Fern Canyon facts for kids
Fern Canyon is an amazing canyon located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County, California. This park is part of a bigger group of parks, including Redwood National and State Parks, which work together to protect the giant redwood trees. The canyon gets its name because its tall walls, which are about 50 feet (15 meters) high, are completely covered in lush green ferns! A small stream called Home Creek flows through the canyon. Fern Canyon is so unique that it's recognized as a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, meaning it's a very important natural place for the whole world.
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How Fern Canyon Became a Park
Fern Canyon became part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park thanks to the Pacific Lumber Company. They gave 2,125 acres (about 8.6 square kilometers) of land, including the canyon, to the State of California. This helped make the park even bigger and protect more of this beautiful area.
What Kinds of Ferns Grow Here?
The sheer walls of Fern Canyon are covered in many different types of native California ferns. It feels like you've stepped back in time to a prehistoric world because of how green and wild it looks!
Some of the ferns you might see include:
- Adiantum jordanii (California Maidenhair Fern)
- Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern)
- Polypodium californicum (California Polypody)
- Polypodium glycyrrhiza (Licorice Fern)
- Polystichum munitum (Western Swordfern)
Exploring Fern Canyon
You can explore Fern Canyon by walking along a hiking trail that follows the creek. To get to the start of the Fern Canyon Trail, you hike a short distance north from the Fern Canyon Day Use Area. This area is located north of the Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. The main trail loop inside the canyon is about 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) long. One end of this loop connects to another trail called the James Irvine Trail, which lets you explore even more of the park.
Fern Canyon on the Big Screen
Because Fern Canyon looks so ancient and wild, it has been used as a filming location for movies and TV shows about dinosaurs! Its unique look made it perfect for scenes in:
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs
- IMAX's Dinosaurs Alive!
41°24′09″N 124°04′06″W / 41.4026218°N 124.0684063°W
Images for kids
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A northern red-legged frog, Rana aurora, in Fern Canyon
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Fern Canyon's lush walls
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Moss cascades down the side of Fern Canyon where water trickles over the edge
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Roosevelt elk at the entrance to Fern Canyon
