Ca. Redwoods Which Park??

   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #1  

NY_Yankees_Fan

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We are planning a trip out the the left coast this summer. Looking at the planning books we see 3 parks with redwoods.

Big Basin Redwood State Park
Muir Woods
Weott Ave. Of the Giants

We have time for one park, which one? We just want to see the trees and not hike or any other stuff.

Thanks
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #2  
<font color="blue"> We have time for one park, which one? </font>

Crazy as it may sound, I would guess that if you have only time for one place, it may not matter which one.

Something magical about those redwoods...you will probably feel it wherever you experience them...

Too bad you don't have more time.

We visited a couple of the parks you mentioned a while back...and some different ones as well...wonderful experience... you will enjoy it whichever it might be, I bet.

Too bad you don't have more time....for us it was a great experience even if we only had a little more time than you apparently do.

Any chance to extend your visit?
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #3  
It sounds like you're planning a great trip this summer. Redwoods come in 2 varieties (basically): Coastal redwoods and giant sequoias. At least 2 out of the 3 on your list are mostly coastals. Kings Canyon-Sequoia Nat'l Park is home to "REAL" trees, i.e., a few hundred feet high, a few thousand years old. In short, I recommend Grant Grove visitor center as a first stop then branch out from there. In addition to tree-hugging stuff, there is much available literature and actual remnants of the logging of the giant sequoias. Not sure what you're looking for: You won't be disappointed with the coastal stuff and it's close to the cereal bowl of California ... plenty of fruits, nuts and flakes and a little left of me ... I live 30 minutes down the road from Kings Canyon and that park is where it's "at" for me.
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #4  
Any of the parks along U.S. 101 above the coast have wonderful 2 lane roads that go through the redwoods down to the Pacific ocean.

It will be a pleasant and memorable experience. You can pull off every two miles or so...just to walk up and stand at the base of the trees.

Looking up at a 250 - 300' redwood is a humbling experience. The floor of the forest is covered in a carpet of moss and cones and the canopy above is barely visible because of the trees hitting clouds and low hanging fog. And the silence of the forest....well, you'll understand what I mean when you get there.

I grew up very near there and spent much of my adult life in neighboring counties.

Regards, Mark
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #5  
Tom

I have been up and down the coast several times and my favorite is Yosemite National Park. Some of the others have more big trees, there are miles of them to drive through on the Avenue of the Giants, and even one tree that you can drive through, Muir Woods is pretty small (at least the part that I have visited a couple of times)......

There are many in and around Yosemite, but the falls, streams, mountains is, in my opinion, the best there is anywhere if you can only visit one park. Just my 2 cents worth

Leo in San Diego
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #6  
I'll second these places, Muir Woods, Kings Canyon, Sequia National park and Yosemite national Park. If you can't get inland visit Muir Woods just over the Golden Gate heading north along the coast. Watch for deer in Muir Woods. They lie down just off the walking paths.
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #7  
They are both incredible to see. For me, the coastal redwoods up north in Humbolt County are a bit more spectacular then the Giant Sequoia. The Sequioa are larger in diameter but the Coastal redwoods in Humbolt are taller and in an incredible enviroment. The Giant redwoods in "Avenue of the Giants" is breathtaking. You will be driving considerably north though of San Francisco. You will be closer to Oregon then San Francisco. On the other hand, Sequoia Park is just south of Yosemite and you defintely should see it. I have hiked much of it and Sequoia Park. For the summer months, I'd go up north to Humbolt County. For spring, I'd go to Sequoia park and see Yosemite with it's massive flowing waterfalls at their peak.
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park??
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks guys for the info. We will be spending 30 days on the coast from San Diego to Vancouver to Seattle with a side trip to Las Vegas. Trying to put it all together to hit as much as we can. Last big trip before daughter #1 goes off to college. Wife and I did the San Diego to Seattle trip back before kids in the early 80's for 2 weeks so we hope to see more on this one, kids are 13 and 17. Wife has had her nose in the AAA books the entire weekend. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #9  
Was in Yosemite as a teenager. My vote is there. I actually drove my car through a Redwood there and I'm telling you it's nothing short of heavenly to be in that park.
 
   / Ca. Redwoods Which Park?? #10  
Here is a picture of one of the "V8" in v8dave at Yosemite. Only a glimpse of what you'd see beyond the redwoods. Yosemite is a powerful experience, written language can't do it justice.
 

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