Humboldt Redwoods State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Humboldt Redwoods State Park |
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The "darkness at noon" effect is synonymous with redwood groves
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 Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Location in California
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Humboldt County, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Rio Dell, California |
| Area | 51,651 acres (209.02 km2) |
| Established | 1921 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is a special state park in California, United States. It is famous for its amazing Rockefeller Forest. This forest has the world's largest group of very old coast redwood trees that are still standing together.
The park is about 30 miles (48 km) south of Eureka, California. It is near the town of Weott in southern Humboldt County. The park is named after a famous scientist from the 1800s, Alexander von Humboldt.
The park was started in 1921 by a group called the Save the Redwoods League. They bought much of the land from the Pacific Lumber Company. Over time, the park has grown to be the third-largest state park in California. It now covers about 51,651 acres (20,900 ha).
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is part of the Northern California coastal forests. It has 23,600 acres (9,550 ha) of very old forests. About 17,000 acres (6,880 ha) of these are old-growth redwoods. This includes the whole Bull Creek area and the Rockefeller Forest.
U.S. Route 101 runs near the park. This road follows the Eel River and its South Fork. You can easily get to the park and nearby towns from this highway. The beautiful Avenue of the Giants scenic road is also mostly inside or close to the park.
Park History: Saving the Giants
The first people to live in this area were the Sinkyone tribe. In the 1850s, new settlers started cutting down the redwoods. They wanted to clear land for homes and farms. About 20 years later, logging companies moved into the area. They built railways and roads to reach the trees easily.
By 1918, people realized that many old-growth forests near San Francisco had been cut down. So, members of the Boone and Crockett Club formed the Save the Redwoods League. This group worked to protect redwood forests in the region. This included the area that became Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
The Garden Club of America also helped a lot. Through its Redwood Grove Committee, it raised half the money to buy the 2,552-acre Canoe Creek Grove. This area became part of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Sarah Gildersleeve Fife was a very important person in these efforts.
Amazing Redwood Trees
The park is famous for its coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). Many of these trees grow taller than 300 feet (91 m)! The forests on flat, low-lying areas are almost all redwood trees. But forests on slopes also have Douglas-fir trees.
More than 100 of the 137 known trees over 350 feet (107 m) tall are in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. All of these are coast redwoods. The park is home to the 4th-tallest measured living redwood, called the Stratosphere Giant. In 2004, it was measured at 370.5 feet (112.94 m) tall.
The Stratosphere Giant was the tallest known living redwood for a while. Then, three even taller trees were found in Redwood National Park. The tallest of these is Hyperion, which was 379.1 feet (115.55 m) tall in 2006.
Before Hyperion was found, the tallest redwood ever measured was the Dyerville Giant. It was also in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It was 372 feet (113.4 m) tall when it fell in March 1991. Experts think it was about 1,600 years old! You can see the Dyerville Giant on the Founders Grove Nature Trail. This trail honors the people who created the Save the Redwoods League. Also in this grove is the Founders Tree. It is 346 feet (105 m) tall and has a base that is 40 feet (12 m) around.
Fun Things to Do
The Avenue of the Giants is a 32-mile (51 km) drive through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It has eight stops where you can see the park's best features. The park also has over 100 miles (160 km) of hiking trails.
Visitors can go horseback riding, mountain biking, and fishing. You can also swim in the South Fork Eel River. The park is careful about fire safety, so camping is only allowed in certain areas. There are almost 250 campsites available, including one for people with horses. Nearby Burlington and Albee are popular camping spots.
