Kenny and Anastasia Corman pose in front of an old-growth stump near May Creek in Renton
Virtually all the evidence of Renton’s old-growth forests has disappeared over the last hundred years. Logging was a big part of our city’s history, and around a century ago all of Renton’s big trees were cut for lumber. It’s easy to forget that the big trees we see in Renton now, such as the 80-year old firs that tower over my backyard, are really just juveniles. Douglas Fir trees and Western Red Cedars can keep growing for 800 years or more.
There is at least one ancient Cedar stump about a half mile from Kennydale Hall, which reminds us how big our native forests were. This stump is located at the confluence of Honey Creek and May Creek.
Hikers can get there by parking near Kennydale Memorial Hall and following NE 27th St eastward to the closed “Devils Elbow Road”. Walk Devils Elbow road down to the point it crosses Honey Creek, and then follow it about 50 feet up the other side. There is a rough foot-trail which will allow hikers to generally track Honey Creek down to May Creek (the trail is on Renton-owned public land.) As you get near May Creek, the main trail turns westward; at this point look for a smaller path to the right that heads north directly towards May Creek. The stump can be found where this smaller trail intersects May Creek.
Here are a couple historic pictures of logging in our area: The top one is near Panther Lake, and the bottom one is in Kennydale. Both show how large the native trees were.
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