Big Basin Redwoods State Park, No. California, June 2013
On this very first day of my summer vacation, Marc and I went to Big Basin Redwoods State Park up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is actually the second time in a month that we visited a state park and communed with nature. To be honest, I am quite flabbergasted that I have enjoyed the experience. I am a city boy through and through but I must admit, I am now look forward to visiting other state and national parks in the very near future. They are simply beautiful places to visit.
Big Basin is California's oldest state park and it covers more than 18,000 acres from sea level to more than 2,000 feet elevation. It is an awe inspiring place full of Coast Redwoods that are among the Earth's tallest and oldest. Some trees measure close to 300 feet tall and 50 feet in circumference. Scientists estimate that many of the trees may range from 1,000 to 2,000 years in age.
This burnt and hollowed out trunk of a very tall Redwood tree greets visitors to Big Basin.
This is what the Redwood tree with the burnt and hollowed trunk looks like up above.
In Big Basin, expect to see nothing but Redwoods.
On this visit, we saw Redwood trees that are no taller than a toddler to hundreds that must be a least a thousand years old given their height and the huge diameter of their trunks.
Big Basin's Coast Redwoods,the Sequioa Sempervirens, are native to the United States. They grow along the coast from Southern Oregon to Central California. The name Sequioa honors Sequoyah, the 19th century inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, and Sempervirens means "ever living."
It was very refreshing to see literally thousands of Redwood trees all around this park. Some have fallen due to age and decay while others have just begun to sprout.
Prior to this visit, I did not realize that Redwoods could live up to 2,500 years.
More Redwoods!
A sign at the Visitor and Information Center celebrating 150 years of different California parks' existence.
The Visitor and Information Center
Just like many parks throughout the country, the admission ticket costs $10 per car. Admission fees are per vehicle and not per person. State and National Parks in the US are definite must sees. They are real gems worthy of a visit and exploration.
The park schedule and information for all campers in the park during the week all throughout the year.
This tree trunk, no doubt a Redwood, is on display right next to the Visitor and Information Center. Given that the age of a tree could be determined through the number of rings on its trunk, then this must have come from a tree that was extremely old in age.
Me in front of the Redwood tree trunk
The Redwood Trail many of the visitors follow in the park
The dense canopy of the Redwoods
That is a branch that belongs to a fallen tree. Somehow,, it didn't fully fall flat on the ground and just got stuck among other tree branches.
Although it may be difficult to see, the tree in the middle is a very young Redwood probably just a year old or less. It looked so thin and fragile. Who could imagine such a delicate and frail looking tree could live up to 2,500 years old and reach the high heavens in height at its peak.
Another trail in the park
There may be no people in these pictures, but believe you me, the park was full and visitors were everywhere here. The parking lots were so full we had to go around in circles looking for a space.
This is a view of the bottom of a fallen tree, a huge tree I might add. It is so huge and tall, my camera couldn't take a picture of it in its entirety.
This is the bottom of another fallen tree. I swear they all look like sculptures. So artsy.
This is the trunk of another Redwood that burned but remained standing.
Here are some more Redwoods: small, medium, and large.
A trail
Another trail
A Redwood trunk full of holes
Woodpeckers are believed to have made all these holes. They pecked and pecked the trunk in search of food. Termites perhaps.
One of the wild azalea flowers that grow in the park.
There were many trees that bore this kind of flower. They were very pretty.
A burl, a growth on the side of the tree trunk
I told Marc that the bottom burl looked like a face. It seemed to me that it had two eyes and a mouth. Don't you agree?
The theater in the park
These wooden benches faces the theater stage