Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park Is both a Redwood National Park and State Park in Crescent City California.

Yes. We did go there last year. But knowing how much we love these splendid giants you should not be surprised that we went back to see parts of the park we had missed on our previous visit.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park

On this visit to Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park we entered the park at an entirely different location. Steve and I were excited to see where this new trail would lead us. Our first new site was the Stout Memorial Grove. This grove is a magnificent example example of an ancient coast redwood forest. It’s often looked at as the heart of this park.

Stout Memorial Grove

To give you some history, in 1929, Mrs. Clara Stout donated this 44-acre grove to the Save the Redwoods League. Her goal was to save it from being logged. But it was also a way to memorialize her husband, lumber baron Frank D. Stout.

Because of the efforts of the Save the Redwoods League, land continues to be added to these northernmost parks.

A stroll along the loop trail through the Stout Memorial Grove showed us the colossal redwoods that are thriving in the rich soil deposited during periodic flooding of the Smith River. In this location, waist high sword ferns carpet the forest floor. Normally flared tree bases are covered in river soils. Flood waters inhibit the growth of underbrush trees and plants that we have seen in other groves. That left the 300-foot redwoods as the main attraction.

Smith River

After following the short spur trail through the Stout Grove we reached the gorgeous emerald serpentine waters of the Smith River. The sandy, pebbly river banks beckoned us. We went to the river’s edge and tested the water temperature. Though we were there on a warm April day, the water was too icy cold to dip our feet into. But we could certainly imagine what a great place it would be to cool off on a sultry summer afternoon.

How old are the redwoods at Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park

In case you were wondering just how long the majestic redwoods at Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park have been growing there, wonder no more. California’s remaining old-growth redwoods average age is 500 to 700 years. It’s an area so important that it has been named a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

Who was Jedediah Smith?

The park is named for Jedediah Strong Smith, who was born in 1799 in Bainbridge, New York. Why is Jedediah Smith famous, you ask? Smith was a trader and explorer who was the first American to enter California from the east and return home to New York, using an overland route. He was also the first to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains going east. To honor that feat this beautiful park filled with soaring redwoods was named after him. A lasting tribute to an intrepid explorer.

After enjoying our afternoon exploring more redwood forest, we returned to Ladybug to find an amusing wild turkey roaming the grounds. “Tom” seemed right at home. But I thing he better make himself scarce once November rolls around!