Tall trees along Trail of the Cedars NPS/Tim Rains. Aspen grove in autumn NPS/Tim Rains. In general, the western side of the park represents mixed conifer forests. In the southwest region you can find, the lush, sometimes ancient, Pacific cedar-hemlock forest types. Here, western hemlock and western red cedar reach their extreme eastern limits in the U. S. Their range fits perfectly within the eastern finger of the maritime climate of the Pacific northwest. Huge cedars and hemlocks have been growing for hundreds of years in the park and some trees of the lower Avalanche Creek area are over 500 years old. The cedars have stringy, spiraling bark and hemlock trunks sport frequent conks and horizontal lines of small woodpecker holes. From a distance, hemlocks can be recognized by their drooping tops. In moist areas along streams and bottomlands, you may find white spruce, and black cottonwood (balsam poplar) at lower elevations. Most of Glacier's other tree species can also be found in these forests including the less common paper birch, white pine, and grand fir. Trees and Shrubs - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
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