Humboldt Redwoods

I just got back from a hiking trip in the redwood forests of Northern California. We visited several parks and I plan to post one entry for each. First off was Humboldt Redwoods State Park, on the way to where we were staying for the week in Arcata. Humboldt reminded me more of Hendy Woods or even Kings Canyon/Sequoia in terms of the way the forests feel. It is more open and dry than the northern parks, with less ferns and more of that stately glowing light I associate with the other redwood forests I have seen. These parks are comprised of forests ofcoast redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, unlike the redwoods of the Sierra Nevada which are Sequoiadendron giganteum. Although they are different trees, they have some similarities, notably, their gigantic size and reddish bark.

Humboldt is not on the coast, which probably accounts for much of the difference in the feeling of the forest itself. It seems more open. There is a famous scenic drive through the middle of the park, Avenue of the Giants. This is a pleasant detour from highway 101 and I can’t see ever skipping it when passing by here even if you don’t plan to hike or even get out of the car. The trees are beautiful and impressive and the forest has a wonderful fragrance. It feels more calm and serene than the forests we visited later in the week which seemed truly wild and lush. On this day we did hiked 8 miles.