Research Paper on Redwood National Park

Introduction

Redwood National Park is a fifty-mile long state-protected forest and grassland along the North California coast in the United States. The park is about three hundred and twenty five miles north of San Francisco, California. Its headquarters are in Crescent City, California with a service office in Arcata and operations center in Orick, California. The Park was established in 1968 to reduce logging of redwood trees ("NPS"). The park features old rainforests which make up for large tree species and the tallest trees on earth. The forest covers two million acres on the coast of California and entry to the park has no fee charges.

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Arrangement for transport to the park is either by air, automobile or public means. Booking and traveling by air are done from Del Norte county airport in Crescent City, California: Oregon and Arcata airport in McKinleyville, California and the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Medford, California. By automobile, the location of the park is United States 101 highway passage north-south direction between Crescent city and Orick. The highway provides scenic views and access to areas throughout the park. From central California, exit 299 Eureka way and continue 140 miles west to U.S 101 Arcata, then travel 30 miles north to enter the parks' south boundary. Public transport service is on offer in the communities of Orick, Arcata, Crescent City, Klamath, and Gasquet in California between Mondays to Saturdays from 6.45 am to 8 pm across the communities ("NPS").

Important sites near the Redwood National Park are Crater Lake, Whiskeytown Lake, Oregon caves and Lassen Volcanic. Crater Lake is the United States deepest Lake with a depth of about 2,000 feet. The lake is blue and is surrounded by cliffs and is fed by snow and rain. Whiskeytown Lake is a pool in Shasta County, California that offers recreational activities such as swimming, camping, and boating. The lake is favored due to the deep visibility of water and its surrounding wildlife. Oregon Caves is a national monument and protected area located north of the Siskiyou Mountains, south-west of Oregon. Also, caves are home to passages containing acidic water flowing from marble and limestone rocks. Lassen Volcanic is a national park in northern California that is rich in hydrothermal sites and covers acres of mud pots bubbling with nearby lava rocks from eruption ("NPS").

The majority of visitors tour the park during the summer season due to favorable weather conditions which give room for activities such as camping, nature hikes and wildlife viewing to mountain lions, ravens, gray foxes and bobcats. However, for a visitor looking for isolation, winter and spring season is advisable for exploring and one has the advantage of seeing wildlife viewed in winter like gray whales and specific species of birds (Shaw). Seemingly, Requa Inn and restaurants located outside the national park is a destination in itself as menus are set, served in family-style and suits diners who eat meat and fish locally and organically produced (Brulliard).

When visiting the Redwood National Park, having a checklist for food, accommodation and camping options is advisable. Inside the park, there are no restaurants, cabins or lodging facilities. Therefore, a visitor should have the options of buying and storing food or dining in the nearby restaurants. Accommodation options are plenty nearby which are budget-friendly and meet the visitor's needs. Also, there is plenty of land around the area which offer camping option at low prices ("NPS"). Also, camping checklist of a sleeping bag or pad for each camper, pillows, tent, stakes, poles and camping gear are a requirement to make camping memorable and fun.

Redwood National Park has remained authentic over the years due to its geological setting, soils, rivers, and rocks. The park and the north coast region are the most unstable active regions in the United States due to frequent earthquakes, rapid erosion and uplift rates which leads to landslides. Soils within the area are rich in oxygen, water living and non-living matter ("NPS"). The soils act as a filter to contaminants and provide a home to organisms. Shedding of leaves by the trees offer nutrients recyclable to the soil and helps the forest to grow. During the rainy season, water flows and corrects below the soil surface making it more fertile. Within the park, there are three rivers namely Klamath, Redwood Creek, and Smith rivers cut through the forest and act as habitat for wildlife. A large portion of the park lies by rocks of the Franciscan assemblage made from mud and sandstones which are lifted and sheared from the ocean floor resulting from plate action along the Cascadia subduction area.

Through Save-the-Redwoods League, the redwoods park has remained protected and sustainable over the years. The park is endurable due to: its forest stabilizing the soil thus preventing destructive erosion; providing clean and sustainable drinking water through filtering; storing and holding on carbon which makes the redwoods resistant to decay. Also, protection from withstanding fires by their damp and wet barks; habitual nature to endangered species; reproduction occurs by growing from the base of trees; auxin hormones which enhance tree growth by ensuring branches receive enough sunlight. Also, permanent status to amphibians such as newt and frogs; The partnership of multitude of plants, bacteria, animals, and fungi which foster symbiotic relationships and resilience; resistance to insect infestation, fungal disease, and decay made possible by terpenes chemical produced by the branches and leaves ("Save the Redwood League").

Conclusion

In conclusion, the vision and actions of Save-the-Redwoods League have become a success in ensuring that the national park remains a historical and ancient attraction to both locals and international tourists and a beacon of hope to the future regarding achieving an ecological balance between human, animal and plant life. With this in mind, encouraging people to preserve and protect rainforest by avoiding cutting trees, planting more trees and embracing products that are recyclable and environmentally friendly will go a long way to safeguard the future, and when we stand for trees, we stand for the future.

Works Cited

Brulliard, Nicolas. "Fuel Your Park Adventure: 10 Great Restaurants near National Parks". National Parks Magazine, 2018, http://ttps://www.npca.org/articles/1689-fuel-your-park-adventure-10-great-restaurants-near-national-parks. Accessed 6 Oct 2018.

NPS. "Directions - Redwood National And State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.Gov, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/directions.htm. Accessed 6 Oct 2018

Save the Redwood League. "100 Reasons Why Standing For The Redwoods Is Standing For The Future | Save The Redwoods League". Save The Redwoods League, 2018, https://www.savetheredwoods.org/100-years/100-reasons-why-standing-for-the-redwoods-is-standing-for-the-future/. Accessed 6 Oct 2018.

Shaw, Ethan. USA TODAY, 2017, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/time-visit-redwood-forest-15349.html. Accessed 6 Oct 2018.