Redwood National and State Parks: Protected Landscape Geography and Mapped Boundaries

The parks are world-renowned for protecting the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), the tallest, most massive, and among the oldest tree species on Earth. The parks contain the tallest known living tree, Hyperion, which reaches 380 feet in height. The temperate rainforest ecosystem, sustained by heavy winter rains and persistent summer fog, supports one of the most ecologically significant forest types in North America. The parks preserve roughly 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests, representing the last remnants of a forest type that once covered over two million acres of the California coast.

The land now protected by the Redwood National and State Parks has been home to indigenous peoples for at least 8,500 years, with the Yurok, Tolowa, Karuk, Chilula, and Wiyot nations maintaining deep connections to the region. These Native American communities utilized redwood trees for construction materials and featured them in their mythology, building plankhouses from redwood boards and crafting canoes from the rot-resistant wood. European contact began in 1543 when the Cabrillo expedition reached Cape Mendocino, though extensive European exploration did not occur until the late 18th century. The California Gold Rush of 1848 brought dramatic transformation, with the discovery of gold along the Trinity River in 1850 bringing thousands of settlers who displaced indigenous peoples through violence and displacement. Redwood logging followed quickly, with the straight-grained wood proving invaluable for construction. By the early 20th century, much of the original redwood forest had been cleared. Conservation efforts emerged in the 1920s when the Save the Redwoods League helped establish Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks. After decades of advocacy by the Sierra Club and Save the Redwoods League, Congress created Redwood National Park in 1968 and expanded it significantly in 1978 with the purchase of 48,000 acres of previously logged land. In 1994, the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation combined management of the federal and state parks into a single administrative unit.

The parks occupy a dramatic setting along the Pacific coast of northern California, where the California Coast Ranges meet the sea. The terrain ranges from sea level along the coastline to 837 meters at Rodgers Peak in the inland mountains. The coastline features sea stacks, rocky cliffs, and remote sandy beaches carved by the constant action of Pacific waves. The interior landscape is dominated by deep valleys carved by rivers and streams, with the redwood forests occupying the sheltered slopes and moist flat ground below 1,000 feet in elevation. The geology beneath the parks consists primarily of the Franciscan assemblage, a complex of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with younger marine and alluvial deposits in the river valleys. The parks are highly seismically active, located at the Mendocino triple junction where the North American, Pacific, and Gorda tectonic plates meet. This tectonic setting results in frequent earthquakes and makes the area the most tsunami-prone region in the continental United States.

The Redwood National and State Parks protect one of the world's most distinctive temperate rainforests, an ecosystem dependent on the combination of heavy winter rainfall and persistent summer fog that characterizes the northern California coast. The coast redwood dominates much of the forest, thriving in the humid conditions and reaching heights and masses unmatched by any other tree species on Earth. The parks preserve approximately 38,982 acres of old-growth forest, nearly half of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests in the world. Beyond the redwoods, the forest includes coast Douglas-fir, red alder, Sitka spruce, tanoak, Pacific madrone, bigleaf maple, and California laurel. The understory features huckleberry, snowberry, sword fern, redwood sorrel, and prolific stands of California rhododendron. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park contains Fern Canyon, a 50-foot-deep ravine whose walls are completely covered in fern species whose ancestors date back 325 million years. The grassland prairies of the Bald Hills support a distinctly different ecosystem, while the coastline provides marine and tidal habitats.

The diverse ecosystems within the parks support a remarkable array of wildlife. Approximately 66 species of land mammals have been documented, including black bear, coyote, cougar, bobcat, beaver, river otter, and black-tailed deer. Roosevelt elk, brought back from the brink of extinction in the region, are now commonly observed throughout the parks. About 280 bird species have been recorded within the parks, representing roughly one-third of all bird species found in the United States. The parks provide critical habitat for 28 federally recognized endangered, threatened, or candidate species. The northern spotted owl, a threatened species, relies on the old-growth forest canopy. The bald eagle nests near water sources and is listed as endangered in California. Chinook salmon, historically essential to indigenous residents, continue to spawn in the parks' rivers, along with rainbow trout. The coastline supports California sea lions, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and occasional dolphins and Pacific gray whales offshore. The marbled murrelet, an endangered seabird, nests high in redwood branches. The parks also contain diverse amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates including the iconic banana slug.

The Redwood National and State Parks represent one of the most important conservation designations in North America. The protection of approximately 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests makes the parks critical for the survival of this irreplaceable ecosystem. The International Union for Conservation of Nature designated the coast redwood as an endangered species in 2011, highlighting the ongoing need for protection. The parks' World Heritage Site designation in 1980 recognized the outstanding universal value of both the natural ecosystem and the cultural history preserved within its boundaries. Management efforts focus on restoring previously logged lands to their pre-1850 condition, including controlled burning to reduce fuel loads and promote ecological health. The 2023 establishment of the Yurok-Tolowa-Dee-ni' Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area marked a groundbreaking achievement in intertribal cooperation, protecting 700 square miles of territorial ocean waters and contributing to California's 30x30 conservation goals. The parks serve as a living laboratory for understanding forest ecology, with ongoing research partnerships documenting the impacts of climate change on this sensitive ecosystem.

The parks encompass lands of profound significance to multiple indigenous nations. The Yurok, Chilula, and Tolowa peoples maintained continuous presence in what are now the park boundaries for millennia, with archaeological evidence at Tolowa sites demonstrating habitation for at least 8,500 years. These communities developed sophisticated relationships with the redwood forest, using the trees for housing, canoes, and ceremonial purposes while managing the landscape through controlled burning to promote tanoak production and maintain hunting grounds. The arrival of European Americans in the mid-19th century brought catastrophic change, with indigenous populations decimated by violence, disease, and displacement. By 1919, the Chilula tribe had virtually disappeared. The parks today work collaboratively with tribal governments, including the Yurok Tribe, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and Resighini Rancheria, recognizing tribal land and village sites within the boundaries and supporting the Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area initiative.

The Redwood National and State Parks protect the world's tallest trees in one of the planet's most distinctive temperate rainforests. The ancient coast redwoods, some exceeding 2,000 years in age, create forest canopies that rank among the oldest continuous biological communities on Earth. The parks preserve nearly half of all remaining old-growth redwood forest, making them the single most important conservation area for this species. The combination of deep forest, dramatic coastline, and grassland prairies creates remarkable ecological diversity within a single protected area. The 37 miles of undeveloped coastline remain among the most pristine in California. The 2023 Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area demonstrates ongoing commitment to collaborative conservation with tribal partners. The parks offer nearly 200 miles of hiking trails through environments ranging from fern-carpeted canyons to ocean overlooks, with opportunities for kayaking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing.

The Redwood National and State Parks can be visited year-round, though each season offers distinct experiences. The temperate rainforest climate means rain is likely during most of the year, with the wettest period occurring from October through April. Summer months of July and August are the driest, though persistent coastal fog is common, particularly in the morning hours. The fog is actually essential to the redwood ecosystem, providing about 40 percent of the trees' annual water intake and creating an ethereal atmosphere throughout the forest. Winter visits offer the advantage of smaller crowds and dramatic storm watching along the coastline, though trail conditions can be muddy and some facilities may have limited hours. Fall often brings clearer weather and the opportunity to see spawning salmon in the rivers. Summer provides the most reliable hiking conditions but also the highest visitor numbers. The parks remain open year-round, and the absence of an entrance fee makes them accessible for visits in any season.