precious-postcards

Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National Park comprises a region of coastal mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is covered with a magnificent forest of coastal redwood trees, the tallest and most impressive trees in the world. The marine and land life are equally remarkable, in particular the sea lions, the bald eagle and the endangered California brown pelican.

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Redwood National and State Parks protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood old-growth forests, the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. The park also contains the tallest known tree in the world at 112.1m.

The coastal redwood forest forms an unique and diverse resource: redwoods are surviving remnants of groups of trees that were once found throughout many of the moist temperate regions of the world. 

Threatened birds encountered here include the endangered brown pelican, southern bald eagle and American peregrin. Over 40 species of mammals have been documented, including the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, elk, and coyote. Along the coastline, California Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions and Harbor Seals live near the shore and on seastacks, rocky outcroppings forming small islands just off the coast. Dolphins and Pacific gray whales are occasionally seen offshore. Roosevelt elk are the most readily observed of the large mammals in the park. 

The designated area also includes three California state parks: Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek Redwoods. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=134