A peep into the Treasures of Redwood National Park

How could one go to the north coast and not see the National Park in the Northwestern corner of California? So when we were in the area in the summer, we drove to Redwood National Park, did a hike there and saw a couple of other well-known sights of the park.

Redwood National and State Parks

Now if you are familiar with US National Parks or have looked up the national parks in California, you might have noticed this park in the Redwood Empire is called Redwood National and State Parks. The reason for this is that when logging in the area got out-of-hand, and the need to protect the remaining Coast Redwoods came into discussion, there came about three state Parks: Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods and Jedediah Smith Redwoods. Later, the National Park Service took these parks under its wings and further fortified the protection of this species of California’s State Tree.

I ranger I spoke to at Big Tree told me that both, the ‘California State Parks’ and the ‘NPS’ together, continue to manage these precious coastal parks, thereby confirming my thoughts about the name of the parks. He went on to say that out of the 2 million acres of Coast Redwoods that existed at the turn of the 20th century, only 5% percent remains and 45% of it now lies in this parkland.

During this first visit to Redwood National Park, I made a quick visit to Kuchel Visitor Center to ask about the conditions in the park and to make sure that the roads to the places we wanted to visit that day were open. Later, we checked in at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwood Creek Overlook and Big Tree.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

One of the most popular areas in the national park, Lady Bird Johnson Grove is in the Bald Hills area. However, it didn’t have a lot of visitors on the day that we were there. Perhaps it was because it was a weekday and only the beginning of summer vacation.

The grove is dedicated to former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, who did a lot of work in the area for the conservation of the old-growth redwoods here. Halfway into the hike, you’ll see the plaque that honors her work. President Richard Nixon dedicated it in the year 1969.

The hike through the trail in Lady Bird Johnson Grove takes you through some old Coast Redwoods, and some newer and younger of these trees. The 1.5-mile trail starts at the parking lot on Bald Hills Road and is a loop through the redwood wilderness.

More about the trail — coming soon!

Redwood Creek Overlook

After the hike, we got back onto Bald Hills Road and rode further uphill to get to Redwood Creek Overlook. The overlook is around 4 miles from the grove. On the way up, we passed more dark woods and a bald hill, a result of the logging that took place here before the parks came into being.

The overlook itself is on another open area, this one with a sweet little meadow that was dotted with wildflowers. From the 2100ft. vista point we saw sweeping views of the wooded hills of the coast range, another bald hill and the Redwood Creek flowing through the valley down below.

Big Tree

After taking in the sights of the overlook, we drove back down the bumpy Bald Hills Road and got back onto US 101 and drove further north. Then we got onto Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway with hopes of seeing Roosevelt Elk on the meadow near Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and also to look up at the Big Tree further up the parkway.

We saw only a couple of elk in the area and they were almost hidden in the tall grass in the area so I don’t have pictures. However, this was how the meadow looked —

And here’s Big Tree

Big Tree is just a mile ahead of the meadow and a short walk from its parking lot. This tree is believed to be over 1500 years old and around 300 ft. tall now.

After taking a look at the tree, if you feel like doing some walking around this green area, there are several trails that begin and crisscross this area.

Find more info on the National Park and the state parks within it, here

Things to know before you visit Redwood National Park:

• Redwood National Park is made up of 3 state parks.
• There are no grand entrances to these parks. Just look out for the small signs.
• For me, it was the Thomas H Kuchel Visitor Center that marked my entry into the area from the south.
• There are no park fees either. (I had my annual pass with me and didn’t have to show it anywhere.
• However, some parts of the parks require a permit. You can pick them up from the visitor centers in the parks.
• Four food options here are very limited. You might be able to pick something up at Orick if you’re planning to visit just the southern part of the park.
• I’d love to go see Jedadiah Smith Park in the north end, sometime! When I go that side, I’ll add more first-hand info. from California’s northernmost national Park.

You might also like:
More Redwood Parks
US National Park on TftT

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