Jedediah Smith State Park, California

We last visited the California Redwoods four years ago, and for a shorter stay.  It allowed short drives in the area, the main one being the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway, and several shorter offshoots.  We chose to extend this visit to allow for more exploration.

The Redwoods National Park is a bit unique in that it also encompasses three California State Parks.  The Del Norte Coast Redwoods, the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, and the Prairie Creek Redwoods.  They extend over 60 miles between Crescent City to Trinidad along the  Redwoods Highway (CA101).  Here you can see the tallest trees in the world mixed with rugged pacific coast.

 Here is our visit to the Jedediah Smith State Park which consisted mostly of a drive along the dusty and narrow Howland Hill Road, and several walks among these massive giants.

Grove of the Titans

This is a three mile round trip hike through these massive Redwoods.  The trail is newly constructed and upon arriving at the Grove you find yourself on raised metal grating that protects the fragile soil and shallow root systems of these trees.  This particular tree, on our way to the Titans, was found within minutes of leaving the trailhead and a preview of what was to come.

When these giants fall they create tunnels to navigate.  Walking here you begin to see where writers get the idea of “Middle Earth”.

The Grove is quiet and majestic.

Leaving on the same trail you take getting here, you have the time to contemplate it all.

Stout Grove

The Stout Grove, the initial land donation for the Jedediah Smith State Park, is more accessible but none the less interesting.  The half mile trail winds through this Grove preserved by one of the lumbermen who harvested these old growth giants.  While exploiting the resource he also recognized the beauty and sought to preserve a piece of it.