Ancient forests have a way of capturing the imagination, don’t they? Dark and hauntingly beautiful, they conjure images of mythical creatures and dangerous journeys, filling big screen movie sets with their expansive, fairy tale-like beauty. But California’s majestic redwoods aren’t the only trees worth paying a visit to. Idaho is home to some forest giants of our own! The Gem State is an overlooked haven for the towering Western Red Cedar–a tree which lives for generations and stands stories above the forest floor. Each of our state’s rich groves is abundant with natural beauty, but there’s one particular underrated grove of these majestic trees that has an inspiring, enchanting quality about it… and a far greater history than many people realize.
Northern Idaho is a region rich with some of the most spectacular scenery the Gem State has to offer.
Here, the Clearwater National Forest meets with the St. Joe National Forest, while the Bitterroot, Selkirk, and Cabinet Mountains of Idaho and Montana rise up in every direction. Meandering through this lush landscape, the crisp Clearwater River joins with the Snake and marks the divide into Idaho's own unique panhandle "waterworld"-- a breathtaking combination of hundreds of lakes, rivers, and dense, waterfront forests packed into one scenic location.
But even in the midst of such incredible beauty, DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove deserves special recognition.
Not too far from the Montana border and the historic Lolo Pass, this lush cedar grove is uniquely entwined with Idaho's history--namely, the explorations of Lewis and Clark.
First used as an animal and human path through the perilous Bitterroots, Lewis and Clark traveled this same path on their journey to the coast and back in the early 1800s. As such, the forests of this region have the unmistakable feeling of being sacred, historic ground. In fact, when the expedition came across the Lolo Pass from Montana, they wrote extensively in their journals about a forest of sky-high cedars and unparalleled beauty, richly abundant with life.
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Less than a century later, conservationist and historian Bernard DeVoto camped here while working on his editing of the Journals of Lewis and Clark.
It's a magical landscape that teems with history, the trees themselves almost Ent-like in their majestic height as they stand guarding the landscape, just as they have done for thousands of years.
As sunlight filters gently through the canopy, a soft, effervescent quality makes the glade glow in the most magical way, while the distant murmuring of Crooked Fork Creek whispers through the trees.
It's here beneath the dense, ancient boughs that you'll see the cycle of life reenacted in all of its natural glory.
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New growth forests capture the rich life and potential of the youngest cedars, while the towering trunks around them shield the seedlings from the sun as they grow.
The forest floor blossoms with flora and houses wildlife of every kind, both finding safe haven in a glistening forest which feels straight out of a storybook.
But even the fallen cedars are impressive in their own right.
Ready to pay a visit?
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Nature is simply awe-inspiring in its untamed form, and it’s wonderful to see gems like this preserved for so long. If you’ve ever paid a visit here, or to any of Idaho’s other cedar groves, be sure to share your photos with us via Instagram @only.in.idaho or on our Facebook page!
