Redwood Trees of Northern California
The Redwood Trees of Northern California are truly amazing. Standing next to a 300 foot tree is a daunting experience, and one that is always a joy to see. I was fortunate to be able to travel here when I was working as a Tour Manager, and I never got tired of this stop. Have you ever seen a tree this big?
Have you ever thought about how they get their water? They do get rain in winter but there isn’t enough rainfall year around and there isn’t a river close by. Redwoods get up to 1/2 of their water from fog which flows in from the Pacific Ocean, which is how they are able to survive the dry summers.
The fog is captured by the trees and they create their own root system in the sky. Think about it, it takes great energy for a large tree to get water out of the soil all the way up its trunk to the foliage. A Redwood can be over 300 feet tall and that is a long way for water to travel upward. By absorbing it from the fog, water doesn’t have to be lifted to the very top. About 1500 lbs of water can be absorbed into the crown leaves on a foggy day.
Redwoods can grow up to 400 feet, and Founders Tree is the biggest one on record in this portion of the forest. I stood inside of this tree so you could get some idea of the width of its base. I was able to stand upright in the tree, I’m just crouched down for the camera.
I took the pic below as I was standing inside of it and looking up.
A single redwood can make over 2,000 picnic tables. At one time, harvesting these trees was more profitable than mining gold. However, that time has now passed and now these trees are protected by the Headwater Agreement so you can go and enjoy them at your leisure.
There is no charge to enter the park, but if you choose to stay at one of the campgrounds you will pay a fee. You have probably seen the drive-thru tree but sadly, that no longer exists. It fell in 1969 due to extreme snowfall.
If you have never seen The Redwoods in person, you won’t be disappointed if you plan a trip here. There is something majestic about these gentle giants, and gazing at them for any length of time is a humbling experience.
