Finding old-growth forests is not easy, as less than 10 percent of the ancient timber stands that used to stretch along the Pacific Coast are still intact. Those that remain are mostly in remote, unmarked locations with difficult access.
For those who want to experience the wonder of walking beneath giant trees and becoming part of an incredibly diverse and vital ecosystem, this is an indispensable little guide. It provides descriptions of and directions to parks and reserves in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California with old-growth forests still growing in the year 2000.
Larry Eiffert, a nature writer and author of several trail guides, also outlines the natural history of these forests from their multi-layered canopies of firs and redwoods to the banana slugs and salamanders dwelling beneath their cover.
Old-growth forests are more than just a stand of trees that have never felt the touch of man's steel. They are living entities of interconnected life-forms. This guide is designed to help visitors appreciate their uniqueness and importance.
