The Oldest Known Trees in Michigan Are Older Than You Think

Older doesn't necessarily mean huge. Michigan's oldest known trees aren't towering monsters hiding in some tucked-away forest. Nope.

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They're northern white cedars clinging to the limestone cliffs at Fayette Historic State Park near Garden in the Upper Peninsula, where some are believed to be about 1,400 years old. Because apparently, the secret to longevity is avoiding people and refusing to move.

Michigan’s Ancient White Cedars on Lake Michigan

A look at the limestone cliffs from inside one of Fayette Historic Sites buildings in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

According to Great Lakes Now, the trees were first studied in the 1990s by scientists led by researcher Doug Larson. Despite their modest size, these cliff-huggers have been growing for more than 1,000 years, making them some of the oldest trees in eastern North America.

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Michigan State University (MSU) Extension notes that northern white cedar is probably Michigan's longest-lived tree species, though very few survive past 100 years due to past cutting and burning. So yes, these Fayette cedars are not just old. They are "watched every trend arrive, peak, and become embarrassing" old.

What Michigan’s Oldest Trees Have Seen

The sign located outside an entrance of Michigan's Upper Peninsula's Fayette Historic State Park.

These trees were already ancient by the time Fayette became a 19th-century charcoal pig iron community from 1867 to 1891. They've watched Lake Michigan storms hammer the cliffs, ships move through Snail Shell Harbor, the industrial town rise, empty out, and become a historical park.

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The catch? You can't stroll right up and ask one for life advice. The cliffs are closed to the public, but the trees can be seen from Lake Michigan by boat or kayak. Bring binoculars, respect the cliffs, and maybe take a long-distance selfie with a tree that's witnessed history.