Fiction lovers must have seen the famous Star Wars epic. Remember the last season? The planet Endor, covered with fabulous forests with tall, tall trees ... But did you know that you can plunge into the atmosphere of this cinema epic yourself? To get to the fantastic planet Endor, just come to the Redwood National Park. The name of this place - Red Wood - is translated from English as "Red Wood". This is because the forest is mainly composed of sequoias.
In this article, we will tell you in which state of the USA the Redwood Park is located and how to get there. Tourism infrastructure in this state-protected corner of wildlife is well developed. But do not think that there are more people here than trees. This is still not a park, but a reserve. And therefore, no one is safe from meeting face to face with a bear or a trot. Read about what you can see in the Redwood Nature Reserve below.
Sequoia
This tree is unique. Without exaggeration, we can say that it is the most durable and the highest of all plants on Earth. Sequoias live about two thousand years. So it’s quite possible to see a contemporary of Jesus Christ in the Redwood National Park (USA)! These trees reach one hundred and fifteen meters - the height of a 35-story skyscraper. The thickness of the trunk at their base is also impressive. She reaches eight meters. But in the wild, these giants and old-timers live only on a small stretch of our planet - on the west coast of California and southern Oregon. In other places, sequoia is planted artificially, in parks and botanical gardens.
Previously, this evergreen cypress family plant was called the California Mammoth Tree. The sequoia was given the modern name after the leader of the Cherokee tribe. This man became famous for inventing the syllabic alphabet of his native language. He also issued a newspaper in the dialect of his tribe.
What US state is Redwood Park in?
This corner of protected nature spreads across the expanses of California. San Francisco is an hour away. The park is located in the north of the state, at the very border with Oregon. It is better to come here in the off-season - in spring or autumn. Then there are fewer visitors, and the weather for walking is more comfortable. Since the city of San Francisco is located nearby, the lion's share of tourists come to Redwood Park (California) for one day. This time is quite enough to explore all the iconic places of the reserve, take a ride on the old railway and visit the museum. In addition to sequoia forests, prairies and meadows are preserved here. In addition to the mainland, about sixty kilometers of the Pacific coastline with a strip of water are also subject to protection. And therefore, besides moose and numerous other animals and birds of the forest, you can see marine mammals - whales and seals.
Unique forest
Once upon a time, when the oldest tree in the modern reserve was still a delicate sprout, Indians lived on these lands. They built their huts from fallen sequoias. This plant is unique not only because of its impressive parameters. Its wood is so strong that it resists an ax. Sequoias are not afraid of either forest fires or lightning. They have an extremely thick bark (up to 30 centimeters). It is fibrous and soft. It is because of the bark that the sequoia got its name “mahogany” - “redwood”. The national park got its name in honor of these giants, although other plants are found here - azalea, California rhododendron, Douglas fir and others.
When in the middle of the year before last, California rushed up the gold rush, a stream of miners poured here. Few managed to make a fortune on a precious metal. Most earned their bread by cutting wood - precious sequoias. Just the demand for wood has risen - because not far away the large city of San Francisco was growing. By the middle of the last century, 90 percent of the virgin forest was cut down.
History of Redwood National Park (California)
The alarm was sounded at the beginning of the twentieth century. The “Save the sequoia” social movement arose, which demanded that these places be protected by the state and a ban on further deforestation. It has achieved its goal. The state of California immediately established three parks: Prairie Creek, Del Norte and Jedi Smith. And in October 1968, Lyndon Johnson, by his presidential decree, united these islands of protected nature and created Redwood, the US national park. At first, its area was twenty-three and a half thousand hectares. In 1978, by a decision of the US Congress, the boundaries of the reserve were expanded to an additional 19,400 ha. Two years later, Redwood became a World Heritage Site , taking its rightful place on the UNESCO list. In 1983, this place received the status of "Biosphere Reserve."
Rules for visiting Redwood
Now the “Red Forest” is being watched by a special National Park Service. Its employees take care of tree conservation, cleanliness of the territory and the safety of tourists. The entrance to the Redwood National Park is absolutely free. But if you want to enter a rather big territory by car, you have to fork out for eight dollars. There are no resorts. There is only a small tourist base (camping). But here for an additional fee is allowed to stay with tents. If you have permission, you can live in the park for up to fifteen days.
All tourists come to Orik before visiting the forest. There is an information point where maps of the park are issued. Here you can buy books about this place, hire a guide. Nearby is a shop where you can buy firewood and other products for a hike.
Attractions "Redwood"
The average age of trees in the national park is about six hundred years. But there is a place where you can enter, only having received special permission. It is called the "Grove of Tall Trees." Sequoia old-timers grow here. This is where tourists go to see the Hyperion. This sequoia is officially recognized as the tallest tree on the planet (115 and a half meters). If you have visited Redwood National Park, be sure to take a ride on the old railway. This branch has remained since the time of timber extraction. A ticket costs $ 24, but you will not regret the money spent. The train with the wagons is old, the arrows are manually translated by the conductor. Most tourists travel around the park on horseback or, despite the mountainous terrain, on bicycles. Here you can often meet moose, and on the coast to watch gray whales, sea ​​lions and dolphins.