Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park is located along the northern coast of California in the United States and covers approximately 217 square miles (562 sq km). Established in 1968 and expanded in 1978, the park protects some of the tallest trees on Earth and one of the most remarkable temperate rainforest ecosystems in the world.

The park lies along the Pacific Ocean between Crescent City and Eureka. It is managed in partnership with several adjoining California state parks, creating a vast protected landscape. Together, these protected areas preserve nearly half of the world’s remaining old-growth coastal redwood forests. In 1980, Redwood National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and later became part of an International Biosphere Reserve due to its global ecological significance.

Redwood National Park is best known for its towering coast redwoods, the tallest living trees on Earth. Some of these giants exceed 370 feet (113 meters) in height and can live for more than 2,000 years. Visitors come from around the world to walk among these ancient forests and experience a sense of scale found nowhere else.

Popular activities include hiking, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, camping, photography, and exploring quiet coastal landscapes. Trails wind through groves where massive trunks rise into a canopy often hidden by fog. The park’s combination of ancient forests, wild rivers, and rugged coastline creates one of the most inspiring visitor experiences in North America.

The geography of Redwood National Park is remarkably diverse. While the redwood forests are its most famous feature, the park also contains prairie grasslands, oak woodlands, rivers, wetlands, and approximately forty miles of undeveloped Pacific coastline. Frequent coastal fog plays a critical role in sustaining the redwood ecosystem by providing moisture during the dry summer months.

Elevations range from sea level to forested ridges overlooking the ocean. Major waterways such as the Klamath and Redwood Creek watersheds flow through the park, supporting healthy aquatic ecosystems. Ferns, mosses, lichens, and dense understory vegetation thrive beneath the towering trees, creating an environment that feels both ancient and vibrant.

Wildlife within Redwood National Park is abundant and diverse. Roosevelt elk are among the park’s most iconic animals and are frequently seen grazing in meadows and forest edges. Other mammals include black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, river otters, and Roosevelt deer.

Birdlife is equally impressive, with species such as bald eagles, northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets, ospreys, and varied thrushes inhabiting the forests and coast. Streams support salmon and steelhead trout, while offshore waters host seals, sea lions, and migrating gray whales. The park’s varied habitats provide refuge for an extraordinary range of species throughout the year.

Redwood National Park plays a critical role in protecting one of the rarest forest ecosystems on Earth. Old-growth coastal redwoods once covered millions of acres along the Pacific Coast, but only a small fraction remains today. The park safeguards these ancient forests while protecting endangered species such as the marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl. Conservation efforts focus on restoring damaged forests, preserving watersheds, and maintaining habitat connectivity.

Redwood National Park is often compared to Sequoia National Park because both protect giant trees of extraordinary size and age. However, redwoods are taller, thrive in a coastal environment, and create a rainforest ecosystem unlike any other in North America. Today, Redwood National Park stands as one of the world’s greatest conservation success stories, preserving a living forest of giants that continues to inspire awe and wonder.