Explore Redwood National Park
Every spring, mid-May to early June, the rhododendrons bloom in the redwood forest. (below) Redwood Creek. Photos courtesty National Park Service
Walking through a redwood grove on a fog-shrouded morning can be an unforgettable experience. Sounds are reduced to the musical gurgle of water trickling amongst ferns and mossy rocks. Light ebbs with the somber mist and shafts of sun hang like cobwebs. Stillness and peace weave their spells upon the respectful traveler.
Visitors are invited to walk, Hike, Bike Ride, Camp & Horseback Ride, when they visit Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park next to Redwood National Park. Over 200 miles of trails weave through a variety of environments, including prairies, old-growth redwood forests, and beaches. Whether it's a day hike or backpack trip you are interested in, there is always something available.
Three California state parks -Prairie Creek Redwoods (Humboldt County and Del Norte Coast Redwoods & Jedediah Smith Redwoods, (Del Norte County) and Redwood National Park comprise the Redwood National & State Park system, which preserves 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in the world. Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, protecting resources cherished by citizens of many nations.
Nearly half of the remaining old growth redwoods are in this park system, including giants five stories taller than the Statue of Liberty. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 360 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline.
In late 2006, naturalists identified a new world's tallest tree called Hyperion in Redwood National Park in Humboldt County, near the original Tall Tree, whose discovery in the 1960s led to the creation of Redwood National Park. Located in a remote grove, Hyperion is 379.1 feet tall, nearly six stories taller than the Statue of Liberty!
Check out this link for great pictures of the Parks (by Patrick Holleran) http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Redwood/Redwood.html
Prairie Creek Visitor Center Information, exhibits, film, bookstore, restrooms, pincic area, trailheads. Located just off US Highway 101, along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Open year-round, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed: New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas 707-465-7354.
Interpretive Programs & Activities
Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs held in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park during the summer season. Redwood National and State Parks' Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Exhibits: Coast redwood forest, wildlife, and history exhibits.
Directions: Redwood National and State Parks is located in northern Humboldt County and throughout the coast of neighboring Del Norte County. Highway 101 takes you to all the parks in this area (Jedediah Smith Redwoods is just a few miles east on Highway 199). The central region of the parks near Prairie Creek Redwoods is only 45 minutes north of Eureka.