Parallel Forest

On the southern edge of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge sits a small but disorientating patch of red cedar planted in mathematically perfect six-by-six-foot rows. From inside, every direction looks identical: rank after rank of identical trunks marching off into the gloom.

The forest covers a few hectares and is best reached on foot from the Lost Lake trailhead inside the refuge. There are no facilities and the forest is rarely crowded. Bring a torch if you want to look around after dusk.

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A story
The forest was planted in 1912 as a federal experiment in growing red cedar on the prairie for use as railroad ties. Thousands of trees were set out in perfect six-foot grids. The cedars grew well but the project was abandoned; the result is a patch of forest that looks like a printed circuit board from above.

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