Tips for Redwood National Forest

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

04/23/2009 12:11:45 PM · #1

I'm thinking about hitting the Redwoods in two weeks. I've never been and wondered if there were tips on the best campsites and whether certain parts of the park are better to explore than others.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/23/2009 12:44:51 PM · #2

Oh, I've spent days and days in there, but it was many a moon ago and I can't remember names of places... Great location, though...

R.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

04/23/2009 01:21:27 PM · #3

I'm thinking of exploring the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Fern Canyon sounds pretty cool and the park is on the northern end of things which makes it a shorter drive. I'll probably stay at the main campground because of the family, but would love to backpack some day in the back country.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/23/2009 02:24:48 PM · #4

Prairie Creek is good, yes. There's a *Something* Bend that's a fair hike in that is quite spectacular...

R.

aliqui

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

04/23/2009 03:22:26 PM · #5

I went down that way about 5-6 years ago. We stayed in a pretty nice campground just outside of Eureka, but I can't remember the name of it. We also went along the coast and to a place that sounds like Fern Canyon.

The canyon was beautiful, and I wish I had the camera and knowledge I do now. It's a nice easy walk with some fallen trees to climb around on over a small stream. Nice and easy for the kids, but still really pretty and relaxing. We went in July, so there was a fair amount of people in there. May would be much better probably.

These photos are horrid, but are proof I was there!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

04/23/2009 04:04:02 PM · #6

Ya, that looks like the pics I've seen of Fern Canyon. Thanks for sharing!

d56ranger

Canon EOS-20D

04/23/2009 04:52:35 PM · #7

Enjoy the RR but watch out for the poison oak. It's pandemic there.

d56ranger

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

04/23/2009 04:53:49 PM · #8

Oh! and take your flash; it can be god awful dark there.

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/23/2009 05:05:25 PM · #9

Originally posted by d56ranger:

Enjoy the RR but watch out for the poison oak. It's pandemic there.

Ugh. I am really poison oak sensitive. :( I'll keep my eyes open. I may look into that stuff you put on before hand to help keep the oils off your skin. That may be worth it.

caba

Nikon D800

04/23/2009 05:11:00 PM · #10

Don't forget the Avenue of the Giants, you can put you daughter next to some of those huge trees for awesome perspective.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

04/23/2009 05:24:03 PM · #11

we have a family photo form 25 years or so ago with our family's van, and all of us in a line in front of one of the trees.

i would definitely suggest a lens with a wide angle.

04/23/2009 05:34:59 PM · #12

Can't help you with the Redwood Forest but I'll be about a little ways south of you hiking a section of the CA coast named The Lost Coast. I guess we should both be hoping for good weather... or at least weather that is just stormy enough for good pictures... :)

If you really want additional perspective on the size of the redwoods, a great read is Richard Preston's Tall Trees. It's a fascinating story of the search for the world's tallest trees, told in the author's dramatic Hot Zone style of writing. Most of the book centers around the pac northwest.

04/23/2009 05:43:24 PM · #13

Originally posted by mpeters:

I saw a link for this while I was exploring. That old abandoned lighthouse looks AWESOME! I'm really jealous and I was salivating at the pictures that could be had there.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/23/2009 05:46:54 PM · #14

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Originally posted by mpeters:
Can't help you with the Redwood Forest but I'll be about a little ways south of you hiking a section of the CA coast named The Lost Coast. I guess we should both be hoping for good weather... or at least weather that is just stormy enough for good pictures... :)

If you really want additional perspective on the size of the redwoods, a great read is Richard Preston's Tall Trees. It's a fascinating story of the search for the world's tallest trees, told in the author's dramatic Hot Zone style of writing. Most of the book centers around the pac northwest.

I saw a link for this while I was exploring. That old abandoned lighthouse looks AWESOME! I'm really jealous and I was salivating at the pictures that could be had there.

Meet us at Mattole trailhead eve of the 6th(or early on the 7th). You could be back to your family by the evening of the 10th. ;)

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/23/2009 06:58:04 PM · #15

Originally posted by caba:

Don't forget the Avenue of the Giants, you can put you daughter next to some of those huge trees for awesome perspective.

A not-quite-four

Isaac inside a hollow section of a Redwood tree along the Avenue of the Giants in northern California -- see the small inset to appreciate the full scale ... :-)

aliqui

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

04/24/2009 05:22:45 AM · #16

Another thing we did on that trip was stop by the Oregon Vortex. It's a nice break from the long drive home. The tours are guided and take about an hour. Good for the kids, and you'd get some goofy photos too.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

04/24/2009 09:44:50 AM · #17

Originally posted by aliqui:

Looks like the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. In fact they look like they were built by the same people. Hogwash, I say, but fun hogwash!

Jdroullard

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

04/24/2009 10:00:37 AM · #18

Jedediah Smith is pretty nice, about an hour and a half from where I live, and not far from brookings/crecent city on the southern oregon/ n california coast.

aliqui

Nikon D300s

04/24/2009 03:08:39 PM · #19

Originally posted by mpeters:

Originally posted by aliqui:
Another thing we did on that trip was stop by the Oregon Vortex. It's a nice break from the long drive home. The tours are guided and take about an hour. Good for the kids, and you'd get some goofy photos too.

Looks like the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. In fact they look like they were built by the same people. Hogwash, I say, but fun hogwash!

Yea, we were all in our mid 20's when we went, and we still had fun. It tickles your brain, because you know logically it's "hogwash", but your eyes keep telling your brain, "OMG it's so real!!!"

JerseyGenie

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

04/24/2009 07:03:53 PM · #20

Fern Canyon is fantastic. However, when you travel the road to get there you will be forging over some small streams. We sent our son out to walk thru them to figure out the shallowest spot. Probably wouldn't have mattered, but he likes to wander around sans shoes anyhow so this put it to good work.
Enjoy. We saw a lot of wildlife in the area. Great photo place.

04/29/2009 11:28:45 AM · #21

Originally posted by mpeters:

If you really want additional perspective on the size of the redwoods, a great read is Richard Preston's Tall Trees. It's a fascinating story of the search for the world's tallest trees, told in the author's dramatic Hot Zone style of writing. Most of the book centers around the pac northwest.

I picked the book up in anticipation of the camping trip. I enjoyed Hot Zone so I'm sure I'll like this one. It's called The Wild Trees though in case others are interested.

04/29/2009 11:31:13 AM · #22

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Originally posted by mpeters:
If you really want additional perspective on the size of the redwoods, a great read is Richard Preston's Tall Trees. It's a fascinating story of the search for the world's tallest trees, told in the author's dramatic Hot Zone style of writing. Most of the book centers around the pac northwest.

I picked the book up in anticipation of the camping trip. I enjoyed Hot Zone so I'm sure I'll like this one. It's called The Wild Trees though in case others are interested.

oops! my mistake. You'll have a hard time putting it down.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

04/30/2009 07:21:29 PM · #23

Anybody who's been know the location of the Atlas Grove?

evanras

Nikon D300

04/30/2009 07:56:53 PM · #24

The campground on the beach at Prairie Creek SP is a nice place. A mountain bike friendly trail/road goes along the coast for miles. The beach is huge with a large elk population. There are good photo ops both morning and night. It's a little more primative than the "cordwood stacking" type campground up on top and more exposed to the wind, but worth a look.