Redwood National and State Parks

No, you didn't miss a blog. I know this was supposed to be about Crater Lake National Park. However, on our way to Crater, we found out the road into the park was closed because of a wildfire. So... change of plans. We decided to bypass Crater and head into northern California to see the Redwoods.

The day was cool and sunny. We drove down Rt 101 into the park, seeing some really large trees on the way. Redwood National Park actually incorporates several previously established state parks and some newly purchased private land. The Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, and can live for thousands of years. As the gentleman in the Visitor Center recommended, we drove out to a lookout area, where the view over the ocean was spectacular. On the way back to the main road, we were stopped by a bunch of cattle running down the road, being herded by 2 men on ATVs- never know what you're going to see!

We stopped in to see The Big Tree. It was 23.5 feet in diameter, 311 feet tall, and approximately 1200 years old. Incredible! We took about a 2 mile walk through the woods, marveling at the beauty and size of these old trees.

From there, we drove down to see the Lady Byrd Johnson stand. It is a beautiful stand of trees, named for the First Lady, who was on hand for the dedication of the National Park in 1968. A lovely way to spend our day!

Tomorrow we head inland for Lassen Volcanic National Park.