Cheatham GroveLength 0.7 mi · Climbing 10 ftCalifornia > Southern Humboldt County > Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
Cheatham Grove Background
This quintessential alluvial-flat grove is located in a bend of the Van Duzen river. Not surprisingly, the grove resembles Humboldt Redwoods, but the trees are not as big and the groundcover is more lush. The grove is very open and is an impressive sight, with straight redwoods rising from the perfectly flat ground. The groundcover is lusher than anything in Humboldt Redwoods, with both a thick carpet of redwood sorrel and a dense layer of ferns. There's a sense of order here, as if the grove is actually a carefully-maintained garden. |
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The grove is next to Highway 36, but because of the light traffic there's little to no traffic noise. Although you have to pay a fee to park in the main portion of Grizzly Creek or Van Duzen parks, Cheatham Grove has its own little parking lot where you can park for free.
Cheatham Grove The most memorable parts of the speeder bike chase in the second Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi, were filmed in this grove. In particular, the forward-looking steadicam shots were taken in Cheatham Grove because it was photogenic and gets few visitors (see the link below for more information). The chase also contains shots taken in different groves; for example, sideways shots in which riders are seen in profile were taken from the back of a truck driving down the Avenue of the Giants, and scenes in which actors walk around in the redwoods were shot on private land (with much less impressive redwoods). The latter scenes required removal of the groundcover so that camera and lighting crews could walk around freely, which prohibited using a state park.
Cheatham Grove Related websites
© 2008 David Baselt |
