Redwood National Park
Redwood is a national park in the United States north of San Francisco. It was founded in 1968 and after several expansions its territory was 540 km2. Redwood included 3 parks with redwood trees that already existed at that time. In 1980, the park was added to the World Heritage List.
Sequoia is one of the tallest trees on the planet, with some specimens reaching up to 110 meters in height and up to 3,500 years old. In 1850, sequoia covered more than 8000 km2 on the California coast. This brought many lumberjacks here. Gold was soon found in this area and a lot of gold prospectors came here, but the gold rush quickly ended and the population began to exterminate these sequoias again. In order to somehow preserve these trees, they began to create national parks everywhere, which later merged into Redwood National Park.
40 species of mammals have been recorded in Redwood, including black bear, mountain lion, lynx, beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, moose, and coyote. California sea lions, sea lions and seals bask in the sun along the coastline and on rocky islands. Dolphins and Pacific gray whales can be seen in the sea. Various species of bats, red squirrels and northern flying squirrels can be found under the treetops. 400 species of birds have been recorded in the national park. Of the birds, you can find cormorants, sandpipers and seagulls living along the coast. The forests are also home to the little eagle, the osprey, the red-shouldered hawk, and the great blue heron.
Redwood Park has a lot of blackberry bushes and raspberries, which provide food for many species of animals. California rhododendron and azalea are flowering shrubs common in the park, especially in the ancient forests.
Redwood Park has served as a filming location for numerous films. For example, the Star Wars planet Endor was filmed here. Scenes for Jurassic Park: The Lost World were also shot. The park was used to represent Jurassic forests in dinosaur walks. These forests in the film were an example of the Triassic forest of New Mexico, the remains of which can be found in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
There are many campgrounds in Redwood Park. But it should be noted that bears sometimes come to campsites, they are attracted by garbage and food laid out by tourists. 320 km of trails have been laid for travelers, and it is quite humid here due to frequent rains, so you need to prepare and consult information centers before hiking. For outdoor enthusiasts, the park has mountain bike and horseback riding trails, and kayaking is possible along streams and along the sea. You can fish salmon or salmon on the rivers, but you need to purchase a license for this.
