Beranek Redwoods Series: Prairie Creek Redwoods

This book by Jerry Beranek covers Prairie Creek and Redwood National Parks.  These are two old-growth redwood parks are nestled along the coast of northern California in Humboldt County, between the towns of Orick and Klamath. 

As coastal redwood parks go in California the groves here are cool and damp. Under-story species are strong: shrubs, perennial herbs, ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi… you name it, it’s abundant in the coastal habitat. Prairie Creek is a real redwood jungle.

Here the bark on the younger redwoods is dark chocolate brown, and most older trees are covered with gray lichen and moss. Giving the groves a darker look and feeling. Almost haunting. The forest aerosols in this park are strong on the riparian. A rich mixture of vine maple, current, hedge nettles and redwood.

Redwood National Park is located next door in Lost Man and Redwood Creeks. RNP was established nearly 50 years after Prairie Creek. So the local history between the two parks is markedly different. The story that Jerry tells about RNP is a real doozy. 

Between the covers of this book is everything you need to know about where to go and what to expect in these parks, as well the greater surrounding area of northern Humboldt County.