Redwoods, California

June 30-July 1, 2013

SUNDAY JUNE 30, 2013

We drove to our reserved campground at Elk Prairie Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and made camp next to giant trees.

MONDAY JULY 1, 2013

As we drove out of the campground, we had our first Roosevelt elk sighting right on the side of the road. 

We first stopped at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center on the California coastline. 

It was a good thing we stopped here first instead of heading to the Tall Trees trailhead. The gravel access road was closed. Thanks to our federal government’s lacking of funding, as of July 1 the recent sequester National Park was short staffed and trying to meet budget cuts by limiting access to certain part of the parks.

The park ranger recommended Lady Bird Johnson Grove to see the other big redwoods since Tall Trees was now an inaccessible dayhike. 

This girl was sad she couldn’t go on the trail with us in the National Park 

From the parking lot, we cross a footbridge over Bald Hills Road to Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail.

Jackie at Lady Bird Johnson Grove 

Partially burnt but still alive tree 

Tree bark texture

Crazy tree base 

Moss covered redwood 

Cool tree base 

Now that is a big tree 

Dew on the cloverleaf 

Iris 

Orange tiger lily flower with brown spots 

An ant among the giant trees 

View from within a tree trunk 

That tree was this big 

After this hike at 1200’ above sealevel, we drove out to Gold Bluffs Beach to virtually sealevel.

The temperature had risen quite a bit since the morning. At the trailhead we learned that Chance was not allowed onto the Fern Canyon Trail but was allowed on Gold Bluffs Beach Trail. We took her toward the Pacific Ocean beach. 

We had some issues finding how to get from the parking area across the wetland to the beach, but we eventually found a board crossing. Of course our dumb dog has to try and taste the stagnant salty water. 

Gold Bluffs Beach

It is named Gold Bluffs because it was in fact mined for gold dust, but was never very profitable.

The retreating sea millions of years ago left large coastal bluffs and sheer canyons behind. The canyon is home to five-fingered ferns, dark green sword ferns, and delicate lady ferns. Several perennial waterfalls and seeping water create a moist canyon habitat of ferns. The second Jurassic Park movie was shot here and I think it is easy to see why.

Fern Canyon 

Fern closeup 

Water trickling down the fern canyon walls 

With the heat and Chance not being allowed on the Fern Canyon trail, Joe stayed back with her while Jackie quickly walked through Fern Canyon. Once the “canyon” of ferns began to break down, Jackie chose to continue on a trail that eventually climbed up and turned back on the upper edge of the canyon. 

One last view of the entrance into Fern Canyon from above 

Above 50 yards from the parking lot, I spotted a Roosevelt elk grazing in the pasture. 

We drove up the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway to Klamath, California.

We then drove the Coastal Drive loop. We stopped to see the surviving WWII early-warning radar station that was disguised to look like a farm building. After WWII attacks on Pearl Harbor and Aleutian Islands, it became more important to protect the Pacific Ocean coastline. The buildings had block walls, framed gable roofs with wood shingles, and fake windows and dormers. From the air and even from the road they look like old farm buildings, but really at the time they housed a diesel generator, electronic equipment, and two 50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. 

Further down the scenic Coastal Drive was High Bluff Overlook. 

Jackie happy at High Bluff Overlook 

An even happier Jackie climbing the rock valleys and overlooks

We drove back to our campsite. We decided to do a short trail from the campground before making dinner. We hiked along the Elk Prairie Trail. It wasn’t long before we spotted Roosevelt elk.

The part of the trail we thought we were going to take along the south edge of tall open fields where they like to graze and the woods had become the elk’s feeding ground as we approached this area at dusk. We decided to obey the signs: Best not to approach the elk. 

We continued down another trail and argued about which was the right way to meet up on the other side of Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.

My reaction when Joe made me admit I was wrong 

Roosevelt elk 

Mushroom 

This photo of Jackie hugging a massive tree sums up the Redwoods well. 

We then hiked a small portion of the Cathedral Trees Trail on the way back to the campground. This short walk has some of the largest trees in the Prairie Creek area.