Redwood National and State Parks
California Redwoods Pixabay Public Domain
Most likely, you've heard of the Redwood parks in California. What many do not know is that the redwoods are not contained in a single protected park, but rather several national and state parks throughout Northern California. All four parks combined, they protect over 133,000 acres of old growth forests and miles upon miles of pristine coastline.
The four Redwood National and State Parks include Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks, the oldest of which were established in the 1920s. In the mid-19th century, the redwoods of California covered over two million acres. This proved too tempting for the local lumbermen and that number was decimated until people saw the need for preservation and programs like Save-the-Redwoods League were created, though by that time over 90% of all the redwoods had been harvested. After the calamity of nearly a century of logging, the Redwood Parks now preserve what's left of these gentle giants.
It is really quite amazing to see the massive redwoods towering above you, soaring well above the normal level of familiar flora. There are roughly 200 miles of trails within the parks, including those which travel through the Tall Trees Grove, the iconic site where Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi filmed the exciting scenes on Endor. In addition to trails, wildlife watching is a popular activity in the park. Moving through the redwood parks, you're likely to see gray whales during their migration cycles, Roosevelt elk as the most abundant wildlife in the park, an abundance of birds, as well as those creatures visible in the tide pools. Kayaking, canoeing, camping, and biking are all extremely popular activities in the redwoods parks, though most people come specifically to marvel at the redwood giants.
