NP#39 - Redwood National Park

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June 25, 2012 - Our 39th Park Visit!

We arrive at the Redwoods at a bit after 3pm. It’s a damp, drizzly day here along the northern California coast. Our first stop is the Thomas Kuchel Visitor’s Center at the south end of the Park. We spend a good ten minutes chatting with Ranger Steve who gives us the lowdown regarding the Redwoods. He recommends we take the Drury Scenic Parkway bypass rather than the freeway. He says although the speed limit on the Bypass is only 45 mph, the scenery is spectacular and it takes you only a minute longer. We take his advice and he’s right, the drive takes you though a lovely old growth grove of Redwoods. don't take the Freeway. You'll miss the reason this place is a National Park!

Note: For a full screen view of the images, click on the image.

Mill Creek Campground Site #113

While visiting our good friends John and May Kirkwood, Terry changed our campsite reservation. Instead of the Prairie Creek Campground, we wound up at Site #113 in the Mill Creek Campground. As it turns out, this site was far superior to site #35 at Prairie Creek. We investigated all local Campgrounds and jotted down the primo sites. Give us a holler if you want the insiders track on the good ones!

Happy Campers on their 30th Anniversary!

CharlieDawg is loving this weather. He takes us for a long walk around the campsite loops, sniffing and investigating each site as if he is noting which ones would be worthy for a future visit. After a good walkabout, we head back to camp, strike up a fire and enjoy our broccoli salad dinner. As it begins to rain, we retire into the Hob for a pleasant night’s sleep. 

June 26^th -  Happy Anniversary! Today marks the 30^th Anniversary of our Wedding. The overnight showers didn’t dampen our spirits as we awake to partly cloudy skies. Amazingly, the Hob is completely dry. The canopy of our campsite’s Redwood completely sheltered our tent from the overnight showers. Everything else surrounding us is wet.

To begin the celebration, we break out the peppered bacon. Terry sautés up some veggies and adds them to the scrambled eggs. A splash of Cholula and voila! We’ve got another Campsite delight. 

NorCal Coast

After breakfast, we pack up the dog and head south to explore the Park. Our first stop is the False Klamath Cove Overlook – a decent view of the rugged, tree lined coast. From there, we ventured up Requa Road to the Klamath River overlook. From this vantage point we stand 600 feet above the mouth of the Klamath River looking south along the coast. From here, the whale watching can be excellent. Today however, no whales. 

Tide Pools

Coastal Waters

 Giant Trees!

This Park is unique insomuch as it is a cooperative management effort between the State of Californina’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the federal National Park Service. It is also one of only three places on the planet to host giant redwood trees. The other two locations where Redwoods are found are on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and in Central China. The Dawn species are native to China.

The Giant Sequoia or sequoiadendron giganteum reside in the Sierra Nevada and the Coastal Redwoods sequoia semperirens thrive only in northern California and southern Oregon’s coastal region. 

 300 Feet Tall!

These amazing Redwoods at this Park are the world’s tallest living things reaching heights of over 370 feet. They have been known to live for up to 2000 years and the seeds that they sprout from are the size of a tomato seed.

Terry and the Tree Dog

 Tree House

Howland Hill Road is located about a mile and a half east of Crescent City. Most of it is a dirt road that was still somewhat muddy from the overnight rains. The narrow road takes you through an impressive grove of old growth Redwoods located in the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. We would make this drive three times during our visit and each time, the mighty trees were impressive! 

 Occupying Tree House!

Incredibly, this Redwood is completely hollow inside! I stood up and looked toward the canopy and lo and behold...I could see light all the way up to the top of the tree!

Only 5% remain!

Like the Bison in the plains, the Redwoods were almost cut to extinction. Once there were over 2 million acres of coastal Redwood forests. Today, less than 5% remain and about 35% of the remaining trees can be found here at Redwood National and State Parks. Thank goodness there were a few folks who had the foresight to protect these magnificent trees.  

 Bridge over Fern Creek

 Fern Creek Canyon

At the end of Davidson Road is the trailhead for the Coastal Trail. About a half mile up from the Trailhead, I came across Fern Creek Canyon. Good thing I was wearing my waterproof hiking boots as I chose to slosh my way upstream to get a look at the fern grotto. Upon first look, Fern Canyon doesn’t impress; however, after a few bends upstream you are treated to a very impressive collection of sword fern, five fingered fern, delicate lady ferns and a couple of other varieties that densely blanket the vertical cliffs. The ferns literally cling to the 30-80 foot canyon walls. The deeper into the canyon you venture, the narrower the gap and at this time of year, there is a constant dripping of water seeping from the canyon walls.

The ancestry of some of these ferns dates back over 300 million years ago so Steven Spielberg thought the site was befitting of filming parts of Jurassic Park 2 at this location. 

 Roosevelt Elk Grazing in the Grass

A picture of Light!

A photography lesson I took recently had an assignment: The Instructor said "Photograph light!" How the heck do you take a picture of something that is virtually invisible? As I sat by our campfire this morning, I discovered how one goes about photographing light!

Well folks, that concludes our visit to Park #39! We will be completing our 40 Parks in 40 months Goal this coming September when Terry and I visit Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. 

Until then...blaze new trails along the mysterious paths of life!