Queets Fir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Queets Fir |
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The Queets Fir in 2010
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Species | Coast Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) |
Coordinates | 47°38′17″N 123°58′32″W / 47.6381°N 123.9755°W |
Height | 200 ft (61 m) |
Diameter | 15.9 ft (4.8 m) |
Volume of trunk | 332 m3 (11,710 cu ft) |
The Queets Fir is a truly enormous tree found in the Olympic National Park in Washington State. It's a special type of tree called a Douglas fir. For many years, it was known as the biggest fir tree by how much wood it contained. It still holds the record for being the widest fir tree!
Discovering the Queets Fir
The Queets Fir is a very impressive Douglas fir. It is located inside the beautiful Olympic National Park. You can find it about 2.5 miles from the start of the Queets River Trail. It grows near a small stream called Coal Creek, which flows into the Queets River.
How Big Is This Giant Tree?
This amazing tree stands at least 200 feet (61 m) tall. That's like a 20-story building! Its trunk is also incredibly wide. If you tried to hug it, you would need a lot of friends to reach all the way around. The distance around its trunk is about 600 inches (15,000 mm). Its branches spread out about 71 feet (22 m) wide.
A Champion Among Trees
For 50 years, starting in 1945, the Queets Fir was known as the largest fir tree by its total wood volume. Even today, it is still the widest fir tree ever found. It has been named a national co-champion Douglas fir by an organization called American Forests. This group keeps track of the biggest trees in the United States. The Queets Fir is one of only a few "megatrees" in North America. These are trees that score over 800 points in a special measuring system.