Redd, WA

One of the northernmost occurrences of western juniper can be found in the sand dunes of Washington's Palouse.

Juniper is one of the trees most characteristic of the western United States. Typically they are a major component of the driest and hottest forest climatic zone, which occurs at the lowest elevations. (To be sure, "forest" can be a bit of an exaggeration, because the trees commonly occur as scattered groves and isolated individuals rather than as continuous cover.)

Western juniper in particular is widely distributed in the semi-arid scrub zones in the lower elevations. The species becomes less common to the north, and the occurrence here is either the farthest north or nearly so (sources differ). Unusually, the trees are growing on partially stabilized sand dunes, part of the Palouse of eastern Washington. Grasses and other low vegetation, as well as sagebrush, occur among the juniper. The junipers are more abundant toward the northeastern part of the wilderness area, which is the farthest from the main access point.

The Juniper Dunes were designated a wilderness area in 1984, and are right next to a designated area where off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity is allowed. This makes the wilderness area more subject to vehicle noise than might be wished.