Humboldt Giant Redwoods State Park, California, USA
Our local coast redwood tree can grow to 300 feet or more, compared to the tallest pine tree at 268 feet or the tallest tanoak at 162 feet — yet its root system is only 6 to 12 feet deep. Redwoods create the strength to withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk and living in groves where their roots can intertwine.
The earliest redwoods showed up on Earth shortly after the dinosaurs – and before flowers, birds, spiders… and, of course, humans. Redwoods have been around for about 240 million years and in California for at least 20 million years, compared to about 200,000 years for “modern” humans.
Officially, the oldest living coast redwood is at least 2,200 years old, but foresters believe some coast redwoods may be much older.
Most of the redwoods we see are about 50-150 years old. That’s equivalent to about age 2-6 in human years! Coast redwoods can grow 100 feet in their first 50 years, so they quickly look like grown-ups. So, when you walk or ride through the Santa Cruz Mountains, remember you are in a nursery of young redwoods that, if protected, can live for 2,000 years and can help rebuild a healthy redwood forest for people, wildlife and future generations.
The Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association non-profit, providing volunteer-run Visitor Centers at four State Parks in Humboldt County. We hope that you will stop by to get information about hikes, directions, ecology, history, as well as maps, brochures, books, and souvenirs. We strive to connect visitors and the community to the incredible Redwood Forest, in hopes of spreading appreciation and a passion for the conservation of the tallest trees in the world.
Visit USA. Epic USA Adventure route © Monika & Simon Newbound. All rights reserved 2017
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