Grant's Getaways: Valley of the Giants

On this week's edition of Grant's Getaways, you're in for a real treat as I take you to visit Oregon's last stand of five-hundred year old Douglas fir trees. It's rare and special and it has a name to inspire your visit.
The Valley of the Giants makes you feel small in a secret place that lets your heart soar as tall as the giants that live there. I recently joined a small troop of travelers led by retired Bureau of Land Management Forester, Walt Kastner. We traveled for hours deep into the Oregon Coast Range to explore a unique 51-acre grove of old growth Douglas fir trees.

[@Hikingindepth]

Thanks for sharing. I did a trip to this grove last year with my Dad after talking about it for years. Truly a spectacular little slice of forest.

[@karenpreston5011]

Been there. Want to go back again. So, beautiful and 1 of a kind.

[@proximap2151]

almost made it today.. it's a maze of roads out there.. heading south from grand ronde.. on murpys road..

[@TheOfficialZombieWhisperer]

As children my parents drug us all over the state, I bet a lot of things that you can do are different now in many places here, everything in Jackson County did.

[@TheaterGeek2007]

In high school a teacher said one of my friends couldn't see the forest for the trees... my friend responded with "what forest?" He was serious.

[@sandrab4711]

Where is it?

[@proximap2151]

east of lincoln city.. use google maps..

[@pumpupthevolume4775]

It's a joke that this little old growth stand is one of the few places left that hasn't been clear cut in Oregon. Oregon, especially the Coast Range, is one big tree farm that has been decimated by timber companies who have destroyed habitat, silted streams, wiped out species, poisoned with herbicides, removed diversity, created fire danger and left ugly scars everywhere. Greed, selfishness, heartlessness and short-sightedness are the history of the timber industry in Oregon and of course it continues on in the present day. Out of the millions of old growth forests in the coast range destroyed, all they could save were little specs like this 51 acre lot that takes hours to get to on private dirt roads.

[@treck87]

There are plenty of fast growing tree farms around, yet we can't get legislation to make those a priority. They'd rather just hack down valuable giants that take 400 years to get that big. And then people wonder why it gets hotter and why the rivers levels drop more. Those old growth trees hold back the groundwater longer through the year AND hold humidity to keep the area cool. Young forests don't do either of those things.

[@sbreezy0120]

if youre looking for bigger trees head a little more south to Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State park in northern california!!

[@crystalgood3256]

I love how humans think they can claim what belongs to god; I will camp there whenever I please. and of course leave no trace :-)

[@PhaseSkater]

Crystal Good that’s literally what every camper says but you’re all liars.