We have arrived in the land of the giants! Now, you may say "but you already visited giant trees in Sequoia." And that would be true. But these giants are taller, but less girthful, and just as spectacular! As we arrived in the Redwoods we noticed a peculiar phenomenon, one that we haven't experienced much on this trip... it was raining! What is this? However, we are Northwesterners, so we put on all our rain clothes, and ventured out into the downpour!
It was amazing walking through the canopy of trees, squinting up, seeing the rain falling through the foliage, and feeling dwarfed by the size and power of the forest. However, it was raining... so we didn't hike very long, because all our rain gear was not very much. And it was cold. So we explored, took pictures, videos, and mental snapshots, then headed at a leisurely trot back to the car. We continued our drive through the park hoping the rain would let up to facilitate a 2nd outing into the land of the monoliths, but sadly it did not, so we decided to leave further exploration for another time.
Personnel:
Once again we passed through the park like a ship through the night... no other ships (in this case the other ships are the park rangers) were sighted.
Climate/weather:
Well... it was raining... so there's that. Not ideal for most forms of exploration, but also adds an element of mystery and wildness to the forest. So... probably don't go when it is raining. Maybe more of a non-winter situation.
Facilities/signage:
Once again we passed through the park like a ship through the night... no other ships... uh... encountered (in this case the other ships are the restrooms). The entrance sign was large, but otherwise normal. Inside the park there were several state parks, all of which were marked. The route through is pretty straight forward, and we didn't get lost, so that is a signage success.
Hiking experience:
The trails through the Redwoods are magical! Walking through groves of trees that are over 300' tall is an experience that transcends the realm of humans, and again brings you to the land of giants! Our hike was sadly shortened by the rain, but the time we did spend walking through the forest was well worth it.
So driving through the Redwoods is unique. It is a conglomeration of State Parks and National Park and towns here and there. But US 101 goes through most of it (although it doesn't go to the deepest forest) and each of the state parks is appropriately marked. The best driving portion for us was on a scenic byway that took us down into the heart of the forest with trailheads marked clearly for the hiking transition if so desired. You can definitely still experience the trees from the road, especially on the scenic routes.
Camping options:
There are several campgrounds in the park, and backcountry camping is permitted in designated backcountry sites with free permit.
Hammockability:
Once again, bring lots of strap/webbing if you want to hammock using the redwood trunks. There are other smaller trees as well that could suffice which may require less resources... but come on... you could hammock from redwoods!
Scenery:
Tall, dark, and handsome. The Redwoods definitely fit the classic stereotype of what it means to be attractive. You should probably check them out! The trees and forests are definitely worth spending time in. The trails take you right through the heart of Jurassic Park, or the forest moon of Endor... sadly we didn't see any Velociraptors or Ewoks... maybe next time!
Nearby food:
There are food options in towns interspersed throughout the parks. None in the parks themselves that we saw, but you won't starve.
There is so much more to see and do here, we will have to come back. The forests are just amazing, and exploring them almost transports you to another time and place when things were wild and free. It was a short trip this time, but good!
Next stop: Crater Lake, the last of the NPs and the final state... we are excited! And a little bit sad... that the journey is almost over.
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