Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
1,250.00 ft (381.00 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
4.00 mi (6.44 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The 3.3-mile Big Tree Loop Trail climbs from the center of Oregon Caves National Monument and passes the widest girthed Douglas fir tree known to exist in Oregon. The lengthiest and having the most elevation gain of any of the hikes that begin at the park visitor center, the Big Tree Trail sees very little foot traffic and offers hikers the opportunity to walk through old-growth forest and mountain meadow before descending past upper Cave Creek at it trickles through the forests lush green.

With 1,125 feet in total elevation gain, hikers will spend much of the trail either climbing or descending, but during the right season, wildflowers line the trail, and wind hums through the tree canopy to cool hikers after the ascent.

While well-marked, the trail can be covered in snow during the winter, and it is incredibly slick and muddy following wet weather, so hikers should be prepared given recent conditions. While hard, it's very possible that hikers will travel the entire loop and not see a single person beyond the intersections for the Old Growth Trail or Cliff Nature Trail nearer to the visitor center.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Low traffic. Beautiful hike. Variety of landscapes.

Cons

None.

Trailhead Elevation

4,000.00 ft (1,219.20 m)

Highest point

5,120.00 ft (1,560.58 m)

Features

Historically significant
Wildlife
Flushing toilets
Family friendly
Potable water
Cave
Wildflowers
Bird watching
Old-growth forest

Typically multi-day

No

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Oregon Caves National Monument
Oregon Caves National Monument
Oregon Caves National Monument

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.