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Redwood
National and State Parks
Altogether there
are about 105,000 acres in the parks, most of the area covered
with the giant redwoods. The western border of the parks
includes about 38 miles of coastline, including picturesque
beaches and many beach trails. There are five visitor centers
in the parks, each including interpretive information about
the area and its attractions. Altogether there are 164 miles
of hiking trails, 51 miles of bike trails and 41 miles of
horse trails.
We enjoyed the hike up to Trillium
Falls, a walk that begins close to the Redwood Adventures
Village. The Trillium Falls Trail covers 2.5 miles through
ancestral forest and has one of the few falls in the parks.
Be on the lookout for Fern Canyon with its 30-foot walls
dripping wet and full of ferns.
Another nearby attraction is
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, where you can take a 10-mile
scenic drive through the ancient redwoods. Along the way,
you’ll see an opportunity to take a short 1/8 mile spur
off the trail to Big Tree Wayside, well worth the diversion.
Also on the south end of the
park is the Coastal Drive, which is an eight-mile somewhat
primitive road that takes you to expansive views of the
Pacific Ocean and then down into the redwoods at Prairie
Creek Redwoods State Park.
Still another park highlight
is Howland Hill Road and Stout Grove, where you can take
a 10-mile scenic drive through old-growth redwoods and a
half-mile walk through a river-bottom grove of these giant
trees.
Redwood National and State
Parks is located about 40 miles north of Eureka in northwestern
California. The park areas begin along the coastline and
visitors then drive deeper into the parks as they travel
northward on Highway 101.
This combination of four parks
offers some of the California’s most spectacular scenery.
While the name implies it’s all about the giant redwood
trees, the parks’ coastal areas are every bit as impressive.
Beaches, jagged rocky coastline, even gray whales are among
the highlights of the coastal areas of the park.
Year-round, although the weather
along the coast can change quickly and be quite unpredictable.
In winter, bring layers to bundle up – especially when you
get out on the beach in a strong wind.
The redwoods are a California
treasure and this is one of the best areas of the state
to see them up-close. There is also a great area south of
Eureka called Avenue of the Giants where there are several
vantage points as you travel the old highway that runs parallel
to Highway 101.
For more information on the
Redwoods Park Lodge Company, phone 866-733-9637 or visit
www.redwoodadventures.com. For more
information on Redwoods National and State Parks, phone
707-464-6101 or visit
www.nps.gov/redw.
If wine tasting is part of
your California vacation plans, be sure to check out other
California Weekend articles on
Temecula,
Mendocino,
Napa and
Sonoma.
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