#ancient cedars

Picture this: you step off a dry Montana road into a forest that has no business existing this far inland. The light turns green and soft. The air cools. Everything goes quiet, and you find yourself whispering without deciding to. That's Ross Creek Cedars — and honestly, no photo does it justice.

A thousand-year-old forest, tucked into the Cabinet Mountains

Ross Creek Cedars is a 100-acre grove of ancient western red cedars protected inside the Kootenai National Forest since 1960. The biggest trees stretch close to eight feet across and reach around 175 feet up, and the oldest are believed to be about a thousand years old. Some of these giants were already old when Columbus set sail. Ferns and moss blanket the ground, devil's club crowds the shade, and Ross Creek runs clear over colorful stones right through the middle of it all. It feels less like Montana and more like a coastal rainforest that wandered east and decided to stay.

Heads up before you go 🌲

Real talk: the access road (Ross Creek Cedars Road #398) is currently closed to vehicles after flood and windstorm damage from December 2025. You can't drive to the trailhead right now.

But — the grove and its nature loop are still open to people on foot and on bikes, and crews have cleared the trail. Just know there are no restrooms or trash service during the closure, so bring what you need and pack everything back out. Watch for storm leftovers too: downed branches, drifts of sediment, shifted bridges, uneven footing. Stay on the cleared path, mind the signs, and check the current status before you make the drive.

The walk

The main loop is under a mile — wide, flat, and easy, with benches placed exactly where you'll want to stop and stare straight up. Give it a slow hour. There's a longer, rougher trail up the creek toward waterfalls if you want a real hike. This is bear country, so pack bear spray and keep dogs leashed.

Best time?

Late spring and early summer, hands down — lush ferns, a full rushing creek, everything impossibly green. Summer shade is a cool escape on hot days, fall gilds the larch on the slopes, and winter (when you can reach it) is pure hush. Go early for the grove to yourself.

Want to stay a while?

Shangrilog is a handcrafted log cabin on Bull Lake, about 13 minutes from the grove, sleeping up to ten — a dreamy home base for a Montana escape. To ask about road conditions or open dates, call the Shangrilog team at (406) 295-0100. They'll help you pick the perfect time to wander among the giants. 🌲✨