"Redwood" - national park (California, USA)

Lovers of fiction probably saw the famousthe epic "Star Wars". Remember the last season? The planet Endor, covered with fabulous forests with tall, tall trees ... Do you know that you can plunge into the atmosphere of this movie epic? To get to the fantastic planet Endor, it's enough to come to the Redwood National Park. The name of this place - Red Wood - is translated from English as "Red Wood". This is because the forest mainly consists of sequoia.

In this article, we will describe in which state of the United Statesis the park "Redwood" and how to get there. The tourist infrastructure in this protected area of ​​the wilderness is well developed. But do not think that there are more people here than trees. It's still not a park, but a reserve. And because of the meeting face to face with a bear or a trot no one is immune. About what you can see in the reserve "Redwood", read below.

Sequoia

This tree is unique. Without exaggeration, we can say that it is the most durable and highest of all plants on Earth. Sequoia lives about two thousand years. So it is quite possible to see the contemporary Jesus Christ in the Redwood National Park (USA)! These trees reach one hundred and fifteen meters - the height of a 35-story skyscraper. The thickness of the trunk at their base is also impressive. It reaches eight meters. But in the wild, these giants and old-timers live only on a small section of our planet - on the west coast of California and the south of Oregon. In other places the sequoia is planted artificially, in parks and botanical gardens.

Previously, this evergreen plant familycypress called the California Mammoth Tree. The current name of the sequoi was given by the name of the leader of the Cherokee tribe. This man was famous for inventing the syllabic alphabet of his native language. He also produced a newspaper in the dialect of his tribe.

In which state of the United States is the park "Redwood"

This corner of the protected nature isthe expanses of California. From the city of San Francisco - an hour away. The park is located in the north of the state, at the very border with Oregon. Come here better in the offseason - in spring or autumn. Then there are fewer visitors, and the weather for walks is more comfortable. As the nearby city of San Francisco, the lion's share of tourists comes to Redwood Park (California) for one day. This time is quite enough to inspect all the landmark places of the reserve, ride along the old railway and visit the museum. In addition to sequoia forests, here are preserved prairies and meadows. In addition to the mainland, are subject to protection and about sixty kilometers of the coastline of the Pacific Ocean with a strip of water. Therefore, in addition to moose and many other animals and birds of the forest, you can see marine mammals - whales and seals.

The unique forest

Long ago, when the oldest tree inThe modern reserve was still a tender sprout, on these lands lived the tribes of the Indians. They built their huts out of fallen trees. This plant is unique not only because of its impressive parameters. The wood is so strong that it resists the ax. Sequoia is not afraid of wildfires or lightning. They have an extremely thick crust (up to 30 centimeters). It is fibrous and soft. It was because of the bark of the sequoia that it got its name "redwood" - "redwood". The national park got its name in honor of these giants, although there are other plants here - azalea, Californian rhododendron, Duglasova fir and others.

When in the middle of the century before last, CaliforniaThe gold rush stirred up, a flood of harvesters poured in. Few managed to make a fortune on precious metal. Most of them earned their living by cutting timber - a precious seedling. Just the demand for timber has risen - after all, the big city of San Francisco was growing near. By the middle of the last century, 90 percent of the virgin forest was cut down.

History of the Redwood National Park (California)

The alarm was scored back in the early twentieth century. There was a public movement "Save the Sequoia", which required the protection of these places by the state and the ban on further deforestation. It has achieved its goal. State of California has established three parks: Prairie Creek, Del Norte and Jededia-Smith. And in October 1968, Lyndon Johnson, by his presidential decree, united these islets of nature and created Redwood, the US National Park. At first, its area was twenty-three and a half thousand hectares. In 1978, by the decision of the US Congress, the boundaries of the reserve were extended by another 19,400 hectares. Two years later, Redwood became an object of the world heritage of mankind, taking a worthy place in the UNESCO list. In 1983 this place received the status of "Biosphere Reserve".

Rules for visiting Redwood

Now, behind the "Red Forest" is watchinga special service of national parks. Its employees take care of the preservation of trees, the cleanliness of the territory and the safety of tourists. At the same time, the entrance to Redwood, the national park, is absolutely free. But if you want to drive a lot of territory by car, you'll have to shell out for eight dollars. There are no resorts here. There is only a small tourist base (camping). But here for an additional fee you are allowed to stop with tents. If you have permission, you can live in the park for up to fifteen days.

All tourists before the visit to the forest comein Orik. There is an information point where maps of the park are issued. Here you can buy books about this place, hire a guide. Nearby there is a shop where you can buy firewood and other products for the trek.

Attractions "Redwood"

Average age of trees in the national park -about six hundred years. But there is a place where you can enter only by obtaining a special permit. It is called the "Grove of the High Trees". Here, growers are old-timers. It is here that tourists go to see Hyperion. This sequoia is officially recognized as the tallest tree on the planet (115 and a half meters). If you visited Redwood, the national park, be sure to ride the old railway. This branch has remained since the time of timber extraction. The ticket costs 24 dollars, but you will not regret the money spent. The train with the trailers is old, the arrows are manually transferred by the conductor. Most tourists travel around the park on horseback or, despite the mountainous terrain, on bicycles. Here it is often possible to meet moose, and on the coast to observe gray whales, sea lions and dolphins.

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