Did you know that Northern Californiani has an ancient forest with trees that have lived for over 1,500 years?
Redwood National State Park is a hot spring where the tallest trees in the world are present and silence and sacred. It is located at the northernmost tip of California and consists of three different parks: Delnold Coast State Park, Jededia Smith State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. It is a very large park with a total area of 139,000 acres (560 square kilometers) in size, about 55km north and south along the Pacific Ocean (also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980).
Once you step into the forest, you will be surrounded by trees over 100m tall, everything is huge, and you will feel as if you have become a dwarf.
This is a place where you can enjoy yourself and the forest space, and the fresh air, tranquility, and the infinite energy that the trees that have seen everything give us a very special space and time. As the term for forest bathing is, once we enter the forest, they will soothe our hearts and envelop us.
This is a truly natural paradise, with not only ancient forests but also beautiful beaches and seas, unique natural scenery and many wildlife.
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What is the world's biggest creature, "Redwood"?
Redwood is a type of sequoia, and its name comes from the fact that its trunk is hard and thick bark is red. It is an evergreen coniferous tree called the Sequoia genus, the genus of Cypressaceae (or Cedaraceae), and is the largest of the plants, and is over 110m tall. Not only is its height, but it is also a very long-lived tree, with an average age of about 500 to 700 years, and some giant trees, which are still alive and over 2,000 years old.
It is full of respect and wonder for the huge tree that has lived there for 2000 years.
There is a similar area called King's Sequoia National Park, which spreads with sequoia trees, located south of Yosemite National Park in California, but it is on a different scale. Not only is its size, but the number of visitors (depending on the season) is smaller than that of Kings Sequoia National Park, so you can observe the redwoods without being crowded and enjoy the space between yourself and the sacred forest.
Personally, it's open and I really recommend it.
Redwood is a truly precious thing nowadays
Around 1850, more than 8,100 square kilometers of redwood forests spread across the coastline of Northern California, where Redwood National State Park is now located.
This area was originally home to Native Americans, and they lived in worshipping the forest, thinking, "Trees are gifts from the Creator as proof of love," and "If you destroy these trees, you will destroy the Creator's love. And if you destroy them, you will ultimately destroy humanity." Among them, the trees were said to be sacred creatures and "standing as 'guards' on sacred places." However, such sacred places are also destroyed by human egos.
In the mid-1800s, gold was discovered on the Sacramento River, a little further south, and more and more people were gathering in California to seek a fortune-telling quick. This is called the gold rush, but gold is not easily found.
Those who failed to find money in the gold rush and failed to make money have noticed the fast-growing giant tree cutting developments in San Francisco and elsewhere on the West Coast, and came to the area of Redwood National State Park, where unlimited clearcutting has been underway for decades. Redwood was a valuable material as a high-quality lumber that was durable yet easy to process.
After that, an activity to protect the forest began, and serious efforts began to protect it, but in 1968, when Redwood National Park was designated, nearly 90% of the native forests that originally existed in Redwood had been cut down. So the few redwoods in the park that have survived since ancient times are truly precious.
The trees have survived many difficulties. This time we will introduce some recommended trail routes in Redwood National State Park, where ancient forests lie.
Hiking information for Redwood National State Park (Miner's Ridge and James Irvine Trail Loop)
Here's an overview of the Miner's Ridge and James Irvine Trail Loop information, with a wide variety of amazing trail routes that offer views of forests, seas and fern-covered valleys.
Good things to carry on hiking
As with all your belongings, just like before, prepare the same equipment as a typical American hike. The winter season is rainy from October to April, so it would be a good idea to have non-slip trekking shoes, raincoats, and sandals (as they may get soaked in water).
- Drinks (a lot in the summer, about 2 liters)
- Cold weather wear that can adjust the temperature
- hat
- sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Snacks and more for eating while hiking
- If you have a regular medicine, first aid such as medicine or band-aid
- Other things you prefer with your regular hiking equipment
Trail data
- For intermediate and advanced users and above
- Season: You can hike all year round, but it is usually raining from October to April, so if you go there during that time of year, the fern plants that absorbed moisture become very lively. It would be nice to choose a nice day. It's also great from summer to autumn after April.
a very pleasant season However, there are few people in the winter and it's definitely quiet and private (it can get crowded as summer vacation begins). - Round trip: Approx. 20.8km (13mile)
- Height difference: Approx. 490m (1,614 ft)
- Course time: 5 to 7 hours round trip (including breaks)
Access (car to the trailhead)
Trailhead Address: Prairie Creek Visitor Center: Newton B. Drury Scenic Pkwy, Orick, CA 95555 (1 of the above map)
Approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes by car from San Francisco, California. You will be heading north on Highway 101 from San Francisco (5 hours and 30 minutes south from Portland, Oregon).
Day trips from San Francisco are difficult, so we recommend staying there. You can camp in the park, and to the south of Redwood National State Park is the town called Eureka, which is also known as the gateway to the south. There is also a wide range of hotels, restaurants and Airbnb.
It is located in the northern part of California, close to the border with Oregon.
Hiking departure from the trailhead (trailhead)
The Prairie Creek Visitor Center is located in the same location as the trailhead, with parking and restrooms.
This photo was taken from a visit in the second half of February, but we recommend bringing shoes that you can soak in water, such as replacement shoes or sandals. There were a few areas that I had to walk in the water during the trail.
We set off with preparations. Deer are eating breakfast in the field in front of the parking lot, enjoying the morning light.
You can also find elk (large deer) and other lucky places in this area.
Once you step into the trail, it's amazing! A huge tree that you can't normally see will soon be greeted by it. The way it stretches out as far as it goes towards the sky is truly impressive. As soon as I entered the trail, I stopped by this dynamic sight and started taking photos, and I was amazed at the time I would take the hike ahead. lol
The trail is fairly flat and easy to walk.
About 1.5 hours after starting to walk, a fork will appear. This time I'll go clockwise, so I'll continue to the trail on the left (Minner's Ridge Trail). (2 of the hiking map above)
Everything is big here. . The clover is also a size larger than what you usually see in Japan. This is proof that there is an environment where plants can grow freely.
This area is not only humid environment where trees tend to grow, but also the sea and mountains are nearby, so many foggy and cloudy days are present, and trees continue to compete to get some sun, and it is said that it has grown to this extent. However, living for more than 1,000 years is by no means easy. I am filled with respect, surprise, and mysterious feelings of respect, surprise, and wonder at the trees that have overcome many challenges.
The thick bark of redwood, about 30cm tall, is said to be able to protect the interior by burning even if a wildfire occurs. The inside also contains a lot of tannins that are resistant to moisture and fire, so it will not burn out. That's why we were able to survive even in California, where fires are frequented.
We continue further, watching the beautiful sunlight filtering through the trees.
As you proceed for about an hour, you will gradually start to hear the sound and smell of the sea. It's proof that the beach is close. After passing through the forest, you will find a campsite and a parking lot (toilets are available).
There are several tables ahead, where you can also take a break.
It's completely different from the previous landscape, and it's a view of the blue sky and blue ocean. .
What a great trail! As you pass through the deep green ancient forest, you will find a world of blue seas, each one that is beautiful and soothing.
After taking a break, follow the trail leading to the beach. (Hiking map 3 above)
Beach! There's no one here either. The beautiful sandy beach continues forever and enjoys a completely private space by yourself.
It was such a beautiful space that I spent a little time here as well. I walked around taking photos and other things, so at this point it had been 3.5 hours since the start.
From the beach, head to Fern Canyon. There is a small creek when you walk from the beach towards the Fern Canyon parking lot. In the summer, the creek is low and you can walk to the other side, but this time of year is still February and has a lot of rain, so there is a lot of water, so you will have to walk in the water and go to the trail leading to a parking lot. It was impossible to cross the shoes without getting wet. (It would be nice to have sandals.
Crossing the creek you will see the Fern Canyon parking lot. (With toilet)
From the beach, you will enter the car park and the trail begins to go to Fern Canyon on the back left.
A few minutes' walk from the trail, the indescribable, watery space is spread out, with ferns covering the narrow valley (Hiking Map 4 above).
At this time of year, the water was higher than in the summer, and in February it was difficult to walk away from the water, so I walked through the creek. But on the other hand, it was very pleasant and refreshing.
Ferns cover the entire walls of the valley, and water flowing from the mountains is constantly dripping down there. This is exactly what "negative ions" mean. It is also the place that was used during the filming in the film Jurassic Park 2.
Every time you turn the road as you proceed, you'll find a landscape that will make you want to take a photo and share it on Instagram.
There is a parking lot here, so of course you can also come by car. You can enjoy only this area, but I will continue on the trail further towards the trailhead. The trails are easy to understand, but there are many branches, so I think it's smoother to download the maps using GPS in advance.
Well, in the second half we will continue through the ancient forest again.
I imagined that there was art of trees that fell down along the way, and that the trees and forests that were hit by the light were really beautiful, and there were fairies or forest spirits.
By walking slowly, I spent some time in the forest and enjoyed a forest bath. It took 6.5 hours to take photos to the trailhead that started.
This time we chose a long one-day loop, but there are also a wide range of hiking trails in the park, as well as short versions.
You can also choose the points and trail length that suit the person's level and mood. Each trail is lovely and greets you by an ancient forest.
Notes regarding the spread of COVID-19
As of May 2021, various countries are likely to experience a variety of situations, including entry restrictions due to the strengthening of quarantine systems, restrictions on admission to national parks, and restrictions on travel within the country. These conditions may change without notice, so when traveling, be sure to obtain local information such as embassies and consulates of each country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overseas safety website (infectious disease risk information) and national park websites, and check the information about the transfer location, the countries where you plan to travel, and the area around the destinations you plan to visit before making any effort to plan and take reasonable steps.
Kato Sayaka
