The Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park was close enough for a day trip from Harris State Beach Park. This was something we wanted to see, but definitely not with a trailer behind us! In fact, one of the rangers at the visitor center suggested a road to us that wasn't so great, even with just the truck. It went from a two lane, paved road, to a one lane paved road and then down to a gravelly, washboard road that had room for only one vehicle at a time (unless you both were in Smart Cars). After about 5 miles, we turned around and went a completely different way.
This park protects 10,000 acres of primeval redwood groves and is located at the confluence of the Smith River and Mill Creek. Winter can bring 100 inches of rain. Let's see....that is about 13 years worth of rain for our house in Avondale! The old growth redwoods that follow the fog are so tall here that I can hardly get all of the tree into my picture. They can grow to over 350 feet.
Don checked out a huge burl that joined together these tree trunks.
He had me stand by the tree trunk so you can actually get an idea of how huge these redwoods are. Either that, or I have really shrunk!
As we walked through the woods, leaves and pine needles showered down on us. They appeared as tiny specks of light on my picture. We had parked the truck near the entrance so we could walk through the woods and get a much better appreciation of this exquisite forest.
This tree trunk caught both Don's attention and mine. Doesn't it look like an eel is sticking out its head and is ready to bite?
We came across across the roots of a huge, fallen tree. It was massive.
From the other side, ferns and moss had taken root and were growing on the downed trunk.
The California redwood groves were saved by a group on concerned citizens back in 1900. As we walked around, we could see the names of several memorial groves, purchased in honor of their loved ones. Now, 111 years later, I am thankful for their vision, which let me walk peacefully through the ferns and tree canopy for a couple of hours.
Don checked out a huge burl that joined together these tree trunks.
He had me stand by the tree trunk so you can actually get an idea of how huge these redwoods are. Either that, or I have really shrunk!
As we walked through the woods, leaves and pine needles showered down on us. They appeared as tiny specks of light on my picture. We had parked the truck near the entrance so we could walk through the woods and get a much better appreciation of this exquisite forest.
This tree trunk caught both Don's attention and mine. Doesn't it look like an eel is sticking out its head and is ready to bite?
We came across across the roots of a huge, fallen tree. It was massive.
From the other side, ferns and moss had taken root and were growing on the downed trunk.
The California redwood groves were saved by a group on concerned citizens back in 1900. As we walked around, we could see the names of several memorial groves, purchased in honor of their loved ones. Now, 111 years later, I am thankful for their vision, which let me walk peacefully through the ferns and tree canopy for a couple of hours.
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