Redwoods are one of the world's oldest trees and ancestors of the modern coast redwood existed more than 100 million years ago. Approximately 20 million years ago, redwoods became established along the west coast of North America. Today, the Redwood National Park is the only redwood forest in still in existence anywhere in the world. The national park protects old growth redwoods and all of the trees in the parklands are protected from logging, so you will be able to walk among the giant coast redwoods and Sequoias that grow over 300 feet tall. Many of the trees are more than 500 years old.
While the marbled murrelets live primarily at sea the majority of the marbled murrelet population in California nests within Redwood National and State Parks. They are listed as a Threatened Species of Concern by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Part of the reason the species has become endangered is due to the increased human activity in the park. When campers or hikers leave behind discarded food in the park, corvids, Steller's jays, ravens or crows, repeatedly fly over the messy sites seeking a source of food. As the corvids are circling, they may spot a murrelet nest hidden high in the redwood forest. Although adult murrelets' feathers provide camouflage, blending into redwood branches, any movement by a murrelet or their babies may draw the attention of a corvid. Once spotted, a corvid may make a meal out of murrelet chicks and eggs as well as disrupt the nesting patterns of an adult murrelet pair. Visitors to the park can help protect the marbled murrelet by maintaining a clean camp, removing all trash and food as well as refraining from feeding any wild animals or birds.
The park offers numerous scenic drives of various lengths, including the 10-mile drive through ancient redwoods on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway and the 8 miles along the Coastal Drive that winds along the Pacific Ocean to eventually descends into the redwood forest at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Consider stopping at one of the marked overlooks to enjoy the scenery and well as to look for migrating gray whales and several species of seabirds.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation operates four developed campgrounds within the Redwood National and State Parks, with three campsites in the redwood forest and one near the Pacific Ocean. All of the forest campsites provide restrooms, showers, bear-proof lockers and fire pits. The Jedediah Smith Redwoods campsite, situated off of Highway 199 at Hiouchi and the Elk Prairie campsite, located on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, are both open year round. The Mill Creek campsite, located approximately six miles south of Crescent City, is usually open from the beginning of April until the end of September. The Gold Bluffs Beach campsite, located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, is open all year and provides restrooms, solar showers and fire pits.
Depending upon their skills and the needs of the park, volunteers are trained to staff park visitor centers, lead educational children's programs, host campgrounds or build and maintain trails. Volunteers may also be asked to assist in plant or animal field studies, provide research assistance, help organize and maintain the park library as well as conduct weed and invasive species control. Although a government vehicle may be provided during work hours, volunteers are generally required to have their own reliable vehicle for personal transportation. Free housing may be available for volunteers who work at least 32 hours a week.
