Even if you’ve been surrounded by forest your entire life, whether it’s Red Maples of New England, the Douglas Firs of the Pacific Northwest, the Hemlocks of Pennsylvania, nothing will prepare you for the colossal coniferous trees of the Redwood National Park. And when I say tall, I don’t just mean a few stories tall, I mean the tallest trees on earth are located along this stretch of California coastline, and accessible to nearly everyone. Trees, that defy the imagination of how large an organism can grow to be. Width at the the base larger than a swimming pool. Trunks large you could drive a car through. Bark so thick, it is measured in feet, not inches. And trees that start out from a tiny pine cone, grow to a staggering 200-300ft into the sky. I can assure you, you’ve never seen anything like this, anywhere else in the world.
On a month-long road trip through Oregon and Northern California this past summer, cruising through our favorite towns like Bend and Hood River, we stumbled on new favorite towns in California like Shasta and Downieville. Almost immediately after crossing the state-line from Oregon on Route 199, we were shocked by the ever growing redwoods that lined the road, even outside the National Park’s boundaries. Almost equally impressed with the unbelievably clear waters of the Smith River that followed the highway, and was calling us to return to with our raft one day. But around the next bend in the road, we saw the entrance sign to Redwood National and State Park, and then we entered the Simpson-Reed Grove of Redwood trees. Needless to say, it was the first of many stops along the roadsides to gaze upon the beautiful canopy above.
Consisting of not just 1 National Park, but also 3 State Parks, whose boundary encompasses over 139,000 acres and preserves over 45% of all the remaining old-growth cost redwood forests. Originally, the redwood forests spanned over 2 million acres, but the gold rush and timber booms of the the late 1800s saw to the near extinction of these massive trees. Thankfully, by 1920, conservation groups stepped in and fought to save the remaining portions of the forest until Congress created Redwood National Park in 1968, preserving it forever. And now the park is split by the Klamath River into the northern half near Crescent City and the southern half below the river towards Eureka.
As we drove through the park, on the Pacific Coast Highway, we stopped in Crescent City for lunch at SeaQuake Brewing before continuing south back into the park for an afternoon of exploring. Being that it was Sunday, and we were heading eastward to our next stop on Wednesday, we had a lot to see in a little time. And we realized very quickly, that the Redwood National Park is so much more than just groves of tall trees. The highway runs down the narrow stretch of land between the ocean to the west and the endless green forests to the east. Along that stretch of road, left us with countless opportunities to stop and take in the views on that rocky coastline. But it was the random stops along the road, heading down endless trails that really made the drive unforgettable.
With our necks sore from looking straight up all day, we eventually parked the van in the Sue-Meg State Park campground which overlooked the rocky coastline and deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Out of the redwood forest, but still surrounded by the most mysterious, moss-covered trees, we spent the next few days working from here. The campground was nothing special, but the state park had incredible lookouts and view points of the water and beaches a few hundred feet below. The perpetual downside of working on the road reared its head, leaving us wanting to explore this new place, but we were confined to our computers for most of the days. Luckily, when we did have time, we made sure to go for bike rides and runs in that area or back in the National Park. Admittedly, I’m still not used to seeing forests next to the ocean, as it is the polar opposite from what I saw growing up on the east coast.
In an effort to see as much of the park as possible, Courtney and I went for a 7 mile run through Redwoods starting at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. From there we ran across the moss covered bridges and down the Karl Knapp Trail towards the ocean. To say our pace wouldn’t result in a podium finish would be an understatement, and I dare say running through a beautiful place is pointless. We wouldn’t make it more than a hundred yards at a time before we were stopped again to marvel at the towering giants that the trail snaked below. Every chance we got, we stopped to pose in front of their trunks to show the true scale of their size. On the opposite end of the spectrum, yellow banana slugs were ever-present, sticking out like a sore thumb. And even though each tree resembled the previous, and the next, somehow, our attention could never quite be pulled away long enough to maintain a semblance of a jogging pace. And that’s okay with me.
Like most national parks, a day or two just isn’t enough time to take it all in, especially when you have to work all day. I hope to get back there one day to spend more time hiking through those magical forests. And as for recommendations of “must-do” hikes, I don’t have any, because they’re all unique and worth your time. But for the dog owners out there, you can take your dog up the Cal-Barrel Road which is a dirt road good enough to be a hike if it’s own. This is where we saw the biggest trees during our time here. One thing to note, the drive-thru trees are not found here, but rather 2hrs south in the town of Leggett. But don’t worry, there is still plenty so see and do here that you’ll still be left in awe, each and every day.
Hi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer. My passion is to tell stories that will hopefully motivate you to go live a more adventurous life. Whether that is to experience the view from the summit of a mountain, or wandering through a new town on a road trip. Currently based out of Park City, UT.
