50 plus DC - Redwood National Park

The coast of northern California and southern Oregon is home to the giant sequoia’s cousin sequoia sempervirens otherwise known as the giant (or coastal) redwood. Not to be outdone by their mountain cousins (the largest trees by volume), the coastal redwoods among the tallest trees in the world reaching up to over 110 metres (360 feet) in height. They can live to an age of over 2,000 years. The discovery of gold in north western California in 1850 brought many people to the area. After this minor gold rush subsided, many turned to logging. In 1918 the Save-the-Redwoods League was founded to try to stop destruction of the remaining redwoods. The efforts of the league lead to the creation of Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks. Redwood National Park was created in 1968 and the national and state parks are now jointly administered.

Coastal Redwood stumps, Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Stout Grove sits close to the Smith River and is one of the best groves of coastal redwoods. It is named after local lumber baron Frank Stout who donated the 17.8 hectares (44 acres) of land that started Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park. The walk around the loop trail from the parking lot is relatively easy and quite short but gives a good view of the many coastal redwoods in this grove. The picture shows some of the decaying stumps displaying the red colour that gave the trees their name. The grove was so dense at the point that the photograph had to be taken with flash.

Redwood National & State Parks

Coastal Redwood, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwoods National Park

Redwood National Park was created by President Lyndon B. Johnson, so it is fitting that this major grove of redwoods should be named after his wife. The coastal redwoods are extremely difficult to photograph not just because of their height but the contrast between the brightly lit top of the tree and the gloom near the forest floor is likely to prove tricky even for the best of cameras. This is not a particularly good photograph, but it does give a feel for the height of the coastal redwood trees. Douglas Fir trees have been known to grow taller than the coastal redwoods, but at the time of writing it is a 115.2 metre (378.1 foot) coastal redwood in Humboldt Redwoods State Park that holds the record. A taller tree might be discovered at any time, so the ownership of the record could change.

Inside dead Coastal Redwood, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwood National Park

At the end of their long lives, the fate of most coastal redwoods is to be blown over. When one of these huge trees comes crashing down it is may the the end for the big tree, but it is the start for its replacements. While coastal redwoods can reproduce from seed during their lifetime, they also produce new trees when they die. A dying tree will sprout a line of new trees along the length of its fallen trunk, as a result of which coastal redwoods are often found growing in straight lines. Occasionally a tree may die but remain upright in which case it will sprout new trees from its base. This picture shows a dead tree that has remained upright. The middle of the tree has rotted away leaving a view up the middle to the canopy above.

Steller’s Jay, Big Tree Wayside, Prairie Creek State Park

The redwood forests are home for plenty of wildlife. At a roadside pull-off in Prairie Creek State Park, we met this Steller’s Jay. It was more than happy to pose for the camera, probably because some visitors ignore the ‘do not feed the wildlife’ signs. The Steller’s Jay lives in coniferous forests to the west of the Rockies, but is closely related to the Blue Jay found across the rest of the USA.

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Founders Tree, Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is the largest park dedicated to coastal redwoods, but is managed independently of Redwood National Park. The centrepiece of the park is the Avenue of the Giants, a 50 kilometre (31 mile) drive through the redwoods. One stop on this drive is at Founders Grove, probably the most accessible grove in all of the redwood parks. The biggest tree in the grove is the Founders Tree at 105.5 metres (346.1 feet) high. This picture shows why despite their height the coastal redwoods are not the biggest trees by volume. The Founders Tree has a trunk with a base diameter of a modest 3.87 metres (12.7 feet) while the General Sherman Giant Sequoia has a base diameter of 11.1 metres (36.5 feet).

Howland Hill Road, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith was a hunter, trapper and explorer who travelled around western North America, including exploring northern California at a time when it was still part of Mexico. Smith visited this area in 1826 and his visit is commemorated in the name of the park and the nearby Smith River. Howland Hill Road is an unforgettable scenic drive through the redwoods that takes you to one of the best groves in the park, Stout Grove. The road twists and turns its way through the trees; the picture here shows an unusually straight section. While the road is unsurfaced (unpaved), we found it a very smooth drive. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is less developed than the other parks and hence an ideal place to experience the tranquility of the forest.

- The magnificent Coastal Redwood trees.

- It can get rather boring after a while as one tree looks much like the next and the driving is along dark roads through the trees with little else to see.

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