The forests were once home to several Native American tribes, and now many of America's redwoods are protected and preserved within state and national parks. Those include Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwood State Park.
Redwood forests are usually damp and cool, with normal temperatures in the 40 to 60 degree range and annual rainfall of up to 100 inches. Life there is diverse, with a variety of wildlife, birds, flora, and other types of trees including fir, oak, maple, and pine. Animals such as black bears, gray foxes, bobcats, raccoons, black-tailed deer, and Roosevelt elk call the redwood forest home, and sea otters and native salmon populate the rivers and streams that wind through the woods.
Protection of rare natural assets and wildlife is important, and endangered species living with redwood forests include the brown pelican and the bald eagle. Visitors should also be sure to consult park rules before going fishing, because although some fishing is permitted many parks have a strict catch-and-release policy to protect the aquatic populations.
But most visitors come to see the awe-inspiring sequoia and redwood trees that soar 300 feet into the air, measure up to 25 feet across, and routinely live for seven or eight centuries.
Back during the gold rush days of the late 1800s, loggers referred to the giant redwoods as 'wooden red gold' because of the prices the reddish lumber would fetch. They began to aggressively cut the trees in order to make fast cash and keep pace with the housing boom that accompanied the rapid expansion of a young and vibrant nation.
As a result many of the gentle giants were lost to timber harvests. But although many of the legendary trees have been cut, Congress passed legislation in 1968 to protect lands adjacent to California's state parks. Redwood National Park and three California parks now offer four developed campgrounds ' with three of them in the redwood forest and one on the coast. Reservations are required for most sites, so plan ahead in order to secure a camping spot and make the most of your excursion into this mysteriously inspirational wilderness area.
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