Welcome to Coast Redwoods and Redwood National Park

Coast redwoods hiking, photography and
redwood adventures in Redwood National Park,
Humboldt Redwoods and Avenue of the Giants.

Updated August 2019

by Mario D. Vaden
Arborist, Explorer, Photographer

When you are ready for coast redwoods in Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, this may be your best source for information photos and inspiration. The menu is at the top or side leading to 200 pages with more in the REDWOOD BLOG

The most-essential topics are grouped under must-see, lodging, park visitor centers and hiking. The pages and albums combined have 100s of redwood photos. My goal is to broadly assist or inspire hikers, authors, photographers, tourists and explorers.

IMAGE: The top photo is Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith park. To the right, a woman is standing on a massive burl of a huge coast redwood in Redwood National Park.

I'm not a sanctioned coast redwood tour guide but have enhanced adventures for people inquiring to explore the redwoods. My arborist experience plus years in the redwoods, unlock doors to unique adventures. See redwood tours

This content began 2008 with a single page about the 1998 coast redwood discovery "Grove of Titans", then grew to over 200 pages. Because the Grove of Titans was extensively revealed by the parks and CBS News, I updated that page about news, donations and directions.

In 2014, a page was added about other coast redwood discoveries found 2009 - 2018 that are wider, bigger and unusual. Coast redwood (Sequoia) now surpasses giant sequoia (Seqoiadendron) for more than just height.

The largest coast redwoods essentially vaporize the "giant sequoia" common name for Sequoiadendron, and Sequoia National Park should consider renaming. The species in Redwood National Park are the only real Sequoia. One of the best examples is the enormous Big Kahuna

These pages offer a unique variety of extra redwood information because I'm not constrained by PC or agendas like the park service or fund raisers. Every topic is 100% accurate given elbow room for small changes or typo.

IMAGE: a married couple retreats to the hollow center of an ancient old growth trunk after their redwood wedding ceremony .. redwood wedding photography

Over the years, I had opportunity to bushwhack (explore) with several people who generously shared insight, knowledge and skill. We found several new discoveries together and explored many obscure groves. Atkins is the one I spent the most time with during LiDAR coast redwood measuring. Here are a few pages about these explorers.

Michael Taylor
Chris Atkins
Dr. Steve Sillett
Ron Hildebrant
Dr. Robert Van Pelt

Many largest coast redwoods are undisclosed but the parks will gladly share a bunch of huge ones like the Boyscout Tree, Stout, Corkscrew, Immortal, BIG and GIANT redwoods shown in the menu under redwood giants. Those are ones known as landmarks, some marked with signs.

Other largest 15 coast redwoods each have a page describing some behemoths that lurk within Redwood National Park. Most of those are not landmark redwoods, but realizing their existence teaches people to understand the growth potential of this Sequoia species.

Redwood National Park and Humboldt visitor centers can direct you to 300 and 360 foot tall coast redwoods in several parks. But reading here, start in the menu under essentials for stuff that is easy to share and find

IMAGE: Mill Creek flowing downstream from the Grove of Titans redwoods.
The blue color comes from serpentine mineral rock.

I routinely post on Facebook but the nexus is here. There are also pages about awesome and big coast redwoods. It will be evident that some redwood locations are kept secret. If I did not say where some redwoods are located, it doesn't matter. Remember, the pages are meant to show the potential visitors can dream about in this forest. Just pick some trails and see what outstanding coast redwoods you find. Whether or not you already read Preston's redwood book, check my review for The Wild Trees. The book is worth ordering.

If you slow down, there's plenty of big redwoods to spot. Recently I added mystery coast redwoods without names that include short stories or information related to our exploring (what happened, our thoughts, what was unusual that day). Although I haven't spotted Bigfoot yet, I did encounter a Redwood Fairy near Trillium Falls Trail

The coast redwood rainforest also prompted my journey into photography and I provide portraits between Oregon and the redwood coast. I am flexible for other destination weddings.

Quite a few people have asked about my camera gear and other questions about redwood photography over the years. So I posted a video about my cameras, lenses and few thoughts about photographing. I found that technique, time and conditions are almost more important than brand of camera. Video Link: Redwood Photographer M. D. Vaden - My Camera Gear

A most recent page honors my mother Eleanor Vaden, 1919-2017, who rests in this spectacular forest.

Now let's look at a few coast redwood facts ...

Coast Redwoods Facts & Identification

Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, is the only living species of the genus Sequoia. Common names include coast redwood and California redwood. The botanical or scientific name is Sequoia sempervirens and it is completely accurate to call them "Sequoia" because "giant sequoia" is a common name reserved for Sequoiadendron giganteum. As I wrote earlier, Sequoiadenron no longer has a size advantage worthy of that alias.

IMAGE: redwood trunks on the left without any moss and spruce on the right laden with moss.

Coast Redwood is evergreen and monoecious, meaning it forms male and female reproductive parts on one tree. Pollination occurs mostly during winter. Apparently, seeds from coast redwoods over 250 yrs. old are more viable than from young redwoods. It is the tallest species, exceeding 380 ft., and over 29 ft. diameter at breast height (dbh). Maximum age can exceed 2500 years, and there is one that I estimated 4000 years, possibly older.

Foliage leaves are needles about 1 inch long with pointed tips and may have white stripes beneath referred to as stomatal bloom. Foliage higher up in old coast redwoods may be tiny and almost awl-shaped. Small upper foliage is not the result of sun exposure but due to drawing water up from roots to extreme height.

IMAGE: one of many new coast redwood discoveries lurking around Redwood National Park. The near 28 ft. trunk diameter, volume and height surpasses every giant sequoia in one or more aspects. This coast redwood is estimated 4000 years, and possibly more. This is just a sample - some other ones have not been published. To see something somewhat comparable, look for the Big Tree in Prairie Creek park. That one is about 50% this size. For something even larger, consider Jedediah Smith redwood park's Grove of Titans

Presently, coast redwood species exceeds General Sherman's (Sequoiadendron) 1321 points of the national champion registry. It is also the widest diameter species in the country. As shown in the photo, coast redwoods of extreme size exist around Redwood National Park. So big in fact, their existence seems to perplex some Sierra Nevada rangers.

Coast edwood used to grow around the planet in other eras but mother nature vanquished their natural range to a narrow strip along the Pacific Ocean coast of northern California and SW Oregon near Brookings. There is also a man-made coast redwood forest in New Zealand.

Coast redwood shares forest with Douglas fir which also grows over 300 feet tall, and 9 feet diameter or more. Cones are very different. Small coast redwood cones feel hard and woody, often absent. Unlike true firs with cones disintegrating up in the canopy, Douglas fir drops entire cones, with a triple pointed bract protruding from the scale. Some people compare the bracts to a mouse's hind legs and tail.

Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, is the only living species of the genus Sequoia. Common names include coast redwood and California redwood. The botanical or scientific name is Sequoia sempervirens and it can be accurate to call them "Sequoia" because "giant sequoia" is a common name reserved for Sequoiadendron.

IMAGE: a large Douglas fir overlaid with its own cone top right and a coast redwood cone bottom right for comparison.

Coast redwood does not require fog for survival. They certainly need fog for extreme size, but for survival of established redwoods, there are substantial coast redwoods planted decades ago in areas with as little as 20 inches yearly rainfall. My new page throws down the gauntlet to certain claims about climate and fog in relation to coast redwood survival. That page also proves redwoods can stand alone. Do not believe every claim you hear about redwoods at face value. I added a good narrative about how and why solo redwoods are stronger than grove redwoods. Look for a bold heading near the end of my Del Norte Titan Page

Redwoods and other trees are not stronger growing in groves. Many do grow in groves, but there are drawbacks as well as advantages. Sometimes one redwood will fall and take down another that would not have fallen otherwise had it stood alone. Sometimes several redwoods will be demolished when another one falls over.

Groves can cause weaker redwoods with more shallow roots and slim trunks when compared to solo trunks of simlar ages. A grove can buffer wind and provide some protection, but the benefit can be more a matter of reliance and dependence than individual strength.

IMAGE: coast redwood foliage shown on the left and Pacific yew foliage on the right.

Around 2017, one or two rangers claimed redwoods have weakly attached branches (Redwood National Parks Facebook video). But the redwoods prove contrary. In the parks, just look up. There are branches to 7 feet diameter, centuries old. Normal branches are strong. Given many years ... storms, other falling redwoods and fire will eventually break off some branches. Then weaker epicormic branches or sprouts can grow in addition to the sturdy branches. But normal redwood branches are plenty strong like the branches canopy scientists hoist rope over, entrusting their lives.

Near the Pacific coast, Yew may be the only other evergreen that could be confused with coast redwood, but only in the early years of growth.

At a quick glance, Taxus brevifolia (Yew) has similar looking needle foliage to Sequoia sempervirens, including tapered tips. But the underside of Yew leaves lack white bands (stomatal bloom) whereas redwood should have two white bands beneath.

Yew foliage has the appearance of two bands but the needles should appear pale. Also, redwoods have small, almost woody-feeling cones with multiple seeds, whereas yews have a single seed with a modified coating called an aril which is red, pulpy and berry-like. Yews normally don't even reach 100 ft. in old age.

IMAGE: Chris Atkins (arrow) stares at a swath of destruction where upward of 8 trunks broke or fell over. Groves do not ensure stronger redwoods, but reliant weaker ones. It is a different way of nature doing things, but the photo proves the vulnerability.

Shown in another photo above, redwoods rarely have moss on the trunks: minimal if any. Some redwoods like Del Norte Titan may have patches of lichen. Otherwise, most mossy trunks will be spruce, hemlock and sometimes Douglas fir. The moss example shown was one of many spruce entering one of the redwood parks. Redwood bark tends to repel moss growth.

That Del Norte Titan (DNT) mentioned can teach several things. It has huge branches overhead, showing strong attachment overhead after many wind storms. That redwood is also far beyond most others for size and dispels myths about coast redwood trees and survival. Scroll its page to read.

2018 ushers-in a new Youtube Channel for redwoods. I'm not a videographer, but the point should get across. I may add some content about general tree care, because large evergreen or redwood trees share plenty of characteristics between forests and urban areas.

Old Growth Redwood Climbing ?

Climbing old growth redwoods near Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park is not permitted, except for a few researchers, and even scientists may have difficulty acquiring permits.

IMAGE: Climbers in a large old growth coast redwood. The trunk is still 10 ft. wide at 110 feet. Total size 19 ft. diameter near the base and height just a few feet shy of 300'

That redwood shown is also not available for regular canopy ascent. That was a special event coordinated by Expedition Old Growth and Archangel Ancient Tree Archive at Trees of Mystery in Klamath for a special mission, covered by NBC, BBC and French broadcasting.

I was invited to this 2019 adventure and ascended 200 ft. in another redwood a few hundred feet down the path from the one shown. For me, the rainy misty day was icing on the cake, watching moisture fall through layers of species, colors and textures.

If you have a few spare minutes, I posted about 4 minutes worth of random video clips showing climbers and tree experts in the huge coast redwood shown. Cllick the icon at left or see Redwood Climbing Video

A good alternative are old growth canopy tour climbs from Expedition Old Growth, based out of the Pacific Northwest. They take newcomers and skilled climbers into other old growth evergreens with heights ranging 200 and even 300 ft.There may be legitimate redwood climbing in private forest land in California. But I've met the groups noted above, and familiar with their expertise, safety, quality of gear, and solid reputation.

Mobile vs. Computer

This main redwood page is the only one partially optimized for mobile devices with the others meant for computer viewing . I liked the old archaic look better and reverted part of this page back old-school. The menu and top should resize on tiny screens.The bigger your screen the better to view these coast redwoods. It's amazing how much life gets sucked out of photos on bitty phones.

IMAGE: Avenue of the Giants passes through Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Wide Spectrum of Content

This resource covers mostly redwood parks of Northern California. Read about lodging, camping, redwood hiking, visitor centers, photography, redwood explorers and canopy research. My comments for redwood trails are in the menu under hiking listed under 5 park names plus an extra link to redwoodhikes.com which is thorough. I share different insight about trails when possible. There are over 300 coast redwood photos in the blog, album and pages. The album is on another server, embedded in my pages. In slideshow, find text links beneath to enlarge.

Adventure vs. Photography

A shout-out to photographers !!

The photo to the right was placed with this heading in mind. Consider how much photography you want to take back home proportionate to your hiking. If you hike and take but a handful of photos, any redwood park will do. But for photographers, the Avenue of the Giants may be the icing on your cake, depending upon time of year.

From June to November, deciduous shrubs in Redwood National and State Parks thicken the forest. It's great for hiking but limits photo compositions. July to October, Howland Hill Rd. in Jedediah Smith redwood park is dusty as heck. In the rainy season it gets washed clean and provides lovely photos. But summer and early autumn you need to get on a trail for photos without dust on plants. Prairie Creek park's Drury Parkway is paved, but much of that park is also very thick with leaves in spring and summer.

Avenue of the Giants' two main roads are paved and the forest and spacing of trees is much more open. That park seems easier to photograph during the entire 12 months. The Avenue of the Giants and Humboldt Redwoods State Park offer more open space in which to manuever and get more keepers.

I am not at all saying to stay south of Eureka. There are redwoods and trails and certain spots up in Redwood National Park area that Humboldt Redwoods has no equal for. This is an encouragement for photographers to absolutely include Avenue of the Giants in addition to Redwood National and State Parks. If the entire day will not remain cloudy overcast, start early morning before the sun starts shining scattered bright spots on and among the redwoods. The last couple hours of daylight are often rewarding also. The photo above right was one of my last redwood photos October 2017 around 11 am. Maybe 15 minutes later, fog cleared and sun started beaming. I zipped my camera bag and headed to Meyers Flat for a coffee.

Redwood Parks Differ in Character

The 15 largest coast redwoods (2013) are included because most visitors will never see them, as well as Hyperion the tallest redwood (2006) discovered in Redwood National Park.

The very tallest and the largest (published) are dispersed throughout Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National and State Parks, with the exception of Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. But all the parks have an abundance of very tall and large coast redwoods.

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park has some big redwoods but is often recognized for Damnation Creek trail leading to the ocean, foggy redwoods with "god rays", and Rhododendron blossoms late spring.

Most superlatives are not destinations. Those coast redwoods and others are shown in redwood giants under largest plus awesome & big coast redwoods. A few of them are landmarks.

IMAGE: two years after spotting this cathedral redwood, I finally crossed a river for the photo, then framed it 20 x 30 for our home office studio. It exemplifies the beauty of the redwoods and spirit of exploring. The trunks stand 6 minutes from the camera. This may not be in the menu, but I made a page with a bigger sample image, in memory of our Chihuahua. See: ZoZo's Tree

There are so many big redwoods in the park, even the greatest ones can blend in. You will have a remarkable trip even if you just see redwoods near trails.

The north parks of Humboldt and Del Norte is specifically where coast redwoods reach 380 ft. and over 29 ft. wide. The area stretches near Crescent City, Klamath, Orick, Eureka and toward Garberville.

That region has 5 coast redwood parks with old growth forest and trails. Each coast redwood park is different. Jedediah Smith seems more Jurassic including the spectacular drive along the old Howland Hill Rd. shown below. Redwood National Park feels like a Wilderness experience, with more mountain and fewer visitors during rainy seasons. Humboldt Redwoods (with Avenue of the Giants) is more open and spacious in the understory and seems more like a natural cathedral. Prairie Creek has so much lush vegetation it almost feels tropical, and can be a trail runner paradise with about 70 miles of trails.

Those 5 parks have redwoods are over 100 ft. taller than the tiny Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco.

Avenue of the Giants may be easier to photograph for groves and road scenes, but for gnarl and Jurassic, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek seem better.

Four parks managed as Redwood National and State Parks account for 133,000 acres. Those are Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.

IMAGE: the south fork of the Smith River about 2 minutes away from Redwood National and State Parks' Jedediah Smith park. In winter, the water deepens and blue intensifies.

Approximately 30 minutes south of Eureka is Humboldt Redwoods State Park with over 50,000 acres. It included Rockefeller Forest and Avenue of the Giants. This is managed separately and has it's own visitor center, one of the best. It also has campgrounds and a well-maintained road.

90% of people should find a good lead here about coast redwood travel. Photos include Jedediah Smith redwoods, Avenue of the Giants, Prairie Creek redwoods, Del Norte redwoods and Redwood National Park. The emphasis remains on coast redwoods but images from local places are added.

Those 5 parks have redwoods are over 100 ft. taller than the tiny Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco.

IMAGE: Chris Atkins (co-discoverer of Hyperion redwood(2006) faces a window to the forest. Redwood National Park has countless hidden scenic groves like this. He and Michael Taylor explored together for years. Their discoveries basically fueled interest and data for continued research.

There are are at least 8 coast redwoods over 370 feet tall (2013). Four were in Redwood National Park and four are in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Visitor centers will not provide maps for those except maybe the National Geographic redwood in Tall Trees Grove of Redwood National Park. They can easily point you to redwoods 300 to 350 ft. near Avenue of the Giants, Drury Scenic Parkway, Bull Creek Flats, Howland Hill Rd. and Redwood National Park. There are world height records in Prairie Creek and Redwood National Park but the visitor centers don't have the locations, nor will it matter, because here are plenty other satisfying tall groves.

Most largest coast redwoods are not landmarks like giant sequoias you may have seen surrounded by signs and rails. But the park visitor centers have maps to some very large and interesting coast redwoods. A few even have decks. But the coast redwood parks of the far northern coast is a more serene experience than many giant sequoia groves.

Each coast redwood park has its own character and are all worth visiting.

It's Not Just Redwoods

The Redwood Coast is not merely tall and giant coast redwoods. There are beaches, rivers, lagoons, prairies, harbors, lighthouses, campgrounds, art galleries, trails and forests.

IMAGE: strolling through giant trunks at Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

I made an effort to show this in the photos. The redwood coast has kayaaking, fishing and marathons. There are festivals, plus the Ferndale kenetic sculpture contest and several breweries. Ferndale also boasts the world's tallest living Christmas tree. In 2010, someone from Humboldt asked me to measure it because the town has a rivalry with Coeur d' Alene. In the end, we learned that Ferndale boasts the tallest; another feather in the cap for the redwood coast.

Horseback riding is available from Orick adjacent to Redwood National Park. Ask or drive near the fairgrounds. You can get horses and enjoy trail rides through spectacular old growth redwood forest.

Car buffs can attend the Sea Cruise auto show each October in Crescent City. The Curly Redwood Lodge looks retro that time of year, as repeat customers fill covered parking with vintage vehicles from end to end.

Image: fallen coast redwood and roots by a bridge at Boy Scout Tree hiking trail. This is Jedediah Smith park.

North of Redwood National Park in Klamath there's smoked Salmon, jet boat tours and the Klamath River overlook to spot whale pods. On the way up to the overlook, the Requa Inn has homemade bread that is off the charts yummy. Although it's an Inn, they don't mind drop-ins for meals in the restaurant.

There is no shortage of breweries. Between Redwood National and Humboldt Redwoods in Eureka, keep an eye out for Lost Coast Brewery. And adjacent to Jedediah Smith redwood park in Crescent City, you can find Port O Pints and Seaquake. Those are three of my favorites.

In Crescent City area, there is a town visitor center where Front Street meets Highway 101. And that one is a one minute walk from the Redwood National Park visitor center across Front St. by a couple hundred feet.

If you want variety, the redwood coast has it. And one other resource to keep in mind on your redwood journey is the Humboldt County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Photos Can Do Justice

Ever heard this quote of John Steinbeck?

"The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time."

Image: Lupine blooming near Bald Hills Rd. above Redwood National Park. This photo is from April. The floral display is more profuse during certain years. This spot is about 10 miles farther than Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Quite a few people rehearse those lines, adding that photos don't "do justice" for coast redwoods. It's true that a photograph does not capture sound, scent or feeling, but I've seen photos that prove otherwise.

Have you seen the image of the massive tree in National Geographic, October 2009? It shows a redwood in Prairie Creek park, top to bottom with about five researchers throughout the canopy for scale. If we combined what all five men could see when the photo was taken, their combined views would amount to a mere fraction of huge centerfold photo.

Likewise, I've taken redwood photos with a 200mm lens reaching details that were basically impossible to see with my own eyes. Afterward, I could enjoy and print these scenes. And sometimes I can remember what it felt like. If photographs can capture the redwood coast and surpass what human eyes can see, then photos can do justice and redwoods can be successfully photographed.

Sometimes, the shortcoming is just printing too small. It may require a 30 inch print to properly show some images. That's why most redwood photos in our home office are 30 inches or larger.

Coast Redwood Hiking & Maps

Use the top menu for my reviews of popular coast redwood trails, official park maps and visitor center contact numbers. They are in the hiking and maps option.

My reviews are listed under:

• Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
• Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
• Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
• Redwood National Park
• Humboldt Redwoods State Park

I recall seeing redwoodwoodhikes.com maps at the parks visitor center racks. Take a look because those redwood trail maps are worth the purchase.

The other redwood trail website is provided from the menu Look for that redwoodhikes.com. Our reviews are not identical. Read both and compare. redwoodhikes.com may whack a rating for traffic sound more than I do.

To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I limit being repetitive, adding content when I feel the trail should be described differently or with added emphasis. My experience with evergreens and trees is extensive and there's plenty I can add to the mix. I worked outdoors most of my life from about 1975, and an arborist from 1980, and continuing.

My emphasis is different. Both of our redwood trail reviews combined will offer you more.

Image: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park near the visitor center. This is the approach to 3 hiking trails. James Irvine trail, Westridge trail and Prairie Creek trail.

redwoodhikes.com is worth 5 stars for redwood hiking destinations, photos, trail ratings, detailed maps and mre. See the 2nd menu next to the hiking heading. I refer to that site for my own adventures.

Muir Woods

If you need a good "shot in the arm" but can't go much beyond San Francisco, Muir Woods National Monument and Coast Redwoods is an option in Marin County.

Compared to the north coast redwood parks, Muir Woods's redwoods are smaller, but it has plenty of character. The small park 12 miles north of San Fran has 554 acres with 240 acres of old growth. For comparison, that's about 1% the size of Humboldt Redwoods State Park south of Eureka. Or about 10% the size of Forest Park on Portland's west side to give you some idea.

Image: Richardson Grove visitor center south of Avenue of the Giants and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Muir Woods' tallest redwood is under 270 ft. tall, whereas Humboldt and Del Norte have tallest over 350 ft. to 370 ft. If redwoodhikes.com implemented a "serenity scale" to rank Muir Woods for hiking, it could end up as just 1/2 star some days. Let me quote the park's July site alert to clarify:

"Take the Muir Woods Shuttle. Weekends are the busiest time for Muir Woods. Parking limited. Muir Woods is experiencing high numbers of visitors. Traffic and unsafe parking behaviors are adding stress to visitors and residents. Expect delays on Hwy 1 as people drive to and from Muir Woods and local beaches."

Again, Muir Woods may give you that shot in the arm, unless you find the stress. Maybe Muir Woods could be compared to pharmaceutical commercials with disclaimer warnings, and Redwood National and State Parks compared to natural food stores.

Exploring the Coast Redwoods

After many of my own redwood trips, I suggest for travelers from afar to consider lodging reservations rather than camping to get more out of adventure and cover more ground. It buys time, not just a room. If your time is limited, you can skip camping setup, drying tents and waiting for showers.

Coast redwood camping is a lot of fun, but if the forest will give you that shot in the arm, get a motel or bed & breakfast room. It also provides a place to keep items that may leave you biting your nails for leaving in a car or tent.

Image: Crescent City harbor sunset

The redwood coast provides hikes and drives and even horseback to get around. Expect park staff & rangers to be very helpful. The rangers at the redwood visitor centers are indispensable.

My time in the redwoods is hiking, camping, photography and exploring. The redwoods are an outdoor museum which led to interesting conversations, new friends around the world, and a few world record discoveries. It's a recreation overlapping my work and education. It literally changed my life, leading me into professional photography also.

Image: Grieg-French-Bell grove at Avenue of the Giants.

Keep in mind that north California has the best places to see redwoods. Oregon has just a little for old growth redwoods and trails. Places to the south like Big Basin and Montgomery Woods are very lovely too, but the coast redwoods of Del Norte and Humboldt are in a league of their own, almost like another planet.

The biggest list of giant and tallest coast redwoods discovered over the years came from two men who explored for decades: Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor. They explored alone and with others, and their discoveries provided a basis for much of what Dr. Steve Sillett at HSU researched some years. For example, the Atlas redwood Grove study project with the redwood Iluvatar that eventually became the cover of 2009 National Geographic. It's only because of redwood discoverers like them that park rangers realize there are world records around Redwood National and State Parks.

Think about that for moment. If the tallest redwood wasn't found and measured, how could any ranger claim Sequoia sempervirens reaches taller than Eucalyptus regnans?

IMAGE: Battery Point Lighthouse near Crescent City, west of Jedediah Smith redwood park. A redwood coast landmark. There is also St. George Reef lighthouse about 6 miles out to see, visible on clear days from here, or other spots like Point St. George beach a few minutes to the north.

At least in the United States, Michael Taylor's coast redwood exploring almost reminds me of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Michael had the benefit of returning home and certainly didn't face certain dangers that the Corp of Discovery met. But Michael spent years of his life exploring most of the coast redwood parks in California, treading through the wilderness far beyond the trails.

Read more about: Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor.

Taylor is an interesting fellow, a mechanical engineer who is expert with species ID and forests, understanding algebra and trigonometry. He has a huge appreciation for gadgets and drones. Atkins is a family man who used to look like a beach stud, and seems to know where every health food store is between Sanoma and Del Norte. Chris is also no slouch with math.

In June 2011, Michael Taylor, Chris Atkins and myself broadened exploration into Southern Oregon and the Sierra Nevada, adding pines and Douglas fir to the coast redwood adventures. By 2013 and afterward, Taylor was most active outside of the coast redwoods. Partly due to ongoing re-measure of LIDAR redwoods and business, Atkins remains close to Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park. I remained near the redwood coast for photography, and because we were certain more remained hidden for discovery.

2008 to 2018 provided many opportunities to explore with Michael Taylor, Chris Atkins, Dr. Robert Van Pelt and Dr. Steve Sillett, in Redwood National and State Parks. The days were vigorous and memorable. Part time during 2 to 3 years, there was opportunity for me to work with locating and measuring tall redwoods related to LIDAR. I helped Atkins tag, measure and acquire data which was relayed to Sillett. With GPS and tags at all the tallest redwoods, that enables Atkins to measure a lot of them again by himself.

After 2014, a few of us invested much more of our energy again into the coast redwoods and found remarkable new champion redwoods. Many new giants. See Discovery under Redwood Giants in the menu to find out more.

IMAGE: a coast redwood named Gizmo. It stands in a grove with a long elk trail on a natural bench. A raised elevation called Carbon Ridge is behind the trunks in the background.

Publishing ... Yea or Nay

Some people have followed my redwood pages and photos for years. A few of them understand why I don't post certain redwoods. But for new readers, I will share a few thoughts.

More than 99% of people looking for already-discovered coast redwoods could not find them without a photo. And over the years, we found that when people had to work locating certain redwoods, they left the area in much better condition.

For that reason, some coast redwoods haven't ever been shown, like Capt. Jack Sparrow which is wider than all known giant sequoias.

Some redwood giants are shown, but not the location. One reason is reducing wear and tear, but the other is preserving a form of adventure and recreation. Some people enjoy searching for others' discoveries without having the location merely handed to them. They prefer a real challenge. It's almost like the quest of finishing Zelda The Ocarina of Time, but even better because they are out in nature. But we suggest they bring a compass or GPS to get back out before dark.

Redwood Coast Restaurants & Lodging

Here are some restaurant & motels for dining and lodging in Humboldt and Del Norte counties of Northern California. Most are are clean, affordable and comfortable.

Curly Redwood Lodge CRESCENT CITY on Highway 101. Just 5 minutes from the redwood park. Huge rooms. This is the one I stay at most often. Some of my photo prints are in the lobby. The covered parking is a treat during fog or rain. There is a restaurant directly across the street and more just a few minutes walk away.

Marlo's Restaurant Greek & Italian CRESCENT CITY. Food was excellent. They may have a lunch buffet. My father was Greek, so this should be fun place to put the meals to the test. The inside was clean and service friendly.

IMAGE: this massive coast redwood is one of several in the Grove of Titans in Jedediah Smith park. Approximately 26 ft. diameter, its known by the name Lost Monarch

Arcata Stay ARCATA. Upscale California Lodging accommodations. The only lodging network in Arcata with an excellence rating by Tripadvisor. The 8 Stays are walking distance to Humboldt State University and downtown.

Discovery Inn EUREKA. First stay at this motel was 2012. Comparable value to Motel 6 nearby. Its a coin toss. Clean room and bath. Fridge and WIFI. Convenient location. On Broadway / Highway 101

Bayview Motel EUREKA. Not a budget motel. On hill overlooking the town and bay. First stay was with two other explorers. We got a 2 Queen Suite & adjoining single King. Nice balcony on 2nd floor

Redwood Hyperion Motel GRANTS PASS, Oregon. If you need a place close to I-5. An extra stepping stone to to Jedediah Smith redwood park if you are too tired for an extra 1.5 hour to Crescent City, or need to wait during snow.

Humboldt Redwoods Inn GARBERVILLE. Liked the convenience of this motel right at the turn around for downtown and close proximity to restaurants, grocery and fuel. South end of town.

Historic Hiouchi Cafe HIOUCHI / CRESCENT CITY. Located in the quaint community of Hiouchi, almost adjacent to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Smith River. Along redwood highway 199. Hiouchi Cafe got new owners as of 2016, who also purchased the Hiouchi Motel next door. As a result, the menu and hours are growing.

There are a few more restaurant & motels to suggest for dining and lodging in Humboldt and Del Norte counties of Northern California. Most are are clean, affordable and comfortable.

For lodging and restaurants continued, read:

Redwood Vacation Lodging & Restaurants

IMAGE: this photo shows two men and a redwood named Elk Herd. In the red shirt is yours-truly, M. D. Vaden. Wearing blue, is Mark from back east.

BREWERIES

Here are a few redwood coast breweries worth trying:

Port O Pints Brewing CRESCENT CITY. A clean family run pub style operation with snacks and occassional music. Located at 1215 Northcrest Drive. Barely 10 minutes from Jedediah Smith redwood park campground.

Seaquake Brewing CRESCENT CITY. A spacious family-friendly atmosphere. A big city look with small town friendliness. Great food. They claim the best beer and food. I'd say their food and and beer rate with the best in the far north redwood coast. Located at 400 Front Street, about 1 minute away from Battery Point Lighthouse.

Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe EUREKA. Great Food and Beverage. The atmosphere reminds me of the McMenamins found around northern Oregon. Located at 1600 Sunset Drive, in Eureka. This place has an exceptional apricot ale that is only available on tap. Only 40 minutes north of Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Redwood Parks and Visitor Centers

Redwood National and State Parks visitors centers are perfect for specific questions beyond whatever I provide here. Questions like:

• What dates are camping reservations available?
• Wedding permits - where can we get one?
• How do I get a camping permit for Redwood National Park?
• Is Howland Hill Road open? Map to Fern Canyon?

Links - Redwoods Parks and Visitors Centers

List of Redwood Park Information Centers & phone

Current Conditions information updates

Image: the Onle Log Truck parked along Avenue of the Giants near a gift shop and Immortal redwood.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park - that park's camping & hiking is managed separately from Redwood National and State Parks above. Go to:

Humboldt Redwoods State Park Information

Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association

Photography Workshop 2019 ?

Here's where I'm at on Photography Workshops ...

Down the road, I hope to offer workshops in the Coast Redwood parks. Technically permits are required, but there are alternative options along main routes and places like Florence Keller park where I did a workshop in 2016. If you have a small group interested, give me a call to see what we can arrange.

My strength leans toward composition and picking the right location for time of day and weather. And I seem to photograph a lot more portraits than typical redwood forest photographers.

I can't be the sharpest tool in the drawer, but I looked at workshop pages of other photographers and realized I like my own photos better than quite a few I see out there.

I did my first workshop, September, 2016, near Crescent City, in a redwood park that didn't require the state park permit. It went smoothly and I hope to help out again.

If professional photographers contact me for help getting around in the redwoods for photography, I will entertain the idea. But keep in mind that Redwood National and State Parks asks for a permit and keeping $2,000,000 insurance. I already have coverage for my other work and my provider can double limits and certificates, but permit hurdle is somewhat of a hassle for a non-routine outing.

If you need comfort of photographng with someone who knows the lay of the land, drop a note and maybe we can arrange something.

Image: Howland Hill Rd. in Jedediah Smith park

To Professional Photographers ...

Technically, the parks require permits for some photography. The center at Crescent City can clarify this. If your equipment is compact like camera, tripod and backpack, no permit is required for landscape photography and redwoods. If you plan to use a model for commercial use that may need a permit, but could be "grey area". I say this, because if a typical visitor poses family for Flickr or Instagram, that can be portfolio-building as much as a photographer posing one person by the same coast redwood.

Also, some models can be friends, and then the playing field is identical to other friend. Light stands or reflectors may be commercial photography from their point of view. Photography workshops need a permit and insurance (why many photographers go under the radar). Scenic photography does not require a permit even if you sell prints.

A group of friends or photographers just getting together casually with cameras and tripods do not need a permit. Oddly, it's nearly identical to a photography workshop when it boils down to the outward presence of the people.

My own work is a combination of photography and artistic. Ansel Adams did likewise with film camera and darkroom.

Wish you well on your photography adventures !!

Image: sunrise at Howland Hill Rd. in Jedediah Smith redwood park. Known as "God Rays"

Photography Tips for
Coast Redwoods

IMO, the wet season, October - June, is by far the best for redwood photography:

• Views more open because leaves have fallen
• Rain moistens needles intensifying colors.
• Rain washes dust off leaves of ferns
• The color and condition of moss intensifies
• Lichens on trunks revive and become vibrant
• Colorful mushrooms are more abundant

Photo Tips Continued

Other Photo Stuff

North California and Redwoods Virtual Photography PIck a 360 degree tour

Images by Lowell Cottle Redwoods, birds and more.

North Coast Photos with Redwoods North Coast

Redwood Image Archaeology Redwood Post Card and Image Archive.

Dr. Van Pelt the Artist. Scientist, and author of Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast.

Image: Trillium Falls trail in Redwood National Park. A fairy girl from Humboldt

Redwood information, facts
and education

Redwood Education Guide Nearly 100 pages. For those who want to learn about coast redwood community and help others.

Provides human history of the redwoods region, science to coast redwood ecosystem, how to conduct a field trip to a redwood park, lessons for a park visit.

Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Along the Eel River, Humboldt Redwoods State Park has over 53,000 acres, old-growth redwoods. 250 camp sites, 100 miles of hiking, biking, riding trails

Redwood Parks Association Established to assist California State Parks. Educational & Interpretive.

The Redwood Park Association merged with North Coast Redwood Interpretive Association. Both have a history funding interpretive staff, events, exhibits, signs, and publications

Redwood Profile by Flower Essence Society. Coast Redwood is Sequoia sempervirens

Highway 199 ~ Redwood Highway Check out the Coast Redwoods Information and Map option too. Hy 199 is the main travel corridor between Redwood National Park and Crater Lake National Par

Sequoia sempervirens And informative page on Coast Redwoods with info and photos

Coast Redwood and Giant Sequioia: Compare Coast Redwood with Giant Sequoia at Wikipedia.

Exploring, Guides, Tours & Fun

M. D. Vaden & Redwoods Time in the Coast Redwoods with Mario Vaden, aka M. D. Vaden... Exploring and Photography ... Exploring as time permits. Available to those who have a huge appreciation for coast redwoods. Friendly adventure.

Redwood Adventures REDWOOD ADVENTURES has tours, hiking, more. Orick. Family vacation, romantic holiday, wedding. retreats. Full hospitality to visitors of Redwood parks. They know how to cook

The Redwood Coast Nature Guide Jenny Hanson, naturalist and nature guide for the Redwood Coast. Guided trips for individuals, families, and groups, including people with physical limitations.

Local naturalist services to bus tours, conventions and large groups. Based in Eureka. Services from Humboldt Redwoods State Park in the south to Jedediah Smith State Park and Crescent City in the north

Custom Ceramic Murals CERAMIC MURALS & TOUR. See link for more info. Look for Public Murals. This custom artwork is available for public viewing throughout parts of Crescent City.

FYI - the Guide site www.gilbertredwoodexcursions.com is inactive. But Redwood Ed as he's called, is still out and about,. His site www.redwood-ed.com is operational

3 JETBOAT TOURS

• Klamath: Klamath River Jetboat. Gold Beach, Oregon:
• Jerrys Rogue Jets Grants Pass
• Hellgate Jetboat Excursions - Rogue River

Gifts & Souvenirs

Burl n' Drift 28101 Avenue of the Giants. Family owned and operated since 1967. Quality Redwood Souvenirs .... one of the best redwood gift shops

A the Ancient Redwoods RV Park and home of the Hollow Log Truck When you park, look for the Immortal Redwood

Campgrounds, RV resorts

Redwoods RV Resort RV, tent and cabin camping under soaring Sitka Spruce, Douglas fir and Coast Redwoods.

KOA Redwoods Campground - Crescent City, California. 17 forested acres

Ancient Redwoods RV Park Home of the Hollow Log Truck in Redcrest. This is near Founders grove a mile north of Redcrest, California, on the world famous Avenue of the Giants.

The Immortal Redwood stands in view.

This is also in close proximity to Founders Grove, Rockefeller Forest and Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center.

Riverwalk RV Park Fortuna. Campground by the Eel River. Immaculate. Cabins, RV and Tent camping.

M. D. Vaden Cargo Trailer Conversion One version of cargo trailer camping. A growing trend in do-it-yourself camping

Drive Though Redwoods

It's worth interjecting that a walk-through giant sequoia trunk blew over in a 2017 wind storm. From fragments of news, quite a few people thought it was one of the coast redwoods. But the one that fell was Pioneer Cabin Tree among Calaveras Big Trees park. I added comments about this in my own page for these.

Drive Through Redwoods My redwood page. Information about all 3 Drive Through Redwoods: Chandelier, Shrine and Tour-Thru. It's a fact that the Shrine redwood is disintegrating and I do not recommend it due to safety concerns.

Drive Through Redwood Their redwood page. Leggett Chandelier drive-thru redwood. Gift shop. Dawn to dusk. Best looking of the drive-though coast redwoods.

Drive Through Redwoods Information USDA & Forest Service pages about drive through coast redwood.

Image: Chris Atkins is dwarfed by two enormous coast redwood trees known as the Twin Towers of Humboldt. This is a remote grove on a natural bench above one of the Redwood Creek tributaries.

 

Coast Redwood Photo Book (currently unavailable)

The genesis of this coast redwood web page began years ago as a single page about the Grove of Titans.

After years of exploring, I wanted to offer some form of a photo book, weaving coast redwood adventures, education and images. In 2016, I designed this hard cover photo book as a small educational souvenir. Every copy was signed.

It is petite with a few sentences to explain photos. Curly Redwood Lodge may have a prototype in the lobby. This began with 44 pages, upgraded to 54 pages in 2018, but I raised the price accordingly.

At the moment, these are unavailable because I wasn't sure if I can acquire, package and ship within a week. Although, if you email a special request, maybe we can arrange a copy for you. Let me be clear, these are spendy for the size. I provide the redwood photo books as a souvenir to restore exploring expense incurred over years. These are $50 plus $5 shipping.

As a signed redwood memorabilia, it's within reason. And 54 pages, not 54 sheets. Size is 8.5" x 11". I order handfuls instead of 100s so my cost runs high per unit.

Images fill most space, showing some largest coast redwoods, older discoveries by others, and some photos used for my art prints. The cover is a 2014 new coast redwood discovery. One page has the first top-to-bottom photo of Hyperion ever printed, a 2006 world record. Content includes albino redwood, curly redwood, carniverous cobra lily, Smith River, Eel River, lagoon. coast redwood Geisha, Crescent City harbor sunset, redwood Fairy, Howland Hill Rd., God Rays, Avenue of the Gants, Prairie Creek elk, redwood burl, lupine at Bald Hills, redwoods the Dark Horse, Labyrinth, Dog Soldier, Darth Vader and Bigfoot (with possible variation)

 

Prints & Canvas by M. D. Vaden

For anyone interested, my prints or canvas prints sometimes hang for sale at a gallery in Crescent City.

• Crescent Harbor Art Gallery

 

In 2016 I ordered two 40" x 60" canvas prints of a new coast redwood discovery, one of the largest and widest redwoods ever photographed. One copy hangs at home. The other should be on a wall at the Houichi Cafe so more redwood hikers and campers can enjoy it.

 

May the Power of the Forest be with you !

The Force is strong with this one !