THERE’S MORE TO COASTAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THAN TREES?

August, 2021

Just a little backtracking from Medford through Grants Pass, then onto US Highway 199 southwest for about 80 miles of 2-lane twisty slightly up and down forested road eventually down to sea level and into the coastal California town of Crescent City. Because of the air quality inland the campground was able to accommodate us 2 days earlier than our reservation.

Crescent City is the very northernmost point of Redwood National and State Parks, and 50 miles to the south the city of Orick is considered to be the Parks’ southernmost point. It is estimated that “back in the day” there were more than 2 million acres of virgin forest; however, and when the area was designated a National Park in 1968, the forest was estimated to be just slightly less than 132,000 acres – logging having claimed over 90% of the woodlands!

The Redwood National and State Parks are a cooperatively managed complex of one national park and three state parks (Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek). The parks feature temperate rainforests and old-growth redwood forests. Trees found here are the tallest, among the oldest, and one of the most massive tree species on Earth.

Most of the sights and trails are along coastal Pacific Highway – US Highway 101.

A short bike ride from our campground and we entered Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park – 10,000 acres of primeval redwood forest. The park is at the confluence of the Smith River and Mill Creek. We used a footbridge to cross Mill Creek and enter the forest.

The Simpson-Reed Grove Trail/Peterson Grove was one of our favorite hikes. We found ourselves wandering about hand-in-hand along multiple trails lost in poetic thoughts about the beauty of the forest and the majesty of the silent sentinels surrounding us at every turn.

We headed south on US Highway 101 past Klamath, California to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in order to hike into Fern Canyon. Elk Prairie was just a bit further south and, well, as long as we were in the neighborhood…

Home Creek runs lazily at the bottom of 50-foot-high canyon walls, and we found that we had to use mossy logs to cross the Creek many times during an amazing and beautiful hike honestly unlike any other we have taken. Fern Canyon is lush with its namesake, asplenium – the climate perfect in support.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove is a 1.5 mile loop located a ten minute drive north of Orick. In 1969 President Nixon named this grove of redwoods in her honor. As First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson was a staunch supporter of the environment, promoting the protection and creation of natural habitats in the United States.

Trillium Falls Trail is a 2.6-mile loop passing through old-growth redwoods, maples, trillium flowers, ferns, and huge fir trees…about 1/2 mile into the hike is the eponymous, but underwhelming waterfall.

So there had to be the one big tree – no?

And of course, a legendary woodcutter!

It’s hard to imagine what the forest would look like if 90% had not been logged. It’s hard to imagine what the indigenous Tolowa, Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk tribes would think of the forest in the here and now. It’s hard to imagine that we never felt we had seen too many trees. It’s hard to imagine a more serene, beautiful place.

The majesty and grandeur of the Redwoods is deservedly earned. For far too often we humans have believed that we are oh so important and the top of the food chain. That maybe so, but within just a few minutes in the forest we found ourselves humbled while amongst these ancient giants. Just consider all the changes in our world since the origin of the Redwoods, and how we are but a visitor at this time in their place.

Barbara and Brian

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.“ – Henry David Thoreau