The drive to the Redwoods on Rt. 101 was windy and mountainous which meant a slow drive but a gorgeous one. Following the recommendation from friends, we planned to stay at the KOA a mile north of Crescent City which turned out to be the perfect location to use as a home base during our stay. After setting up camp we visited the National Park information center and were soon armed with maps and suggestions for things to do during our stay. It was interesting to learn that the Redwoods were not only in the national park but also in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.
The highlight of our time at the Redwoods was the drive on Howland Hill Road through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This road snakes along a historic wagon route through a forest of giant redwood trees. We hiked the Boy Scout Tree Trail which is located off this road. The Boy Scout Tree trail is a 5.5 mile hike through the redwood forest. We saw only ten other people during the hike and enjoyed the solitude and the majestic beauty of the trees. Trillium were in bloom along the trail, Stellar Jays chattered at us and banana slugs adorned the wet environment. A short, unmarked side trail leads to the Boy Scout Tree, a giant double tree resembling the two-fingered Boy Scout salute which was quite impressive. This ranks as one of our all time favorite hikes.
On our drive up Davidson Road to the Gold Bluffs in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park we spotted a herd of Roosevelt elk. Nearby was Fern Canyon where rumor has it that part of Jurassic Park was filmed in this canyon. On this drive we saw beautiful yellow blooms that we learned were skunk cabbage and green sprouts that were horse tail.There was a rustic campground on the bluffs that would accommodate tents and small RV's. Each site was equipped with a bear box, picnic table and view of the ocean. Sites like this make us wish we were still tent camping--but only for a fleeting moment!
The Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail took us to the site where Lady Bird Johnson dedicated Redwood National Park in 1968. The trail winds through old-growth redwood, Douglas fir, and tanoak. Rhododendrons and azaleas are abundant in the area. We did not realize that the Redwood National Park was such a young park while some of the adjoining state parks were established much earlier.
Our three days at the redwoods were filled with wonderful scenery and great weather. Tomorrow we are heading for the Oregon coast for the next leg of the trip.
Many more pictures can be found here.
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