A wonder to behold

Coast redwoods grow only one place on Earth—right here on the Pacific Coast, from Big Sur to southern Oregon, and have been around for about 240 million years. Officially, the oldest living coast redwood is at least 2,200 years old, but foresters believe some coast redwoods may be older. A local coast redwood tree can grow to 300 feet or more—the tallest tree on Earth.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park Boulder Creek
80 miles of trails. Camping, small trailers or RVs OK. Easy walks to strenuous hikes.

Byrne-Milliron Forest Corralitos
Walking, hiking, no services, 400 acres.

Fall Creek (Part of Henry Cowell) Felton
No services, 20 miles of trails, 2,390 acres.

Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Aptos
30 miles of trails, limited camping, no trailers or RVs.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Felton
Easy, wheel-chair accessible trail to adventuresome hikes. Nature center.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Big Sur
The park is also home to 300-foot redwoods which are over 2,500 years old.

Limekiln State Park Big Sur
The park features breathtaking views of the Big Sur Coast, the beauty of the redwoods, the rugged coast and the cultural history of limekilns.

Soquel Demonstation Forest Soquel-Summit
Limited services, great mountain biking, hiking, 2,681 acres.

Image: “The Splendor of Trees” by Cathy McCray, Creative Commons

Eco-guide to living lighter

Best places to get up close to the redwoods

Best places to get up close to the redwoods

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