Redwoods National Park

           If highway US 101 were a person, it would be Marilyn Monroe.  Both are long and lean, riddled with vivacious curves in all the right places and known across the country as a national treasure.  It not only winds down the breathtaking Oregon coast but then proceeds to lead you into the heart of the great Redwood Forrest of California. What more could you ask for in a woman, or road ;)

Come to find out the redwoods are not all consolidated (contrary to ones intuition) in one place but are actually spread throughout a patchwork of state and federal parks. The Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park being three of the larger more well known ones and I decided to hit up all three for the best they had to offer. I pulled into Crescent City on Tuesday afternoon and went straight to the local visitors center where the exceedingly handsome park ranger (in his little hat and uniform hehe) gave me advice on where to go.  He highly suggested I take Howland Hill Road (#1 on the map), which is a scenic dirt road through the Jedediah known for its extensive old growth and fab photo opps.  It added an extra 30 minutes onto the drive because only first gear is available on such a turvey road, but was well worth it!

 The first night I camped in the Jedediah Smith Campground.  That’s right people I camped all by myself…set the tent up….cooked over the fire (potatoes and bell peppers)…hid my food from bears, AND not only did I survive, but it was awesome!!! Charlie slept in his chair by the fire exhausted from the day’s activities while I set up camp and waited patiently to feed him bits of my meal.    So spoiled!

The next morning I went for a run in the redwoods, which was a highly humbling experience due to the stillness of the whole affair.  I went early in the morning and all I could hear in the entire forest for 45 minutes were my own footsteps.  It was almost spooky but for some reason, it feels like the trees are protecting you.  Like they are so big and old and wise and powerful that they would keep you safe and out of harm.  Too spiritual? Haha maybe, but it’s the oddly comforting truth! 

Anywho, when I got back Charlie chased squirrels while I packed up camp (not really a helpful little dude now that I think of it…) and went to #2 on the map.   In the Del Norte Forrest is a hike called  Damntaion Creek.  The trailhead is off the highway at mile marker 16 and is unmarked but pretty obvious once you pull into the turnout.  It is a 4.5 mile out and back trail that starts at 1100ft elevation and descends all the way to sea level and back up again on the return trip (a real calf worker).  It takes you through forest so thick it makes you wonder how they carved this trail out to begin with.  Every inch of everything was covered with moss and the trail was a bit muddy, but about halfway down it lowers you completely out of the sun and into this thick mist.  The kind of mist that makes you consider going back for you raincoat. It is so desolate and eerily lovely I think is has been a trip fav so far.

The hike took me about 2 hours after which my legs were just hating life so Charlie and I set off to find our next camp spot.  We chose #3 on the map, Elk Prairie Campground where we hung out for the evening and chatted with the other campers about our adventures in the redwoods then slept like logs in our tiny cozy tent.  Charlie likes to sleep all the way at the foot of the sleeping bag and honestly I don’t know how he doesn’t suffocate!

 Morningtime I made oatmeal and we loaded Stella again and took off on 101 through Avenue of the Giants.  I won’t lie it was cool and I am glad I did it because it is such a famous road, but truthfully; Howland Hill Road was a lot less crowed and touristy and just a spectacular.  I had the chance to drive through a tree but passed it up because they wanted to charge me $35!!! I was horrified so I put Charlie in this tree and took a picture of that instead :D  By the time we got off Avenue of the Giants, Charlie and I were redwooded-out so filled up on shockingly overpriced California gas (almost $5/gallon!!!) and were Danville bound!