Can one ever see too many redwood trees? We didn’t think so and therefore spent the
day in Redwood National and State Parks.
It was very foggy this morning along
the coast, a fact of life from now through the summer months. By the time we reached Redwood National Park,
however, we were treated to a beautiful view of the ocean.
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We Watched a Few Surfers Here |
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We Also Found Quiet Beaches |
The redwood parks are an interesting
collaboration between the National Park Service and the California Department
of Parks. The three state parks came
first and were established during the 1920s to preserve the most significant
redwood groves. Redwood National Park
was created in 1968 after it was determined that the land encircling the state
parks must be protected to ensure the health and survival of the Coast Range redwood
ecosystem. All of the redwood parks are
now managed cooperatively.
We took a beautiful scenic drive
through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and wandered through this amazing
forest. It’s hard to believe, but the trees
here were even larger than the ones we saw yesterday on the Avenue of the
Giants. Today’s forest also seems to
receive even more moisture, and the ground and lower limbs were covered with
ferns and moss. I don’t recall ever
seeing a forest that was so green. I was
a bit hesitant to linger too long for fear that moss would begin to grow on me.
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Western Trillium |
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Trees Dripping with Moss |
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Ferns in the Forest |
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A New Fern |
A highlight of the day was a hike to
the Big Tree, whose dimensions are amazing. This tree is 304 feet tall and is estimated to
be 1,500 years old. We also took an
interesting interpretive hike to a part of the forest that is being restored by
the National Park Service. Here, a former
logging road has been removed, and nature’s original design is being uncovered.
The ecosystems are recovering, and it is
difficult to tell where the former road was located.
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The Big Tree |
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The Redwood Forest |
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A Forest Trail |
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Restoration of the Forest |
By the time we arrived back along the
coast around 4:00 pm, the fog had already rolled in. Alas, we could see nothing from the vista
points. Instead we amused ourselves by
driving into the parking lot of the Trees of Mystery and staring at giant
likenesses of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The roadside attractions along the Redwood
Highway have given us quite a chuckle.
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Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox |
What a beautiful forest! Now I know why Paul and his ox moved there... ha ha LV
ReplyDeleteLV, The redwood forest is the perfect place for Paul. He's almost as tall as the trees! Sarah
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