Redwood National and State Parks

Big trees live in these parks.

These trees are very tall. They are also very old. They grow in wet, foggy woods.

Many animals live here too. You might see a spotted owl. You might see a sea lion.

People can visit the parks. You can ride a horse. You can also go for a hike.

These parks keep the giant trees safe.

Redwood National and State Parks are in northern California.

This park area includes one national park. It also has three state parks. Together, they protect 139,000 acres of land.

The parks protect the coast redwood. This tree is the tallest on Earth. It is also very old and massive. These trees live in a wet rainforest. The area also has 37 miles of coastline. Many animals live here. You might see the northern spotted owl. You might see the Chinook salmon.

Native American tribes lived here for a long time. The Yurok, Chilula, and Tolowa tribes had strong ties to this land. They used redwood wood to build houses and boats.

In the 1800s, many people came for gold. This led to a big timber business. People cut down many trees for wood. To save the trees, groups like the Sierra Club worked hard. They helped create the parks to keep the forests safe. Today, workers use controlled burning to help the forest grow well.

Redwood National and State Parks is a special group of protected lands. It includes one national park and three California state parks.

These parks sit along the coast of northern California. Together, they cover 139,000 acres of land.

This large area protects 45 percent of the remaining old-growth coast redwood forests. Old-growth forests are very old and have not been disturbed by people. These woods are part of a group called the Old-Growth Forest Network. The parks also protect 37 miles of beautiful coastline and many different plants and animals.

The parks protect the coast redwood, or Sequoia sempervirens.

This tree is the tallest and one of the oldest species on Earth. These massive trees grow best in a humid temperate rainforest.

The land is also home to many other living things. You might find the Chinook salmon in the water. You might see the northern spotted owl in the trees.

Steller's sea lions also live in this region. The area has many different habitats like grasslands and prairies. Even the weather and ground are important here. The region is seismically active, which means earthquakes can happen. It is also prone to tsunamis from the ocean.

Native American nations have lived in this area for thousands of years.

The Yurok, Chilula, and Tolowa tribes had very strong ties to these forests. The Tolowa people lived near the Smith River for a long time.

Excavations show people lived in parts of the park for 8,500 years. These tribes used redwood trees to build their lives. They turned the wood into planks for houses and boats. Some groups, like the Chilula, believed the trees were gifts from a creator. They even used the wood to make beautiful roofs for their buildings.

In the 1800s, many changes came to the redwood forests.

The California Gold Rush began in 1848. This brought many people to the area to find gold. Soon, a huge timber business started to grow. Companies cut down many trees to make lumber for the West Coast. They used tools like crosscut saws and oxen to move the wood. Later, machines like the steam donkey were used to cut trees. This led to clear-cutting, which is when many trees are removed at once. These changes were very hard for the native people living there.

People eventually worked hard to save the remaining trees.

Groups like the Sierra Club and the Save the Redwoods League began to fight for the forest. The Save the Redwoods League helped create several state parks in the 1920s. Later, Congress created Redwood National Park in 1968. In 1994, the national and state parks joined together to work as one unit. Today, workers use controlled burning to help the forest stay healthy.

This is a way to manage the land so it looks like it did before 1850. In 1980, the United Nations named the parks a World Heritage Site. In 2023, local tribes created an Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area to protect the waters.

Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) is a massive protected area in northern California.

It is a complex of one national park and three state parks. These are Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Together, they cover 139,000 acres. This vast area preserves 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests. These old-growth forests are recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network.

The parks protect a unique ecosystem including 37 miles of coastline and various habitats. This includes grasslands, prairies, and waterways. The region is also seismically active, meaning earthquakes can occur. It is also prone to tsunamis.

The primary focus of the parks is the coast redwood, or Sequoia sempervirens. This tree species is the tallest on Earth. It is also among the oldest and most massive species. These trees thrive in a humid temperate rainforest.

The parks protect many other species as well. These include the Chinook salmon and the Steller's sea lion. The northern spotted owl is another threatened animal found here.

The ecosystem is so rare that the United Nations named it a World Heritage Site in 1980. This designation recognizes the unique biological and cultural value of the region.

Indigenous peoples have lived in this region for many millennia. Historian David Stannard notes a diversity of over thirty native nations in northwestern California. Scholar Gail L. Jenner estimates at least fifteen tribal groups lived along the coast. The Yurok, Chilula, and Tolowa tribes were most connected to the current park areas.

The Yurok were the most populous, with about 55 villages. The Chilula lived near Redwood Creek. The Tolowa lived near the Smith River. Excavations show people inhabited parts of the park for at least 8,500 years. These tribes used redwood trees for construction. They turned the wood into planks for houses and boats.

Some groups, like the Chilula, viewed the trees as gifts from a creator.

Significant changes arrived with European explorers and the Gold Rush. The first Europeans likely arrived with the Cabrillo expedition in 1543. Later, Spanish explorers like Bruno de Heceta visited in 1775. In 1828, Jedediah Smith explored the interior and traded with Native Americans. The California Gold Rush of 1848 brought hundreds of thousands of people to the state. Gold was found along the Trinity River in 1850. This influx led to the displacement and death of many indigenous people. For example, the Tolowa population fell to about 120 by 1910.

Following the gold rush, a massive timber industry developed. Redwood was highly valuable because it has a straight grain. It does not warp and can defy the weather. In the past, two men could saw through a tree at one foot per hour. They used crosscut saws and oxen to move the heavy logs. Later, machines like the steam donkey and bull donkey were invented. These machines allowed for clear-cutting, where many trees are removed at once. This practice was used to clear space for the machines to work. Caterpillar tractors began to compete with manual labor in the late 1920s.

Conservation efforts began to rise as the forests were logged. The Save the Redwoods League helped create several state parks in the 1920s. They worked alongside the Sierra Club to protect the trees. In 1968, Congress created Redwood National Park. In 1978, the national park was expanded. In 1994, the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation combined the units into one administrative group.

Today, managers use controlled burning to help restore the forest. This helps return the ecosystem to its condition before 1850.

The parks represent a complex intersection of nature and human history. They protect both biological diversity and cultural resources. In 2023, local tribes declared an Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area. This protects the coastline and the coastal waters. The parks remain open to the public for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. They serve as a vital refuge for endangered species and ancient trees. The management of the land continues to balance protection with restoration.