HIGHLIGHTS: The Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world’s tallest trees which are old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a canopy that towers over all visitors. The parks’ habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams and thirty-seven miles of pristine Pacific coastline.
The cooperative management of the great forest involves three California state parks and the National Park Service. These include Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park, which comprise 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in California. Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, protecting resources cherished by citizens of many nations.
Mackie and I hiked the Tall Trees Trail (and linked it with Emerald Ridge) during our visit to the Redwood National Park. The hike is a four mile loop that takes you down into a gorge and right next to some of the largest trees in the world. The trip is great whether you make it a day hike or an overnight backpacking trip, but watch the trail carefully along Redwood Creek. It’s not well marked in spots (although there are usually footprints to follow).
