The canopy is so thick, that no sun whatsoever reaches the forest floor. The most common tree in this area is the western hemlock but the oldest is the western red cedar. One magnificent specimen is over a thousand years old and measures approximately seven feet in circumference and 140 feet high. The Long Beach area provides eight hiking trails that range in length from one to five kilometers in length. People hiking along these trails find themselves in a dark world.
Few animals are visible.
The air is dank and musty. Garter snakes slither their way over moss-covered ground while salamanders breathe through their skin. Pacific tree frogs, red squirrels, raccoon, mink and marten all inhabit this dense forest. The only mammal that lives here is the black-tailed deer that feed on the Sitka spruce. This is due to the density of the rainforest's canopy as well as the fact that the swift, cool currents of Georgia Strait have deterred chipmunks and moose from gaining access from the mainland.