Nestled between the Pacific Coast and the Klamath Mountains in Northern California, Redwood National Park encompasses a modest 202 square miles and is a youngster when compared to some other national parks.

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Though the park is young, the trees certainly are not; some are 3,000 years old. Mesmerizing is the only word that comes to mind to adequately describe the Redwoods. They are the tallest tree in the world. Equally impressive are their numbers and sheer density. When walking through the groves, you are constantly surrounded by giants. After you finish gawking at one, a bigger one emerges through the mist.

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A particular zone of the temperate rainforest provides the perfect environment for the Redwoods to thrive. Despite their size, they allow enough light to pass through the canopy for moss, ferns and other plants to grow on the forest floor. Every single shade of green seems to be on display.

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The lushness of the forest means it supports a lot of wildlife. Snails and Banana Slugs can be spotted in the thickest vegetation. Birds are hard to spot, but they can be heard serenading hikers throughout the day. Roosevelt Elk are a common sight. They move in huge herds, some over 40 strong. They happen to be the largest elk species in the world; the largest bulls weight in at around 1,100 lbs.  If you get off the beaten path, you might even see a brown bear. I snuck up on a large one as I was making a corner on a gravel road. He bolted into the forest before I could get a picture. And finally, if you are really lucky, you may even spot Bigfoot who is rumored to live in the area. 

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If the forest wasn’t impressive enough, take a short drive to Gold Bluff Beach. There you can watch the crashing waves on a beautiful beach that stretches for miles in either direction. Catch a sunset that would otherwise be obscured by all the foliage and watch a seal hunt for his dinner. The elk may even join you on the beach, as they did when I was there! I guess it's 5:00 somewhere in elk time too. 

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You can’t really go wrong with a hike or a drive in the Redwoods. Every single corner of the park is gorgeous. I absolutely loved the park. Of all the places I have been to on this trip, this was perhaps the most photogenic. Culling out bad photos was actually a difficult task; you couldn’t really point the camera in the wrong direction.