As a species of evergreen conifer, Douglas Fir sits in the pine family, also known as Pinaceae. This fir is the tallest tree in the family and can be found all over the northern parts of the region. it thrives in cooler temperatures and higher elevations and is one of the more populous conifer trees found in the game. Despite this, it is not a true fir, spruce, or pine, nor it is a hemlock.

These trees are extremely large and can grow between 70 and 330 feet tall, and up to 8 feet in diameter. They live an incredibly long time with some documented trees being over 500 years old. Their leaves are soft and flat linear needles which resemble those of true firs, completely encircling the branches. This can help identify this species from others. The bark on young tree is smooth and gray and contains many resin blisters. On mature trees the bark is instead thick with distinctive fissures caused by tree growth. The color of the bark ranges from gray to brown with a cork-like texture. Male cones are yellowish red and female cones are green when young, maturing to red-brown or gray. These cones are distinctive in that they have three pointed bracts which protrude from each scale. The seeds within are about a quarter inch long.

Seeds from the Douglas fir are important in common in a variety of small mammals such as shrews, moles, and chipmunks. Douglas squirrels in particular enjoy this tree. Red tree voles and spotted owls are also often living in or around these trees.