Redwood National and State Parks guide · 1 min read
One Park, Four Managers: The 1994 Partnership
In 1968, Congress created Redwood National Park alongside three California state parks: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
The federal park was set up to protect the old-growth redwoods that remained after extensive logging. In 1994, the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service agreed to manage the four parks jointly so their resources could be protected as fully as possible. Each agency still has its own role. The National Park Service runs Redwood National Park from an office in Crescent City, and the state department oversees the three state parks.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is compact. Visitors can stroll through the trees on short paths, climb more demanding trails into old-growth groves, or drive a route that connects the best of it. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park puts ancient trees close to a rugged shoreline. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park rounds out the three state parks. Taken together, the four parks hold redwood groves, grassy prairies, two major rivers, and 37 miles of coastline.
A few coast redwoods here may live for 2,000 years, and the largest can climb to roughly 367 feet. The Yurok and Tolowa peoples have had homes and villages on this land for generations, and their sites lie within the parks. Managers consult with tribal nations so that traditional practices can carry on.
The parks also work as a proving ground for large restoration projects on forests and streams, aimed at healing land harmed by earlier human use. Larger programs such as Redwoods Rising depend on teamwork among state and federal agencies, tribal leaders, and nonprofit conservation groups.
