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Published: August 4th 2008
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Redwood National & State Parks
The northern entry point on US 101. After a second night at Harris Beach, I packed everything up (for a second time) and headed south on 101. I entered my home state of California (after declaring that, no, I did not have any fresh fruit) and cruised into Crescent City, home to the Park Information office for Redwood National and State Parks. (That is really what it is called; it is a jointly managed area, with the federal Redwood National Park surrounded by a series of state parks.) After selecting a few choice postcards, I inquired about a place to camp. The ranger was thorough, maybe too thorough as nearly 15 minutes later I was still standing there, watching him deface a perfectly good map with pointless lines and arrows and circles. (I don't know if I cringe at that kind of map-directed graffiti because I'm a geographer, or I became a geographer because I feel that way about the sanctity of maps. ? )
He directed me to one of three possible locations, each on federal land and located at varying distances from the nearest road. Considering I was car camping, I went straight to the site with the shortest hike in - about 1/2 mile.
California Coast
Some parts of the coast drive are rocky ... This site was located down the coast from Crescent City, just below the mouth of the Klamath River and on the rather primitive Coastal Drive that meanders along the cliffs above the Pacific for 5 or so miles, paralleling the more popular (and much faster) 101. When I pulled up to what was essentially an oversized turnout, there were already nearly 10 cars parked there. Rather haphazardly parked, as there were a few that were boxed in, unless the owner wanted to try driving down the slope to the beach. (Not recommended.) Thinking that all these cars meant no campsites, I reluctantly headed up the trail to see what the situation was. To my surprise, only 1 of 12 sites was occupied. I returned to the car, grabbed my tent and returned up the hill to mark my territory, such as it was.
I didn't linger too long after grabbing a snack at the car because I wanted to drive further down the coast to examine some of the sights of Redwood Park. I drove south on the Coastal Drive, which was mostly gravel. Having lived in Oklahoma for the better part of 10 years, I have become more
California Coast
... and some parts are sandy. than accustomed to driving on gravel roads. On this trip however, I was slightly more on edge seeing as though I was in a rental car - and not 3 weeks earlier me and another rental car had a bit of a problem. OK, the problem wasn't so much between me and the car, but between said car and the Buick that turned in front of us. Anyway, even though my own vehicle is growing cobwebs in Oklahoma and the previous incident was not even close to my fault, I really didn't care to bring another rental car back to its home in poor shape. And gravel roads have this crazy way of putting cars in poor shape. So I drove at a pretty slow rate of speed (for me), but it gave me the chance to stop at places I may have zipped by in other circumstances.
The Coastal Drive joins the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway just south of that road's northern junction with highway 101. I continued south on the Drury, making a few stops for short trail hikes, trying my best to capture the sheer size of the forest. Even with a fairly wide-angle 28mm
Mighty Redwoods
My camera lens could not possibly get the entirety of these tress. lens, it is impossible to accurately represent the size of the trees in that place. If you've been there, you know. If not, pictures can never do it justice and you really just have to surround yourself with these creatures to understand. When you are standing on a forest hillside and spy a needle-like spindle of a tree towering 100 feet above you, it is amazing; when you realize the base of the trunk is 100 feet below you, down the hillside, it's truly captivating.
I proceeded through a few more miles of the Drury Parkway, rejoining highway 101 south just beyond the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, where I made a brief stop for lunch. For some reason, I had it in my mind that I needed to visit all of the Visitor Centers in the park and the most southerly one is located on the coast, just west of the small town of Orick. It was only a few miles south of the Drury/101 junction, so I continued on, stopping in Orick for a refill of ice for the cooler. Orick was not much of a town. In fact, most of the places along this part of the
Redwoods
The best shots I could get were those looking down a hill to trees that were some distance away. Pacific Coast don't boast too much in the way of amusements. Most of them fly by as you pass on 101 and are gone in less than 30 seconds. If you don't pay attention, you'll miss the one gas station, 2 bars, and 3 gift shops - each with a large, carved piece of wood out front, beckoning passing tourists.
At the Visitor Center, I wandered out onto the beach and perused the piles of driftwood - as well as the strangely amusing 'Sneaker Wave' signs. As I left, a family from a local native tribe was performing some traditional dances and songs to a group of people. It was a bit strange, as it was an older (50's) gentleman surrounded by 4 teenagers. Also, there was some old lady sitting nearby yelling into her cell phone. You know the type. Maybe you are the type. Just because you can't hear doesn't mean that other people are deaf.
I got back on 101 and headed in the direction of camp. I had passed a turnout on the way for the Lady Bird Johnson Grove of trees and decided to make the side trip to see it. This was
Happy St. Pat's
Perhaps my next St. Patrick's Day card? the location of the original dedication of Redwood National Park in the late 1960s. One of the glories of the Park Service is the near universal positive approval given the agency by the public. Year after year while most government agencies are decried for poor service, the Park Service is viewed as a positive asset. Certainly there are problems; I'm studying some of them and know about even more. But walking through the Lady Bird Grove I came across one of the reasons people still view the Park Service with such appreciation: a lone Park Ranger, alone, at the site of the dedication, ready to provide insight, commentary, helpful hints, trail pointers, and general information. Parks were set aside originally as places of retreat and rejuvenation for the more well-to-do of the nation (who else could afford the weeks-long trip by train and stagecoach to the western states?). When the Park Service came into being in 1916, the leading administrators knew that popular support would be needed to continue the mission. What followed was an aggressive campaign to make parks both accessible and educational. More roads, more autos, more rangers, more 'interpretation'. These meant not only that a broader cross-section
Ah. The Ocean
The waves crashing at the shore near Orick. of the public would be able to view the parks, but that those who did would come away with the knowledge of what made these places, why they were parks, and what they meant to the nation and the world. Some of the early interpretive material was clearly nationalistic, some occasionally to the point of story fabrication, yet the model stuck and the parks grew in popularity and visitation increased. The focus of the Park Service has certainly shifted over the last 100 years but the legacy of the first 20 years of park management - and the ideas of Directors Stephen Mather & Horace Albright - remain entrenched in much of what the service does.
Leaving Lady Bird's Grove, I returned to 101 and headed back to the campsite. It was then, with the help of of few of the people now congregated in the parking area, that I learned that this part of the world is known as the 'lawless' area. Technically, you are supposed to camp only in designated campsites in a national park. In this place, people put their tents out right behind their cars .. or they sleep in their cars; they camp next
Look Out!
The sneaker waves along this stretch of coast are usually a mix of Nike and New Balance. to a bonfire on the beach; they find a comfortable spot in some field and curl up. Pretty much anything goes. So much for lugging the tent up the hillside. Since it was already up there, I figured I might as well use it. I stayed with the car and the few people who had gathered to prepare their dinner and set up their camps. As we sat and talked, the sun faded into the approaching fog and provided a wonderfully spectacular sunset for what was to be my final coastal night of the trip.
(Counties: CA - Del Norte, Humboldt)
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