Every national park has its own unique spirit and will impact visitors in different ways. Redwood National and State Parks? They will change you–almost down to the core of your being. My 21-year-old daughter and I visited recently for book research and to try out our new camper van. As I stared up at the ancient and giant trees, I was suddenly aware that the 50-odd years I’ve spent on this planet were but a tiny blip in the lifetime of these gentle giants. Even so, I felt welcomed. Does that sound strange? Maybe so, but I’m not sure how else to describe it.
Here are some of our favorite things we saw in Redwood National and State Parks.
Trees
Well, duh, right? The trees dwarfed everything else–both literally and figuratively. For the five days we were there, we found ourselves routinely pointing out trees to each other. “Look at THAT one!” You’d think it would get old, but it really doesn’t.
Gigantic ferns and trilliums
We were starting to understand the references to Paul Bunyan. Seriously, they grow things ridiculously large in California. The photo shows a well-named “Giant Trillium: (Trillium chloropetalum) with my hand for reference. In my home state of Oregon, we usually see Trillium ovatum which is about 1/3 this size.
Banana slugs and other crawly things.
After the first few hours of hiking, we finally started looking down as well as up. That’s when we spotted some really cool wildlife in the understory. Banana slugs, Pacific sideband snails, beaded lancetooth snails, and tons of yellow-spotted millipedes.
Elk and deer
So. Many. Elk. We enjoyed seeing elk wandering around our campground (we stayed at a nearby RV park since the state park campgrounds were full) and then seeing many more of them grazing in a meadow at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. While we were observing the elk herd, a large number of black-tailed deer came out to graze in the meadow as well.
References to Indigenous Peoples
I was impressed by the number of signs paying honor to the local indigenous peoples. The National Park Service doesn’t have a stellar reputation when it comes to its treatment of tribes, but it looks like the current administration of Redwood National and State Parks is making some positive changes. Nearly every building had a sign explaining the names native tribes use to refer to specific locations. My daughter and I also noticed that when displays discussed indigenous tribes, they used present-tense verbs. It’s a subtle difference, but when you write about tribes using only the past tense, you’re planting the idea that they no longer exist (or at least, no longer play an active role). By using the present tense, you’re recognizing that the indigenous people are still here! This type of wording can make a big difference in how visitors think about the situation. I did get a sense that the parks were coordinating their work with several of the local tribes.
What we took home
How does that saying go? Take only memories, leave only footprints? We’re taking home a lot of memories from our time in the Redwoods–specifically, a sense of our place in the world. I’ve been reading a lot about the history of logging and conservation in this region. But as I laid my hand on the bark of one specific tree and stared up at its impossibly-tall trunk, I thought, are we really caretakers of these trees? Were the Yurok and Tolowa before us? This tree has stood here for as many as 1500 years. With any luck, it might stand for hundreds of more years. That’s a humbling thought. I’m thankful that I got to stand at its base and contemplate my place in God’s intricate creation.
Blessings!
