Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
iucn_category = II

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caption = A small waterfall on the side of Rhododendron Trail
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = California, USA
nearest_city = Arcata
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 24
lat_seconds = 13.79
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 124
long_minutes = 2
long_seconds = 18.38
long_direction = W
area = 14,000 acres
established = 1925
governing_body = California Department of Parks and Recreation (cooperatively managed within Redwood National and State Parks)

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a state park, located in Humboldt County, California, near the town of Orick and 50 miles (80 km) north of Eureka. The 14,000-acre (57 km²) park is a coastal sanctuary for old-growth Coast Redwood trees.

The park is jointly managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service as a part of the Redwood National and State Parks. These parks (which includes Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park) have been collectively designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

The meadow along Drury Scenic Parkway, with Roosevelt elk, is considered a centerpiece of the park, located near the information center and campground. Other popular sites in the park are Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach. The park is also home to the tailed frog and several species of salmon.

Trees

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is home to Atlas Grove, researched by Stephen C. Sillett. Atlas Grove (location undisclosed) includes Iluvatar, the 2nd largest Coast Redwood. [Preston, Richard (2007). "The Wild Trees: A Story Of Passion And Daring". Allen Lane Publishers.] The location of Atlas Grove's Iluvatar is undisclosed to protect it's sensitive ecosystem. Other notable trees in disclosed to visitors are Big Tree, Corkscrew Redwood and the Cathedral Trees. Besides Coast Redwood, other tall coniferous tree species in the park's forests include Coast Douglas-fir, Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock.

Trails

Trails in the park include:

* Miners Ridge and James Irvine - 11.6 miles
* Brown Creek Loop - 3.5 miles
* Big Tree Loop - 3.2 miles
* Ten Taypo Trail - 3.5 miles
* Rhododendron and Cal Barrel - 5.1 miles
* West Ridge and Prairie Creek South - 5.8 miles
* West Ridge and Rhododendron North - 7.7 miles
* The Friendship Ridge Trail - 8.0 miles
* The Ah Pah Trail - 0.6 mile
* The Nature Trail - 1.0 mile

External links

* [http://www.mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml Images and Information including Prairie Creek's Atlas Grove]
* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=415 California State Parks official site]

References