We found visiting the park a little confusing to start with as its not just one park, there are 4 State Parks as well as the National Park which all protect different areas jointly. We were actually staying in the State Park called Elk Creek but our National Parks Pass got us entry to the state parks without having to pay any extra fees.
The campsite at Elk Creek was lovely. There were showers, which did flood when we used them but they were clean and we had flushing toilets. Our campsite backed onto a little stream with trees either side and moss hanging down. It was lovely to start with and we thought we were so lucky - until the mosquitoes started to bite.
The location of our campsite was perfect for seeing the park, we were a short drive from the majority of the places we wanted to see and we were right next door to a huge Elk Meadow and one of the main Visitors Centers.
We visited Fern Canyon which involved a short drive long a single track dusty road going through a couple of small steams although if Lee was writing this blog, he would tell you they were ranging rivers and it was touch and go whether Fin would make it through! When we reached the end of the road and headed into the Canyon on foot, it was worth the drive, it was spectacular.
I learnt during this trip that the Redwoods are Coast Redwoods and they need a lot of water from rain in winter and fog in the summer to survive. We had been complaining about the fog along the coast road up until now as it was spoiling our view but without it, the Redwoods would not exist.
We hiked through Fern Canyon which was a huge amount of fun, it was like a big kids playground. When we reached the parking lot again, we did another hike in the opposite direction, this one took us to the beach. Like Fern Canyon, this too had a Jurassic feel to it, especially when we could see the trees just off the beach covered in fog.
You'll also notice in the video a vast number of dead crabs on this beach. We have no idea why and I can't seem to find any reason using Google although we did spot a couple of seals just off the shoreline, maybe we'd stumbled across a Seal kitchen.
We headed back along the road we took to get to Fern Canyon, Lee was a little more confident this time going through the 'raging rivers' and we headed up the road for another scenic drive he had heard was very good called Cal Barrel Road. This was again a single lane dirt track but there were very few people on this road so it wasn't as stressful for Lee and thankfully, there were no more steams to cross.
The road took us through part of the Redwood Forest and we got to peer out of the car at the huge trees. There were a couple of stops along this drive where we got out for a closer look and a short trail at the end which went deeper into the forest. We followed this trail for about 1/2 mile before we decided that we'd seen another forest and headed back to the car.
I had asked in the Visitors Center where the tallest tree in the World was located. I thought it would be like Sequoia National Park where you could walk right up to it. I was informed by the ranger that its a secret and they don't want people to know to protect the trees so we didn't get to see the tallest tree although we might have come across it on our hikes and not even realised.
Back on the main road, our final trip was a drive along Coastal Drive where we hopped out of the car and took a 1 mile hike through the forest and to the beach again. We were the only people on this trail and although it was short in length, there were a lot of hills to get to the shoreline and then back up again. It felt like a hard workout! We had a lot of fun on the trail, the scenery changes quickly as we went down the steep path to the shoreline and the path wiggles around corners, hiding from us the direction we were going.
We had done a lot of walking today so we headed back to camp for a well earn rest and some dinner. Once the sun had gone down, we headed out to the Elk Meadow to do some Elk watching. They are supposed to be more active in the early mornings and evening once the temperature cools and it was the start of mating season so we were hoping for some male showing off but we couldn't find any Elk so we headed back to camp and chilled out inside our tent away from the mosquitoes.
Nice soundtrack again, a bit Stranger Things-y. The campgroudn and site looked good although mozzie's must have been a bit of a bummer.
ReplyDeleteThe drive through the forest was very nice although it did look like everything was covered in dust which proved to be the case after Fin had gone through the big puddle, you could see the dust and dirt.
Fern Canyon was great, I loved the little bridges across the rivers and there is a lovely photo of the two of you by one stream. The canyon walls looked so lush and green. The pic of Sam astride a big limb made me chuckle and Lee walking up the fallen tree looked like he stopped at the right point although he loose points for his descent. which Sam clearly enjoyed!! The sea shore looked a bit grim and with the fog, you could have easily been in the UK. There were some big crabs there, although now only shells.
Just like the sequoia's these are some big trees and I liked the one with the little home in it. Just as well the track was quiet, there didn't seem to be that many passing places.
Some nice photos, shame no Elk in the background!