The Redwood Forest
Redwood Forest
You have not seen a forest until you visit America’s Redwood National Park. When they call these trees giants, they are not kidding. The Redwood Forest has the tallest trees on earth and when you stand on the ground and look up, you get a real clear picture of how small you truly are. These trees are so big; the branches have trees growing in the soil that has collected on top of them. Tree ring age determination on some of the fallen logs tell us the still growing Redwood trees may be as old as 2000 years. As of September 2006, the tallest tree in the park was “Hyperion” at 379.1 feet (115.5 m).
Just driving up the northern California Coast is treat enough with fifty miles of majestic forest on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. There are plenty of places to stop, listen to the sounds of nature, look at the pristine beaches and study the rock formations. Sometimes visitors see whales and other sea life not far off shore.
The Redwood Forest is between Orick and Crescent City, California and spreads into the southern tip of Oregon. Packed with things to see, it is oddly the smallest of our national parks. Like most of the west, the Redwood Forest has a history of both American Indian and pioneer encounters. Redwood trees have a softer wood and several tribes hollowed the trees out to make canoes.
The cry for wood put this forest in danger and although some, including The National Geographic, saw the encroaching loggers as an immediate threat, the U.S. Government did not designate it as a National Park until the 1960s. Roads through the forest were originally made by loggers and then turned into scenic drives. It’s true; you can drive your car through a tree.
An 1852 census claimed 55 Yurok Tribe villages existed in the forest. Then gold found in the Trinity River changed everything.
The climate is relatively mild year round and fog provides up to one-third of the water needs. Plant lovers can find California rhododendron, azalea and sword fern. Not far away you can visit Fern Canyon, a ravine completely covered with ferns.
Several different animals make their homes in this forest including the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, elk, and coyote. At least 400 bird species have been documented.
However, the forest can be a dangerous place. It is close to the California Tectonic plates and suffered nine magnitude 6.0 earthquakes in the 1990s. Forest Rangers issue pamphlets with information regarding earthquakes, tsunamis and fire.
Spending the night, unless you are a camper, means leaving the park and driving north to Crescent City or south to Orick. The park is 340 miles (550 km) north of San Francisco, California and 330 miles (530 km) south of Portland, Oregon.
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by Marti Talbott
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National Geographic: Climbing Redwood Giants
Best Short Hikes In Redwood National & State Parks: Including Humboldt Redwoods State Park
