By J.C. Lewis
Redwood National Park is located in northern California along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is home to giant coastal redwood trees--some of the oldest and largest living things on Earth.
History
Redwood trees have grown on California's coast for at least 20 million years. Only about 4 percent of California's old growth redwoods remain, 45 percent of which are protected within Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP).
Redwood National Park was created in 1968 by a bill signed by President Lyndon Johnson. A group called "Save the Redwoods League," the National Geographic Society and the Sierra Club lobbied Congress to protect the Redwood Forest from further logging.
RNSP was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1980. It was also declared an International Biosphere Reserve in 1983.
Geography
RNSP covers 131,983 acres of land in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties in northern California, along 37 miles of the Pacific Coast.
Tall Trees
The tallest tree in RNSP as of 2009 is "Hyperion," which is 379.1 feet tall. Some redwoods live to be 2,000 years old, and they live 500 to 700 years on average.
Coastal Redwoods
Coastal redwoods are not found anywhere else on Earth; the northern California Coast provides the damp, foggy weather that the trees need to survive. Up to a quarter of the water they need is provided by fog, so the trees cannot grow more than 50 miles from the Pacific Coast.
Branches of redwood trees are ecosystems in themselves; plants and animals live in the soil on their branches over 150 feet high.
Fun Facts
There are three drive-through redwood trees in RNSP that are popular tourist attractions. The Tall Trees Redwood Grove in RNSP was the filming location for Endor in "Star Wars: Episode VI, Return of the Jedi."
Resources
About the Author:
J.C. Lewis is the editor and co-owner of a weekly newspaper, as well as a staffer and regular contributor to a group of three newspapers in Los Angeles, Calif. Her writing has appeared on USAToday.com, Hotels.com and various other websites. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Science in politics from the University of Bristol, England.
