Geography
Located along the coast in far northern California, Redwoods National and State Parks includes the National Park created in 1968 and a trio of state parks—Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Collectively the parks (131,983 acres) protect about 45 percent of the remaining coast redwoods.
RNSP is located near the northern limit of the coast redwoods’ narrow range. Even during the summer, fog and cool ocean breezes serve to keep the redwoods damp. Eureka, gateway to RNSP, and its neighboring city of Arcata are the only two cities on the West Coast of the U.S. where the temperature has never exceeded 90 degrees.
Rivers, known for their salmon and steelhead fishing and for their great beauty, are a major feature in RNSP. The Smith River, California’s last major free-flowing river flows from the Siskiyou Mountains through the parks’ north section. The Klamath River crosses the middle of the parkland and Redwood Creek runs through the southern portion.
RNSP is not one contiguous park but rather a collection of parklands located inland and along the coast in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. The parks are linked south to north by Highway 101(aka the Redwood Highway) which extends along the north coast to its junction with Highway 199 near Crescent City.
Natural History
With just the right combination of moisture, climate, elevation and longitude, California’s northern coast provides the only environment in the world where redwoods thrive. Redwoods were around during the age of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Era 160 million years ago and have occupied their present range for some 20 million years.
Along with the redwoods, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, tanoak, madrone, big-leaf maple, Califor-
nia laurel and red alder are commonly found in the forest. Redwood forest understory includes California rhododendron and azalea, prolific sword ferns, carpets of redwood sorrel, huckleberry and blackberry.
Most people know RNSP as home to the tallest trees on Earth, but the parks also protect a diversity of habitats. The Smith River, Klamath River, Redwood Creek and smaller creeks provide freshwater environments. Grassy prairies are important parts of the park mosaic and provide crucial habitat for wildlife includingrabbits, black-tailed deer and the iconic Roosevelt elk.
The RNSP coast has a great diversity of wildlife, including bird species, fish, and tide pool inhabitants. From the Coastal Trail, hikers may spot harbor seals, California sea lions and Pacific gray whales. In recognition of the rare ecosystem of the red- woods protected in RNSP, the United Nations designated it a World Heritage Site 1980 and an Interna-tional Biosphere in 1983.
RNSP protects numerous threatened species including the bald eagle, Northern spotted owl, brown pelican, Chinook salmon and Stellers Sea Lion. Along with its splendid tall tree sanctuaries, RNSP also includes a lot of logged land undergoing serious rehab. Miles of tractor trails and logging roads, which turn into stream channels and cause terrible erosion during winter rains, are being removed, land re-contoured, hillsides replanted. Restoring the ancient forest
is a process that takes a very, very long time.
Conservation History
In the mid-19th century, more than 2 million acres of redwood forest flourished along the California coast. After decades of unregulated logging, much of it particularly destructive clear-cutting, the Save the Redwoods League was founded and effective conservation efforts began in the 1920s. As a result, numerous groves and state parks were preserved.
The discovery of “the world’s tallest tree” by a 1963 National Geographic expedition provided
impetus for the creation of a national park. The 367-foot-high redwood and the ancient giants around it served as the rallying point for conservationists. Amidst much controversy, Congress approved park legislation in 1968 and President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the bill creating 58,000-acre Redwood National Park.
By the time the park was formed, nearly 90% of California’s original old-growth redwood trees had been logged. Many more redwoods were cut down before the park was expanded in 1978. In 1994, the National Park Service and California State Parks agreed to combine to administer the redwoods in the region to better manage the forest and watersheds as well as to provide recreation and visitor services.
Visitor Information
Redwood National and State Parks headquarters and Crescent City Information Center are located at 1111 Second Street in Crescent City. The center (707-465-7335) has exhibits and a bookstore and is open daily 9 am to 5 pm (winter to 4 pm.
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center (open daily 9am to 5 pm/ 4pm winter), located off US Highway 101 near Orick, is the main visitor center for RNSP with exhibits and a bookstore, as well as guided talks and walks and beach access. Call 707-465-7765.
Summer-only information centers include Hiouchi Information Center (707-458-3294), northern gateway to RNSP, located off Highway 199 and Jedediah Smith Visitor Center (707-458-3496) located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Beyond the summer season, staffing hours vary for Prairie Creek Visitor Center (707-488-2171), located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
For help locating restaurants and lodging for your travels to Redwood National Park, check out the Del Norte Chamber of Commerce site or call 719-657-9081.