ADG Explores Redwood National and State Parks!
Molly Mann, ADG’s Director of Social Media, Communications Expert, Customer Service Guru, and Star Wars Aficionado, recently traveled west to see three National Parks! Today we explore her favorite, Redwood National and State Parks.
A Mission to See All 63 American National Parks
With more than 300 original illustrations and more to come, ADG’s 63 Illustrated National Parks Collection is one of our most popular art collections. The collection sprang from an idea many years ago to create vintage-styled poster art, travel art, and original illustrations of every National Park. Around the time Joel Anderson – ADG’s founder and Creative Director – decided to make the collection, he also decided his artists and staff should see the parks in person.
Every year since then, ADG staff and artists have traveled into National Parks across the country to take photos, record their experiences, and become inspired. Today, we interview Molly as she departs Lassen Volcanic National Park (visit our Blog Page to read about that exciting adventure!) We pick up with Molly as she steps into one of her favorite parks, Redwood National and State Parks.
A Quick Overview
After spending two days exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park, Molly drove the three hours to the California coast, arriving at a small town tucked away among groves of huge redwood trees. Unlike most National Parks, the protected coastal redwoods are unique because they are a network of entwined federal and state-protected lands rather than one contiguous swath of preserved lands. That means one can move in and out of the park system with relative ease and travel for hundreds of miles up and down the California coast, exploring different park sections and diverse ecosystems.
On the first day in the park, Molly hiked Fern Canyon, a stunning (and literal) canyon of ferns. As a Jurassic Park fan, Molly particularly loved this attraction, as it was a popular filming location! The canyon was lush, mossy, and covered in ferns (of course). Molly also noted how peacefully quiet everything was, even though other visitors were in the park and the ocean was not far away. The rich vegetation silenced nearby sounds, quieting the environment and adding a serene stillness to the forest.
After a walk through the woods, Molly went to Gold Bluffs Beach, all coastline, virtually no one around. She also traveled the Newton B. Drury Parkway and visited a large hollowed-out tree she could drive her vehicle through! Molly also visited Lady Bird Johnson Grove (another popular film location of yet another of Molly’s favorites, Return of the Jedi!) Molly visited Enderts Beach and the Jedediah Smith Visitor Center before leaving the park system and heading north towards the Oregon border and Crater Lake National Park.
A Walk Through Trees As Old as Time
ADG: We got the overview of your trip, but we’ve got to ask, why were Redwood National and State Parks your favorite?
Molly: Oh my gosh. Well, the trees, the lush vegetation, the perfect weather, the ocean being right there, Fern Canyon, and all the sounds and smells that went along with all of the above put me into an incredibly calm and happy state. It was amazing to walk among trees that are hundreds of years old and to imagine what they’ve seen and experienced. That forest and the coastline that bordered it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
ADG: What was one of your top takeaways from visiting the redwoods?
Molly: Everything was so accessible! A good map helped a lot, but the park system is so extensive, and there’s so much to do in each quadrant; I had no problem keeping myself busy for the two days I explored there.
ADG: What was the highlight of visiting the redwoods? Did you see any wildlife?
Molly: Yes! I saw two elk and lots of birds. It was super interesting, too, because even though the birds were chirping very near me, they sounded far away. I’d never experienced anything like that before.
ADG: Any tips for visitors checking out the redwoods?
Molly: To manage usage and visitation in some of the places within the park, you must make a reservation, which you can do online at the park service website. Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach required reservations, but they were easy to secure.
ADG: That’s good advice. Anything else?
Molly: While the park itself is super accessible and easy to navigate, the surrounding communities are quite rural. Plan out where you’ll stay and where you’ll get food in advance. Secure lodgings where you can cook meals and do a grocery run wherever you’re flying in and before you head into the California wilderness.
ADG: What was a cherished moment for you in the park?
Molly: I’d have to say the hike down to Enderts Beach. You’re smelling the piney scent of evergreens and the ocean air at the same time. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled something so amazing and so unique.
Next Week…
Next week we check in with Molly again as she concludes her trip by visiting the iconic Crater Lake National Park, where she explores North America’s deepest lake, a lake inside the caldera of an ancient volcano!
Stay tuned!
-Ren Brabenec
Anderson Design Group Staff Writer
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