Grab 60 to 120 of your closest friends, family, or park buddies and come take a seat at one of several massive, single-slab Douglas fir tables right here in Benton County. Many of them are 85 feet or longer and all cut from trees milled by Hull-Oakes Lumber, located just outside Monroe.
They’re not officially in the Guinness Book of Records… yet. But maybe they should be.
At some point in the 1980s - probably 1984 - Ralph Hull got a big idea. He was the founder of Hull-Oakes Lumber, a place known for cutting lumber so long it could be used to restore ships like the 1797 wood hull U.S.S. Constitution. Ralph also liked a good gathering of family and community, and a bit of publicity, so his idea combined all three to create picnic tables from a tremendous Douglas Fir tree. The Hull-Oakes Lumber cut six slabs measuring 4 inches deep by 36 inches wide and the record-breaking 85 feet and 10inches long!
The first table went to Bellfountain Park, just down the road from the mill. Over the years, other tables were donated to parks and fairgrounds across the region - and even as far away as a Boy Scout camp in Canada. Transporting those massive slabs wasn’t easy - trailers back then didn’t have the rear steering systems we rely on today.
Whether you’re packing a picnic or just curious to see what nearly 86 feet of a Douglas fir table looks like, here’s where to find them:
Avery Park - Corvallis
Lions Shelter
85' 10" long
Donated May 8, 1987, by Ralph and Margaret Hull. You’ll find this table under the Lions Shelter - look for the plaque that details the age of the tree it came from.
Benton County Fairgrounds - Corvallis
Covered picnic table next to the Carriage House
85' long
In 2023, an oak tree fell and crushed the roof, but the table was unharmed. Since then, it’s been refinished and now sits under a new metal shelter.
Philomath Rodeo Fairgrounds - Philomath
85' long
Made in 1999 from a Douglas fir logged in the Cascade foothills near Holley, Oregon. A sign above the table tells more of its story.
Bellfountain County Park - Bellfountain
85' long
The first table to be donated, back in 1986. Bellfountain is one of Benton County’s oldest parks and a quiet spot to take in the craftsmanship.
Hubert K McBee campground - Alsea Falls
Two, 85' long
These were originally part of a private campground used by the Hull-Oakes family. The site was donated to Benton County in 2024 and is being renovated for public use by 2027 - but you can still access the tables with a Day Use pass.
Oaks Memorial Shelter - Monroe
South Benton Food Pantry/Kepi Nak-Nak Commons, 648 Orchard St
93' long
Built and donated in 2001 by Donald Oakes, the family patriarch, this table is believed to be the longest of them all.
Monroe City Park - Monroe
24811 Highway 99W
32' long
Smaller in scale, this table was built from the same log used to craft the Hull family’s private table for reunions and get-togethers.
Before heading home, make a final stop at Long Timber Brewing Co. in Monroe. Owned by the Hull-Oakes family, it’s a rustic-modern space where massive benches and support beams echo the same timber traditions behind the famous picnic tables.
Grab a pint, share stories shoulder-to-shoulder, and raise a toast to Oregon ingenuity, forest giants, and the simple joy of sitting at one long table.
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