Sci-fi fans have probably seen the famous Star Wars film epic. Remember last season? The planet Endor, covered with fabulous forests with tall, tall trees… Do you know that you can plunge into the atmosphere of this cinematic epic yourself? To get to the fantastic planet Endor, it is enough to come to the Redwood National Park. The name of this place - Red Wood - is translated from English as "Red Wood". This is because the forest is mostly made up of redwoods.
In this article we will tell you in which US state Redwood Park is located and how to get there. The tourist infrastructure in this state-protected wilderness area is well developed. But do not think that there are more people here than trees. This is not a park, but a nature reserve. That is why no one is safe from meeting face to face with a bear or a lynx. About,what you can see in the reserve "Redwood", read below.
Sequoia
This tree is unique. Without exaggeration, we can say that it is the most durable and tallest of all plants on Earth. Redwoods live for about two thousand years. So it is quite possible to see a contemporary of Jesus Christ in the Redwood National Park (USA)! These trees reach one hundred and fifteen meters - the height of a 35-story skyscraper. The thickness of the trunk at their base is also impressive. It reaches eight meters. But in the wild, these giants and old-timers live only in a small area of \u200b\u200bour planet - on the west coast of California and southern Oregon. Elsewhere, redwoods are planted artificially in parks and botanical gardens.
This evergreen cypress family used to be called the "California Mammoth Tree". The modern name of the sequoia was named after the leader of the Cherokee tribe. This man became famous for inventing the syllabary alphabet of his native language. He also published a newspaper in his tribal language.
In which US state is Redwood Park located
This corner of nature reserve is spread across the expanses of California. From the city of San Francisco - an hour's drive. The park is located in the north of the state, near the border with Oregon. It is better to come here in the off-season - in spring or autumn. Then there are fewer visitors, and the weather for walking is more comfortable. Since the city of San Francisco is located nearby, the lion's share of tourists comes to Redwood Park (California) for one day. Thisthere is enough time to see all the iconic places of the reserve, ride along the old railway and visit the museum. In addition to sequoia forests, prairies and meadows have been preserved here. In addition to the mainland, about sixty kilometers of the coastline of the Pacific Ocean with a strip of water area are also subject to protection. Therefore, in addition to moose and numerous other animals and birds of the forest, you can also see marine mammals - whales and seals.
Unique forest
Once upon a time, when the oldest tree in the modern reserve was still a tender sprout, Indian tribes lived on these lands. They built their huts from fallen redwoods. This plant is unique not only because of its impressive parameters. Its wood is so strong that it resists an axe. Sequoias are not afraid of forest fires or lightning. They have extremely thick bark (up to 30 centimeters). It is fibrous and soft. It is because of the bark that the sequoia got its name "mahogany" - "redwood". The national park got its name in honor of these giants, although other plants are also found here - azalea, California rhododendron, Douglas fir and others.
When in the middle of the century before last California was stirred up by a gold rush, a stream of miners poured in here. Few managed to make a fortune on the precious metal. Most of them earned their living by felling forests - precious sequoias. Just the demand for wood has risen - after all, the big city of San Francisco grew not far away. By the middle of the last century, 90 percent of the virginforests.
History of Redwood National Park (California)
The alarm was sounded at the beginning of the 20th century. A social movement “Save the Sequoia” arose, which demanded the protection of these places by the state and a ban on further deforestation. It got its way. The state of California established three parks at once: Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jededy Smith. And in October 1968, Lyndon Johnson, by his presidential decree, united these islands of protected nature and created "Redwood", a US national park. Initially, its area was twenty-three and a half thousand hectares. In 1978, by decision of the US Congress, the boundaries of the reserve were expanded by another 19,400 hectares. Two years later, Redwood became a World Heritage Site, taking its rightful place on the UNESCO list. In 1983, this place received the status of "Biosphere Reserve".
Rules for visiting Redwood
Now the Red Forest is being looked after by a special National Park Service. Its employees care about the preservation of trees, the cleanliness of the territory and the safety of tourists. At the same time, the entrance to Redwood, the national park, is absolutely free. But if you want to enter a rather large area by car, you will have to fork out eight dollars. There are no resorts here. There is only a small tourist base (camping). But here, for an additional fee, it is allowed to stay with tents. If you have a permit, you can live in the park for up to fifteen days.
All tourists go to Orik before visiting the forest. There is an information point where maps of the park are issued. Here you can buy books about this place, hire a guide. Nearby is a shop where you can buy firewood and other products for the trip.
Redwood Landmarks
The average age of trees in the national park is about six hundred years. But there is a place here where you can enter only with special permission. It is called "Grove of Tall Trees". Old-timer sequoias grow here. It is here that tourists go to look at the Hyperion. This sequoia is officially recognized as the tallest tree on the planet (115 and a half meters). If you visit "Redwood", a national park, be sure to take a ride on the old railway. This branch has been left over from the time of wood mining. The ticket costs $24, but you won't regret the money spent. The train with trailers is old, the switches are manually translated by the conductor. Most tourists travel through the park on horseback or, despite the mountainous terrain, on bicycles. Here you can often meet moose, and on the coast you can watch gray whales, sea lions and dolphins.
