Oregon forest smiles with secret larch pattern

Foresters in 2011 planted western larch trees in a secret pattern among Douglas firs in an Oregon forest near Polk County.

Every autumn, the western larch turns golden yellow, revealing a giant smiling face visible only for a few weeks.

The design was created by Hampton Lumber during a reforestation project after timber harvesting.

Western larch is a rare deciduous conifer that sheds its needles in winter, unlike the evergreen Douglas fir.

The smiling forest was conceived by David Hampton and Dennis Creel as a playful addition to a working forest.