July 6, 2025

175. Redwood National and State Parks - Among the Giants

Show Notes
Transcript

Walk among the world's tallest trees with Johnny Mac as he explores the misty coastal forests where ancient redwoods create living cathedrals that humble human imagination. Experience the otherworldly beauty of Fern Canyon, learn which groves offer the most impressive specimens, and discover how fog sustains these 300-foot giants along California's remote north coast. From the easy accessibility of Lady Bird Johnson Grove to the exclusive permit-required Tall Trees Grove, Johnny reveals how to find solitude among trees that were ancient when Christ was born. Explore tide pools and rugged coastlines where forest meets ocean, understand the conservation battles that saved these last remnants, and learn photography techniques for capturing the impossible scale of Earth's most massive living things. This is nature at its most humbling and inspiring. For a commercial free experience please visit www.caloroga.com/plus

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Calaroga Shark Media.

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Here's no sound quite like the silence inside an old

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growth redwood forest, where trees that sprouted before Christ was

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born rise three hundred feet overhead, creating living cathedrals the

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dwarf human imagination. Walking among these giants feels like stepping

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into a primordial world where time moves differently, where fog

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drifts between titanic trunks like ancient spirits, and where the

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very air seems thick with centuries of accumulated wisdom. These

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are the world's tallest trees, survivors of ice ages and logging,

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standing as monuments to endurance in a landscape that feels

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borrowed from the planet's distant past. Welcome back to traveler

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is back. I'm Johnny Mack, and today we're exploring redwood

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National and state parks along California's northern coast. We've marveled

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at Yosemite's granite cathedrals and Joshua trees alien landscapes. Now

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we're venturing into a different kind of sacred space, the

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coastal forests, where coast redwoods create some of the most

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awe inspiring natural architecture on Earth. The tall trees redwood

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National and state parks protect nearly one hundred forty thousand

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acres of coast redwood forest, including forty five percent of

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all remaining old growth coast redwood forest. These remarkable trees,

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found only in a narrow coastal strip from central California

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to southern Oregon, can live over two thousand years and

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reach heights exceeding three hundred eighty feet. The tallest known

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tree on Earth, named Hyperion, grows somewhere within these parks,

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though its exact location remains secret to protect it from

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damage by visitors. Standing three hundred eighty feet tall, this

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tree towers above even its giant neighbors in a forest

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where three hundred foot trees seem commonplace. Coast redwoods achieve

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their incredible size through unique adaptations to coastal conditions. The

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trees can absorb moisture directly from fog through their needles,

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supplementing root up take during dry summer months. This fog

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dependence explains their limited range along the Pacific coast, where

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summer fog provides crucial moisture. The tree's thick, fibrous bark

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provides resistance to fire, insects, and disease, allowing them to

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survive for millennia. When damaged, redwoods can sprout new growth

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from their base, creating the fairy ring formations of younger

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trees surrounding ancient stumps. Growth rates vary with conditions, but

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healthy redwoods can add several feet of height annually during

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their first centuries. Prairie Creek Redwood State Park offers some

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of the most accessible old growth redwood experiences, with numerous

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trails winding through magnificent groves while providing opportunities to observe

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diverse coastal ecosystems. Fern Canyon, carved by Home Creek, creates

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a narrow gorge with fifty foot walls completely covered in ferns.

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This other worldly landscape served as a filming location for

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Jurassic Park in the Lost World, providing a prehistoric atmosphere

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that needs no special effects to seem ancient and mysterious.

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The canyon walk requires wading through shallow water while navigating

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between walls draped in five finger ferns. Lady ferns and

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other species that thrive in the cool, moist condition. Fallen

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logs create natural bridges, while the narrow space amplifies the

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sound of flowing water. The Big Tree, accessible via an

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easy walk from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, provides an

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excellent introduction to redwood scale. This massive specimen, while not

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the tallest, demonstrates the incredible girth that accompanies redwood height,

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with a base circumference of over sixty feet. Cathedral Trees

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Trail loops through old growth forest where massive redwoods create

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natural chambers perfect for quiet contemplation. The trail's name reflects

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the reverent atmosphere created by these living columns that seem

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designed for worship. Roosevelt Elk, the largest land mammals in California,

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grays in meadows throughout Prairie Creek. These impressive animals, which

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can weigh up to one thousand pounds, demonstrate the ecosystem's

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ability to support large herbivores and coastal environments. Lady Bird

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Johnson Grove and Tall Trees Grove. Lady Bird Johnson Grove

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provides one of the most popular introductions to old growth

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redwoods via an easy one mile loop trail that passes

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through magnificent fas forest while remaining accessible to most visitors.

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Dedicated to the former first Lady for her conservation efforts.

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The grove demonstrates redwood forest diversity and beauty. The self

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guided trail includes interpretive stations explaining redwood ecology, from the

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complex understory communities to the role of fog in tree survival.

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Benches along the route provide opportunities for quiet observation and photography.

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Tall Trees Grove, accessible only through a permit system that

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limits daily visitors, offers a more intimate redwood experience. The

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grove contains several record holding trees, including former height champions,

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that demonstrate the incredible diversity within redwood forests. The hike

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to Tall Trees Grove involves a moderate three mile round

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trip walk that descends into a protected valley where some

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of the world's most magnificent trees grow in relative solitude.

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The permit system ensures smaller crowds while protecting sensitive habitat.

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Redwood Creek, flowing through Tall Trees Grove provides crucial habitat

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for endangered salmon and steelhead while demonstrating the complex relation

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between forest and aquatic ecosystems. The creeks seasonal flows shape

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the grove's ecosystem while providing nutrients that support massive tree growth.

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The groves protected location creates optimal growing conditions where trees

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receive maximum moisture while remaining sheltered from coastal winds that

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can limit growth in more exposed locations. We'll be right

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back with more from Redwood National and State Parks, including

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the scenic drives and coastal experiences. But first, here's a

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quick reminder about Caloroga Shark Media's premium podcast experience. Get

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dot com, slash plus, or hit the banner in your

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Apple podcasts app Redwood National and State Parks and compass

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not only magnificent forests, but also rugged Pacific coastline, where

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rocky shores meet crashing waves in dramatic displays of natural power.

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The coastal drives provide access to both forest giants and

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ocean vistas. Highway one oh one threads through Redwood Groves

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while providing the main transportation corridor through the parks. Several

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sections of the highway passed directly through old growth forest

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offering motorists intimate views of giant trees from their vehicles.

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The newtonby Drury Scenic Parkway provides a more leisurely alternative

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to Highway one oh one, winding through Prairie Creek Redwood

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State Park past some of the most impressive tree groves.

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This route eliminates truck traffic while providing numerous pullouts for

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photography and short walks. Coastal Drive, accessible from the Klamath area,

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offers spectacular ocean views while passing through grasslands and recovering

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logged areas. This partially paved route demonstrates the landscapes that

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existed before redwood forests were established, and shows ongoing restoration

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as efforts. Gold Bluff's Beach provides access to both Fern

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Canyon and ocean front camping, where visitors can fall asleep

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to the sound of crashing waves. The beach's golden sand

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creates striking contrasts with the dark redwood forests rising directly

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from the shore. Endured's Beach offers tide pooling opportunities and

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sea stack formations that demonstrate coastal erosion processes. The beach

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provides excellent vantage points for observing marine life while highlighting

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the connections between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Del Norte Coast

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Redwood State Park protects eight miles of wild coastline along

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with pristine redwood forests, offering opportunities to experience the full

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range of ecosystems within the park's complex. Damnation Creek Trail

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provides one of the most challenging but rewarding hikes in

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the park system. Descending one thy one hundred feet over

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two miles from old growth redwood forest to a hidden beach,

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the trail showcases ecosystem transitions from ancient forest to coastal

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scrub to ocean shore. The trail's name reflects early loggers

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assessment of the difficult terrain, though modern hikers find the

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challenge worthwhile for accessing pristine coastal wilderness. The trail requires

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careful footing on steep sections, but rewards with solitude and

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spectacular scenery. Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, inland from the coast,

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contains some of the most pristine remaining old growth redwood forest.

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The Smith River, California's last major undamaged river system, flows

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through the park while providing crucial habitat for salmon and steelhead.

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Stout Grove, accessible via a short walk from the parking area,

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contains some of the park's most photographed trees. Arranged in

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a classic grove setting. The grove's cathedral like atmosphere makes

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it popular for weddings and other ceremonies. Boy Scout Tree

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Trail leads through diverse forest ecosystems to one of the

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park's most impressive specimens. The six mile round trip hike

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provides excellent opportunities for solitude while passing through varying forest

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types and creek crossings. As afternoon fog begins to roll

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in from the Pacific, Filtering through the redwood canopy and

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cathedral rays of golden light, these ancient giants reveal their

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deepest secret that true grandeur comes not from dominating a landscape,

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but becoming part of something larger than any individual tree,

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creating living architecture that shelters countless other lives while reaching

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towards something eternal and patient and profoundly beautiful. Standing among

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these survivors of ice ages and chainsaws, you understand that

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some things are worth preserving not for their usefulness, but

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for their ability to remind us, that time operates on

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scales beyond human comprehension, that patience and persistence can achieve

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what force and speed cannot, and that sometimes the most

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powerful statement you can make is simply to endure. That's

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a wrap on our exploration of America's most incredible national parks,

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from Acadia's rocky Shores to these towering coastal giants. Each

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park tells a different story about natural wonder, conservation success,

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and our relationship with wild places. Until our next adventure.

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I'm Johnny Mack encouraging you to walk quietly among giants

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and remember that we are all temporary visitors in landscapes

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that will outlive us. All safe travels

175. Redwood National and State Parks - Among the Giants

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