir (pseudotsuga menziesii), 294 feet

Coast Douglas fir
Walter Siegmund Coast Douglas-fir

The Coast Douglas fir is one of the three species of Douglas fir trees. This particular tree is nearly 300 feet high, making it one very tall tree. Douglas firs are also called Oregon pines or Columbian pines.