Redwood National and State Parks, Nature reserve in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, California, United States
Redwood National and State Parks are a complex of one national park and three California state parks in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, covering 139,000 acres along the Pacific coast. The parks protect 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests, including the tallest trees on Earth. A reddish-brown dirt road runs between thick-trunked redwoods with fibrous bark, with ferns and bushes along the edges.
The protection of these forests began in 1968 when the American government declared a new national park and incorporated three existing California state parks. The initiative emerged in response to decades of heavy logging that had destroyed large portions of the original stands.
The coastal forests served for centuries as a vital living space for indigenous communities who hunted, fished, and held ritual ceremonies here. Many traditional paths and clearings still bear witness to this long history of use and the close bond between people and trees.
The numerous hiking trails lead through different vegetation zones, from coastal prairies to shaded valleys, and sometimes require sturdy footwear due to slippery roots and rocks. Visitor centers along the main access roads offer maps, information on current trail conditions, and notices about wildlife sightings.
Beneath the canopy of the tallest trees develops its own ecosystem where rare ferns, mosses, and even small amphibians grow and live in branch forks. These hanging gardens form because organic material accumulates over centuries in the upper stories.
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