Harpers Corner Trail Stop 13

Douglas Firs cling to the cooler north slopes of Harpers Corner

NPS Photo/Conrad Provan

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Trees respond to many environmental influences – some so subtle that we may hardly notice them. You might see some trees that are taller than the piñons and junipers you have been walking through. They also have spruce like needles and dangling, thin-scaled cones. These are Douglas fir, important timber trees in the Pacific Northwest, and common in the high Uinta Mountains, but almost out of their range here. They require a bit more moisture and cooler temperatures than other trees in the area. North-facing slopes, like these around Harpers Corner, receive slightly less sunlight, and more moisture which apparently makes just enough difference for Douglas firs to live here.