Nature: Loving Strong Trees at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve

Parson Jones Tree

Show your kids the strength of trees and nature by taking them to a redwood forest located in Northern California to Southern Oregon.  Redwoods extend their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk to create strength to withstand powerful winds and floods.  Redwood forests thrive in temperate rainforests, the dense dripping fog environment with moist, well drained soil.  So strong in nature, but weak to humans who logged approximately 95% of the California local redwood forests since the California Gold Rush.  Fortunately parks protect these majestic trees now.

Redwoods exist in other countries, but none like the coast redwood known as the tallest trees in the world.  The dawn redwood grows only in a remote area of central China, but it grows to only about one-third the height of Coast Redwood.  Coast Redwood typically grow 200-250 feet and live 500 to 1,000 years. 

If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve just north of Guerneville, CA, you will find examples of older and taller redwoods.  The Parson Jones tree measures as the tallest tree in the grove at 310 feet in height, longer than the length of a football field.  Colonel Armstrong stakes claim to the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1,400 years old.  Colonel Armstrong tree was named after a lumberman who chose to preserve this portion of the park.

According to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks a World Heritage Site in 1980.  From postcards sent to me from around the world thanks to postcrossing.com, people are proud to send UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) site postcards.  Intrigued, I looked up the UNESCO sites.  You can find 1,092 results worldwide, but only 23 sites in the United States.  UNESCO doesn't list all national parks, just select parks like the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks and lesser known places like Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point in Louisiana.  You may note that Armstrong Redwoods classifies as a reserve.  It changed from a State Park to reserve to recognize it's ecological significance and gain increased protection.

Coast Redwoods are also known as Sequio Sempervirens; sempervirens means "always green".  A non-profit called Sempervirens Fund cares for redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This organization created the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a 31 mile trail.  You can show your support by visiting their website and purchasing a trail patch.

 If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, bring your hiking shoes and water and no worries.  The Colonel Armstrong Loop covers 1.3 miles and as a flat trail, you'll find it easy to cover... even your little girl wearing a dress.  Besides the impressive trees, you'll find peace in the fern covered ground and look above at the beautiful sky.  Go early in the day to avoid the crowds.

TripSavvy recommends other forests in CA including 1) Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 2) Redwood National Park, 3) Muir Woods National Park, 4) Yosemite National Park, 5) Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 6) Petrified Redwood Forests, and 7) Sequoia National Park.  I hiked Muir Woods with college friends and Yosemite National Park with cousins.  I'd recommend these parks too.