|
|
Click on grey boxes to view regional maps; click on park names to view park pages |
Under construction
The parks south of Sonoma/Mendocino are mostly complete. Of the northern parks, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek are complete, but Del Norte, Redwood National Park, and the small parks (Richardson Grove, Grizzly Creek, and Smithe Redwoods) are still missing. The Oregon redwoods are also yet to be added. Top picks
In general, the further north you go, the better the redwoods. To really experience the redwoods I'd suggest visiting at least three parks:
Currently, the tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion Tree in Redwood National Park. The tree is not accessible by trail and its location is kept secret to prevent visitors from trampling the soil around the tree. The tree is on a hillside, not in the Tall Trees Grove. Hiking the redwoods
California's redwood forests are famous for being home to the tallest living things on the planet, but there's much more to these extraordinary woodlands than the size of the trees. At their best, redwood forests are suffused with a sense of openness and serenity. Sun-dappled, elegantly fluted tree trunks shoot straight as an arrow into the sky, while below are burbling streams, spectacular fallen trunks, and a lush accumulation of ferns, sorrel, moss, and lichen. Many redwood trails are also a pleasure to walk because they're so well constructed: wide, smooth, and easy to walk, with a springy mud-resistant carpeting of needles, and bridges to span even minor obstacles. The forest is cool in the summer but rarely below freezing in the winter, and (except for Muir Woods) the parks are almost never crowded.
Rainy winter day on the James Irvine Trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park California has six major redwood parks, each with their own character. Prairie Creek, for example, is an aggressively lush and green coastal forest, while Jedidiah Smith is filled with light and is the most photogenic. Del Norte has a unique location on a prominent coastal bluff, while Redwoods National Park occupies a large and heavily-logged inland valley. Humboldt Redwoods is best known for its dark, dense, and flat lowlands, and Big Basin has the mixed-species woodlands typical of southern redwood forests. Of these six parks, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek clearly have the best-preserved and most scenic hikes. At least 15 other parks have small old-growth groves and should not be overlooked. Many of these parks are just as enjoyable as the big parks and, in addition to outstanding redwoods, offer a wide variety of other scenery, from the dramatic coastal bluffs of Big Sur to the rolling farmlands of the Anderson Valley. Within each park, the largest trees are normally found in the flat bottoms of creek valleys, where the soil moisture is the highest. These alluvial flats host the spectacular, cathedral-like groves that redwoods are famous for. Most redwood parks are centered around an alluvial flat that originally inspired the creation of the park. These alluvial flats, which usually aren't very big to begin with, are often the site of highways and parking lots, making it difficult to appreciate their unique and serene character. The most striking example of this type of forest is the Bull Creek area in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
Little grove in the late afternoon, Timms Creek Trail, Big Basin Redwoods State Park Uplands tend to have fewer big redwoods and more trees of other species. The difference is more pronounced in drier and hotter parks like Big Basin and Humboldt Redwoods. On the other hand, in Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedidiah Smith parks, large redwoods can cover the hills right up to the ridgelines. Uplands can make great hiking because the hills make the trail more interesting. A great example of redwood uplands is the Miners' Ridge Trail in Prairie Creek State Park. Redwood woodlands generally get more scenic as you go north. The northernmost parks tend to have the biggest trees and the lushest, healthiest appearance. The southern parks tend to be drier, have less greenery and more dead tanoak leaves on the ground, and often have a a dense layer of shrubs that obstructs views of the redwoods. On the other hand, the southern parks have better weather and there's more to do after the hike.
Total area of and amount of old growth in some of California's redwood parks Complete trail listing
Click on the links below to view the regional, park, and hike pages. Parks are listed from north to south. Each park and trail has been rated from one to five stars based on how enjoyable it is overall, with an emphasis on redwoods.
Redwood Sorrel in Rockefeller Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park Disclaimer
Trails are rated for scenery, not safety. The fact that a trail is discussed or shown on a map on this site does not imply that it is safe for all visitors, even under ideal conditions. Furthermore, trails may not be well-maintained and may have become impassable since the last time I walked them. Notices may not posted at the trailhead when this happens, so always ask about trail conditions at park headquarters before your trip. About the maps
Trails and some roads were mapped with a handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS tracks are overlaid on 7.5 minute (1:25,000 scale) USGS digital line graphs with hillshading derived from 1/3 arc second USGS digital elevation models. Roads outside of park boundaries are mostly derived from the digital line graphs and are therefore more likely to be outdated or contain inaccuracies.
Map legend
© 2006 David Baselt
Click one of these squares to change the background color of this site.
|
