Off the Beaten Path

Photo courtesy of Brittney Mcguire

Storm Patrol Crew vs. the Road

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At Redwood National Park, a two-person storm patrol crew is working to fight erosion. As Janette Parsons and Brittney Mcguire ended their summer season working at the park last year, they were asked to continue as part of the League’s winter storm patrol crew.

Rolando Cohen, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Harry Pollack, General Counsel, for Save the Redwoods League led a hike at Portola Redwoods State Park for our Free Second Saturdays at Redwood State Parks event in February. Photo by Rolando Cohen

Finding Strange Marvels in Portola Redwoods

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We’re nine people, trekking through Portola Redwoods State Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon led by Rolando Cohen and Harry Pollack from Save the Redwoods League. Our hike was a component of the League’s Free Redwoods Days, which will happen every second Saturday of 2018.

Coast Redwoods #1 Travel Destination: Plan your trip!

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Lonely Planet just named their top 10 U.S. travel destinations for the year and the coast redwood range claimed the number one spot! I’m thrilled to share this news and to announce that Save the Redwoods League launched a brand new Explore Redwoods trip-planning tool to help you plan your next trip out into these incredible forests.

Free Second Saturdays at Redwood State Parks 2018. Photo by Paolo Vescia"

Celebrate the League’s Centennial in Redwood State Parks

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In celebration of the League’s Centennial year, we invite everyone to experience the sights and sounds of more than 40 of California’s redwood state parks—for free! Every second Saturday of each month in 2018, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks will be hosting a Free Redwoods Day.

Join us for Tea with a Tree at Tu B’Shevat in the Park!

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Tu B’Shevat is a day to celebrate the trees and the work we all must do to keep our planet green and healthy for generations. Come celebrate Tu B’Shevat in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park this Sunday, January 28, 2018.

Update on the Long-Awaited Pfeiffer Falls Trail

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After a tumultuous decade for Big Sur, we can expect a new Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to reopen in early 2019, thanks to our funding partners and lots of hard, sweaty work.

Cathedral Grove at Muir Woods National Monument. Photo credit: Tonatiuh Trejo-Cantwell

Want to go to Muir Woods? Be sure to RSVP!

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Beginning January 16, 2018, visitors will need reservations to park at or ride the shuttle to Muir Woods National Monument. The new reservation system will prevent visitor overcrowding and help keep the forest green and vibrant for generations to come.

Elizabeth Saucier, Redwood Legacy Circle Member

All Aboard: The Skunk Train!

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On Sunday, October 22, the League hosted its 2017 Annual Thank You Event, where Redwood Leadership Circle and Redwood Legacy Circle members took a ride through the redwoods of Mendocino County on the beautiful and historic Skunk Train.

Support Save the Redwoods League — get your Parks Project t-shirt today!

Wear Your Support for California’s Redwood Parks

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Thanks to a collaboration with Parks Project, you can now wear your support for California’s iconic redwood parks! In partnership with Save the Redwoods League, they’re releasing a t-shirt to benefit the League’s Park Support Fund that you can buy online.

Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park. Photo Ming-yen Hsu at Flickr Creative Commons

Nighttime Magic and Fall Forest Festivities

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Now that the sun is setting earlier, it’s great time to experience the sights and sounds of the redwood forest after dark. Not a night owl? Celebrate fall with a birdwatching walk or a trip to an autumn festival. Here’s a sample of fall fun throughout the redwood regions.

Pleasant Surprises at Portola Redwoods State Park

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Whenever we decide to go hiking, we always do research to find out a bit about the park first. Just little things such as location, how long it will take us to get there, accessibility, and, of course, what the weather will be like. In doing so, we will often come across interesting facts such as trees of some notoriety, but our number one criterion is the variety of trails because it does no good to go to a park if there are no trails suitable for me to hike. For these reasons, Portola Redwoods State Park fit our criteria.

Aiden Conway visit the redwood forest for the first time.

My First Encounter with the Giants

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The fresh, salty air hung heavy as I wound my way south along the coastal highway with expansive vistas of the Pacific Ocean stretching across and meeting the blue sky infinitely far away. I’m on my way to see the giants I’d dreamed about since I was a kid. Could it be true? Entire cars driving through a tunnel in a tree trunk? No way.

Latino Conservation Week 2017. Photo courtesy of Hispanic Access Foundation

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity in the Sequoia

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On July 15-16, 2017, Latino Conservation Week was in full swing and we had the privilege to participate in visiting this beautiful national park with a group of city youth, young adults and youth leaders ranging from different backgrounds and ages from Los Angeles.

Ranger Station kiosk at Joaquin Miller Park.

Joaquin Miller Park Kiosks get an update!

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The League recently worked with the City of Oakland to install new interpretive content and maps in the kiosks, so park visitors can learn more about the natural area they are visiting.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Photo by Tom Burke, Flickr Creative Commons

5 Sweet Swimming Holes Under the Redwoods

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Hiking and swimming go together like a hot meal and a cool drink — one is invigorating, the other is refreshing. Together, they make a wonderful combo. So, where are some great places to go swimming under the redwoods, you might ask? Here are five great recommendations for you. Dive right in!

Trail along a redwood forest

The Transformation of California State Parks

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With 280 parks across 1.6 million acres, hosting more than 74 million visitors last fiscal year alone, California is one of the largest state park systems in the United States. In a focused and comprehensive effort to keep these world-class parks open and thriving, seasoned leaders from California State Parks and outside entities helped plan for and implement 60 ambitious initiatives, from a new state-of-the-art reservation system to increased protections and improvements for the parks statewide. Here are just some of the improvements for redwood state parks.

Giant sequoia in North Grove, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway, California. Photo by age fotostock / Alamy

Excellent Half-Day Redwood Hikes

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Summer is here, and we’ve got daylight hours to burn. Even with a busy schedule, you can take a day trip before the sun goes down. Here are recommendations for three excellent half-day redwood hikes. Enjoy!

Dogs exploring League sponsored Free Redwoods Day

How to Find Awesome Dog-Friendly Redwood Hikes

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For many of us, dogs are treated less like pets and more like family. It only feels natural to bring our dogs—with their cute, wagging tails and unbounded enthusiasm—along with us as we explore the redwoods this summer. If you need suggestions on where to go, consider these delightful and dog-friendly redwood hikes.

Hit the Trail: National Trails Day

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Some of my most memorable moments in life began with the decision to venture down a dirt path. There is nothing like setting out into nature with the pure intention of discovery — each bend provides anticipation, each hill you climb brings accomplishment, the sights spur inspiration, and every step brings you closer to yourself.

Avenue of the Giants

A Scenic Drive through the Avenue of the Giants

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My husband and I are constantly seeking new experiences to enjoy together, so we decided to take a long weekend to explore Eureka, in northern California. Even though we were in the midst of a weeks-long deluge with dams straining against their impediments, we were not to be deterred. We were even more determined when we learned that Eureka has a huge number of Victorian homes, which happen to be another one of our fascinations. When we mentioned to one of our friends that we were going to be exploring the redwoods and the Victorians in the Eureka area, she told us that we couldn’t miss the Avenue of the Giants or the Carson Mansion.