Redwood National Park

If you have never seen these trees, it is hard to imagine the size. They go to over 350 feet high, higher than Niagara Falls! They go to 24 feet in diameter and are some 2000 years old! They are the second oldest living things on earth. A close relative the Giant Sequoia is older, heavier and bigger in diameter, but shorter. The sequoia is found a bit further inland and are a sight to see as well. They live to 3000 years old!


"Big Tree" note the people in foreground.



To access the park there is a section north and east of Crescent City called the Jedidiah Smith State Park on highway 199, in northern California but the major part is accessible from highway 101. The lower section is the National Park. If you are stying in Crescent City, go south on 101 until you come to Orick, and continue until you come to the Park Visitor center. This is about 50 miles from Crescent City. Pick up your guide and maps there. Be sure to take the walk to the "big tree", it is 24 feet across. Look too at the Ladybird Johnson area of the park. Highway 101 divides in the park and if you travelled south on one portion return on the other one.

You can of course go further south and witness the old tree that is still living, that has been cut out and one can drive through the tree. Another attraction south of Orick is the "tree house", a tree that people live in!

Trees in this narrow band on the coast are the last of the old original trees, and are protected by the park. There are the small areas south of the park that are protected as well, but are not part of the park system. Redwood trees are quick growing for the first few years and are grown for harvest to supply the outdoor wood market.

Along the way while driving through the park you will come across views of the beach's and sea stacks at times. Some roads off the main highway are "graded" gravel and are not suitable for trailers, they are poorly marked as well. You would be prudent if you took the time to check the road conditions at Orick before venturing off the main roads. The area around Crescent City has some excellent scenery from lookouts located near Crescent City. There is a working lighthouse at Crescent City too that offers tours. It is right beside the new motel mentioned below.

Accommodation in Crescent City is so-so, but there is a very nice new motel right on the water overlooking the Pacific. It is brand new and has a very good rating. The Best Western has pretty good food, and the rooms are OK if you don't take the ground floor. Those were quite dirty on our visit and some features in the room didn't work well. Their is an old motel a member of the "Choice" chain we stayed at in the past, but it is out of the way and is a strange configuration. It had been a Holiday Inn before they gave up on it. There is great food to be had on the wharf area and when dinner is done you can drive to the edge of the water and check out some more sea lions barking away.

Just north of Crescent City is a fairly large shopping center anchored by Wal-Mart. On the north end of the town there is a grocery supermarket that offers booze at incredibly low prices. They run a good $5.00 less than the liquor store in the same shopping mall! Try $25.00 for a 1.75 L of Quervo Gold!

One final note, there is a motel in Crescent City built entirely form the wood of just one redwood log! The doors are one piece of slab redwood, for example.