Redwood Highway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 136

Redwood National Park is more than just home to the world's tallest trees; this wilderness of giants also protects prairies,
woodlands, and 40 miles of wild coastline.
12. Redwood National Park
Signed into being by President Lyndon Johnson and later expanded to 106,000 acres by
President Jimmy Carter, this wilderness of giants that also includes several California state
parks, and hugs the Pacific coastline from Orick all the way to Crescent City, a distance
of some 40 miles. To get oriented, begin with a stop at the Redwood Information Center,
located off Rte. 101 just north of Freshwater Lagoon near the town of Orick. Here one can
view maps, publications, and exhibits, as well as schedule a visit to the Tall Trees Grove.
Not to be missed is a side trip to the park's interior via Bald Hills Road. On the way,
taketimefortheLadyBirdJohnsonGroveTrail(ironically,aformerloggingroad),aneasy
one-mile loop that takes hikers through the stately grove. Farther along Bald Hills Road, a
six-mile access road descends to the Tall Trees Trailhead (a free permit is required), where
athree-mile loopskirtsthe361-footHowardLibbyTree.Beforelosingsixfeetofitstopin
a windstorm, it was the tallest tree in the world. The record is now held by the Mendocino
Tree, 367.5 feet, near Ukiah.
13. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
The first of three state parks within the Redwood National and State Parks World Heritage
Location, Prairie Creek draws campers and hikers from around the country to enjoy its in-
viting blend of forests, prairies, creeks, fern canyons, and hidden beaches. The park has an
unusualwelcomingcommittee: HerdsofRooseveltelk,somewiththree-footantlers,graze
with serene indifference on the tall-grass prairie bordering the scenic parkway that threads
through the area. The park is well known for its wildlife, including black bears, bobcats,
foxes, and such endangered bird species as the famously controversial spotted owl and the
somewhat less well-known marbled murrelet, which nests in old-growth trees.
14. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
North of Prairie Creek, the scenic parkway rejoins Rte. 101 and then jogs inland, crosses
the broad Klamath River—famed for its autumn migrations of Chinook salmon—and re-
turnstothecoastatFalseKlamathCoveandthenextgreatstandoftreesatDelNorteCoast
Redwoods State Park. Shrouded in fog, this primeval forest of redwood, alder, and spruce
stretches to the water's edge; each spring a sumptuous understory of rhododendrons, aza-
leas,andwildflowersblazeswithbrilliantcolor.Althoughnaturehaslongsincerestakedits