Summer Trip: Redwood National Park

A visit to California’s Redwood National or State Parks is perfect for any family looking for a summer activity. They are easy to access, campgrounds are inexpensive, and trails are well maintained. Read more about the forest below or skip ahead to plan your visit.

Walking along a trail beneath the tallest living things on the planet is a magical experience. Massive redwood trunks over 20 feet in diameter dominate the landscape. From a carpet of lush ferns they rise two hundred feet and disappear into a ceiling of dense branches and needles. As a shaft of sunlight penetrates the canopy, it's clear to me why this ancient redwood forest just outside of Crescent City, California is one of the natural wonders of the world.

Gazing up at these giants, I feel like I’ve traveled back in time, and in some ways, I have. Primeval woods like this are called old-growth forests, as they have remained largely unchanged for thousands of years. Redwood trees' ancestors towered over dinosaurs in the Jurassic period 200 million years ago, and the oldest among them sprouted before Christ was born. The tallest redwoods are found in old-growth forests, including Hyperion, which soars a record height of 379.1 feet and is estimated to be about 700-800 years old.

Though they may appear invincible, in the late 1800's old-growth redwood trees faced extinction. Their lumber is prized for construction because of its natural resistance to infection, infestation, and rot, and logging has decimated California’s once bountiful redwood forests. Since logging began en masse in the middle of the 19th century, 95 percent of the original redwood forests have been eliminated. In the beginning of the 20th century, it was evident that if something wasn't done soon, these magnificent forests would disappear forever. Against this backdrop a group of pioneering conservationists formed the Save-the-Redwoods League and began purchasing large tracts of land for preservation. The state of California joined in the effort, and in the 1920s the first Redwoods State Park was formed. Today, California boasts over 30 national, state, and county parks and reserves that contain ancient redwood forests. In all, 18 percent of the remaining old-growth redwood forests are protected in this system.

Redwoods are almost otherworldly, and I half expect to meet a gaggle of Tolkienian characters hiding in the shadows or encounter a stray stegosaurus around the next bend in the trail. Being a children's book artist and author, I suppose it's my nature to imagine these things, but I'm not alone. The majesty of this place has inspired visitors for generations, and hopefully it will inspire people for years to come.

Plan Your Visit

Redwood National and State Parks make redwood forests easily accessible to visitors for day and overnight camping and hiking trips. The tallest redwoods are generally too far from major metropolitan areas for a day trip (a four to five hour drive from San Francisico, Sacramento and Portland, Oregon) but a two or three day camping excursion is very doable. The parks maintain five visitors centers and multiple campsites throughout the over 100,000 acres of preserved forest. Stop by these centers to pick up road and trail maps, to see exhibits on the local wildlife and history, and to sign up for ranger-led hikes. Summer is the best time to visit because there is minimal rainfall (although many people will tell you that the trees are at their most beautiful after it rains). If you plan to camp, be sure to call ahead to reserve your spot. For more information on visiting redwood forests, see the national parks and state parks websites.

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Jason Chin is the illustrator of several picture books, and the author and illustrator of the acclaimed picture book, REDWOODS.