Redwood National Park and the tall trees of Crescent City

Redwood National Park forms part of the broader Redwood National and State Parks along California’s northern Pacific coast, with Crescent City as the nearest city and administrative base. Within this landscape, ancient coast redwood forests stand above prairies, rivers and ocean shore, creating a continuous band of protected nature in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.

Ancient coast redwoods along the Pacific

The defining feature of Redwood National Park is the forest of coast redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, growing in a region of coastal mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. These trees belong to an ancient lineage that has existed for tens of millions of years in moist temperate regions, and the groves preserved here represent the largest remaining contiguous ancient coast redwood forest in the world.largest remaining ancient forest

Coast redwoods in the park can reach well over 100 m (328 ft) in height, placing them among the tallest trees known on Earth. Many are also notable for their age, with individual trees living for more than a thousand years, across changes in human settlement and use of the wider region.tallest trees on Earth Between the groves lie open prairies and stream valleys where rivers and creeks cross towards the ocean, giving visitors abrupt transitions from shade to exposed grassland within short walks.

A protected landscape of forests, rivers and coast

Redwood National Park sits within a cluster of protected areas that include Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Jedediah Smith Redwoods and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks, managed together as Redwood National and State Parks. This linked system extends along roughly 50 miles of California’s northern coastline, from Crescent City south towards the town of Orick, and encompasses coastal hills, river corridors and sections of Pacific shore.50 miles of coastline

Within this area, the park protects rich intertidal, marine and freshwater stream flora and fauna alongside the forests. Sea lions haul out on coastal rocks, and birds such as bald eagles and the endangered California brown pelican are among the wildlife supported by the mix of ocean and inland habitats.sea lions and pelicans Inland, mosses, ferns and understory plants thrive in the damp environment beneath the redwood canopy, and rivers such as Redwood Creek cut through valleys on their way to the Pacific.

World Heritage status and conservation history

Redwood National Park was formally established in 1968, when the United States Congress created a federal park to secure stands of uncut old-growth redwoods near the community of Orick in northern California.established in 1968 In the following decades, the national park and state parks were managed together, and the combined area reached a size of tens of thousands of hectares, protecting significant portions of remaining old-growth forest in the region.56,883 ha World Heritage area

In 1980 the property was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural site under criteria (vii) and (ix), recognising both the outstanding natural phenomena represented by the towering redwoods and the ecological processes still active in this coastal forest system.UNESCO World Heritage inscription The site also forms part of the California Coastal Ranges Biosphere Reserve, linking it to wider conservation and research programmes focused on the coastal mountains and their biodiversity.California Coastal Ranges Biosphere Reserve

Visiting Redwood National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Redwood National Park lies on the northern California coast in the United States, with Crescent City as the nearest city and park headquarters located in Crescent City.
  The wider parks stretch south along the coast towards Orick.
• The terrain within the park ranges from steep forested hills and ravines to level prairies and beaches, and many trails involve uneven ground and sustained gradients.
• Road access follows Highway 101 and other coastal routes, and park information centres stand in Crescent City and near Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks.
• The official language is English and the currency is the US dollar.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Redwood National Park

Where is Redwood National Park and how is it organised?

Redwood National Park is part of Redwood National and State Parks on the northern California coast in the United States, with Crescent City as the nearest city and park headquarters.

What should visitors expect on a visit to Redwood National Park?

Visitors encounter tall coast redwood forests, prairies, river valleys and stretches of Pacific shoreline in a protected landscape extending along several dozen miles of coast.

What makes Redwood National Park distinctive among forest parks?

Redwood National Park forms part of a World Heritage Site that preserves the largest remaining contiguous ancient coast redwood forest, containing some of the tallest trees known on Earth.