NPS Website; Local Website; Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park; Del Norte State Park; Jedediah Smith State Park
WHAT IS IT?A narrow 40-mile stretch of coastal Redwood forest located in the northwestern corner of California.
BEAUTY (9/10)
Redwoods are amazing living things. They rise to unattainable heights, some stretching as high as 350 feet. They bend and curve and grow together unexpectedly. They gnarl and knot up. They harbor dirty yellow banana slugs, weird fungi and other untold oozings. They block the sun and create dank fluorescent green Edens. Various types of ferns sprout everywhere and the entire forest emits a cool sweat. The Redwoods have created their peaceful landscape. They aim to live here forever or at least as long as we protect them.
The Redwood NSP (National and State Parks) also plays host to Roosevelt Elk who roam in herds. They block traffic and pose for many pictures. The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway runs for 5 miles through the Redwoods. The drive is claustrophobic without being stifling. The sun peaks in every now and then, streaming through the trees like a spotlight. The Fern Canyon is a rock canyon whose narrow walls stretch straight up for 50-feet. The walls are adorned by ultra-green ferns that shimmer in unison with the cool breeze.
The Park also includes the rugged northern California coastline. Tidepools, crashing waves, snowy plovers and charcoal colored beaches make an uneasy partner to the Redwood line cliffs above. The area is a priceless natural gift. In turn, UNESCO honors it as one of the 10 natural World Heritage Sites in the United States. The Park has also been recognized as a International Biosphere Reserve.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (3/10)
The three State Parks that make up the greater Redwood NSP mark one of the earlier legislative attempts to save the California Coastal Redwood groves from over-forestation. These State Parks were formed from 1923 through 1929. Redwood NSP came much later, in 1968, and was dedicated by First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
CROWDS (5/10)The “Campground Full” sign that greeted us at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center made us wonder if we should have had an earlier start. But it seems we arrived just in time. The camp host and state park ranger were reviewing the check ins/check outs for the day and found us and the few cars behind us spaces for the night. Phew.
Prairie Creek Campground was full and spaces were close but besides a twilight Cajun sing-along, we weren’t bothered by any of our neighbors. The Mill Creek campground was three times as large, is popular but rarely fills and has some choice “loft” tent sites.
Trails in the Prairie Creek area got a little crowded mid-afternoon but we saw few people hiking the evening we arrived and the following morning.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (3/5)
U.S. Route 101 cuts a line through the Park’s entire length. The greater Redwood Park is a mish-mash of three State Parks and scattered chunks of National Park land. An NPS Visitor Center is located at both the northern and southern extremity of the Park. Stop at either one for hiking and touring suggestions.
The Park’s geographic isolation means that gas prices are very high. The cheapest we saw was $2.60 per gallon.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
The VC’s book selection centers on the area’s natural wonders. There is an adequate number of birding books, tree books, astronomy books and trail guides. The choices are underwhelming at best. The store gains points with some of its more quirky titles and souvenirs. In stock was Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a Tallest Tree building block set, actual Redwood tree seedlings (for $5.95), local Native American jewelry and a book titled The Banana Slug.
COSTS (2/5)Redwood National Park is free but most of the attractions and hikes are in the State Parks. The State Parks charge $6 per day per car and do not accept the National Parks Pass. All four developed campgrounds, again only in the State Parks, charge a preposterous $20 per campsite. As far as we can gather, the $20 campground fee includes the State Park entry fee for both the day you go to sleep and the day you wake up.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (3/5)
We saw no NPS Rangers during our 3 day, 2-night visit. Able volunteers eager to assist with hiking suggestions staff the Redwood NP Visitor Centers. California State Park Rangers staff their portions of the Park in droves. The human face of Redwood NSP is the State Park Rangers. They do the Ranger-led tours and they run the Park’s most popular areas.
TOURS/CLASSES (5/10)
The State Park Rangers handle all interpretive duties. The Junior Ranger program is for the State Parks, not the National Parks. Jedediah Smith SP, Prairie Creek SP and Del Norte SP campgrounds have Ranger-led campfire talks every summer night.
We did not attend any of the programs because we were foolishly waiting for an NPS Ranger activity in a State Park. Those boundaries just do not cross. There might be NPS-led tours leaving from the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trailhead. Four tours left from there during the week of our visit. The State Park VC’s and the NPS Kuchel VC all have small museums.
FUN (6/10)
We spent much of our time at Redwood NSP disoriented and confused despite receiving ace hiking suggestions from State Park Rangers, National Park volunteers and northern California residents we met at a restaurant during lunch.
Why were we confused? Because there are so many things to do and see at Redwood NSP and, most importantly, the Park is very narrow and long, shaped almost like the country of Chile. Backtracking is possible but we were working with an empty tank of gas, filling stations were dozens of miles apart and gas was $2.60 a gallon. The campgrounds were nearly all full and alternate lodging out of the question. We gave ourselves some undue stress.
Once we started hiking into the Redwoods, we were able to calm down and enjoy the timeless nature of the great trees. The Park has many trails through countless groves. Pick your own trail; no grove is more beautiful than another. It is easy to spend hours by yourself among the trees despite the Park’s heavy visitation.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (5/10)There are dozens of Redwood grove State Parks along the northern California coast. Does Redwood NSP offer anything more than the more accessible parks located nearer to the Bay Area? Is there a reason to travel to California’s northwestern extreme?
Our answers are: ‘sort of’ and a half-hearted ‘we guess’. The Redwood NSP contains about 40,000 acres of ancient Redwood forest, or about half of the trees that remain on Earth. The large acreage allows you to ensure isolation but only if you hike off the beaten path; the Park gets crowded in the summer, even on weekdays. We love Redwoods. We still would make the long trek to the Park only if we lived in Oregon. If we were on a road trip in California or lived in the Golden State we would pick a Redwood grove that was closer to a population center.
TOTAL 44/80
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