Redwood State and National Parks

The Redwood National and State Parks is interesting, in that it is jointly managed by the National Park Service and the state of California. Their headquarters are in Crescent City, with a small book store (not a gift store, thank you):

Redwood National and State Parks Headquarters

Redwood National and State Parks Headquarters

We visited several of the component parks, starting with the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, which includes a fun scenic drive through the redwoods:

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

As part of this park, we did a hike to the Grove of Titans:

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

A fun tunnel of fallen trees:

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

It’s a big tree:

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Video of ambient sounds:

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Grove of Titans

Continuing the drive through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park:

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Tunnel:

Tunnel

We headed into Oregon for a side-trip:

Oregon welcomes you

To the Illinois Valley Visitor Center of Oregon Caves National Monument:

Oregon Caves Visitor Center

Oregon Caves Visitor Center

Oregon Caves Visitor Center

Then back into California:

Welcome to California

Though the agricultural inspection station:

Inspection

Hiouchi Visitor Center:

Hiouchi Visitor Center

Hiouchi Visitor Center

Hiouchi Visitor Center

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Since we’d been to the Redwoods National Park, it was time to add its sticker to our coach:

Adding National Park sticker

Adding National Park sticker

Another day, heading down the coast:

Coast

To Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park:

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

A strange historical artifact:

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

360 video hyperlapse of a drive from that visitor center:

Elk on the side of the road:

Elk

Elk

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center:

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Lady Bird Johnson Grove hike:

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Video hyperlapse of the Lady Bird Johnson Grove hike:

Coastal drive:

Coastal drive

Coastal drive

A bear on the side of the road:

Bear on the side of the road

Bear on the side of the road

White Sands National Park

While in Las Cruces, we visited the nearby White Sands National Park.

This park features the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. Until December 2019 it was a National Monument, and many of the signs have yet to be updated:

White Sands sign

White Sands visitor center:

White Sands visitor center

White Sands visitor center

White Sands visitor center

White Sands visitor center

In addition to the park service visitor center shop, there is a commercial gift shop onsite:

Gift shop

We do enjoy the cactus candy:

Gift shop

They have disc-shaped sand sleds for sale (and can buy back); we thought about it, but decided not to bother:

Sand sleds

Jenn does enjoy her pressed pennies:

Pressed pennies

A flowering shrub out front was covered in butterflies, moths, and bees:

Butterfly and flowers

The entrance station:

Entrance station

The road between sand dunes:

Sand

Sand dunes

About halfway the pavement ends, so one is driving on compressed sand:

Driving on sand

Sand dunes

They have several picnic areas, with lots of shelters:

Picnic shelters

We parked at one, for a picnic lunch; the shelter didn’t do much to block the strong wind, though:

Parked at a picnic shelter

A selfie:

Selfie

We climbed the dune behind the shelter:

Picnic shelters

Picnic shelters

Shiny gypsum sand; a nice property of it is that it doesn’t get hot:

Shiny sand

Sand dunes in all directions:

Sand

Sand

Sand

Sand

Sand

Sand

Other people sledding by the picnic area:

Sledding

Sledding

Shadows:

Shadows

We then went to a boardwalk in an area with more foliage:

Boardwalk

Boardwalk

Boardwalk views

Boardwalk views

Boardwalk views

Boardwalk views

Boardwalk views

Boardwalk views

An interesting park, somewhat different than the sand dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park, but fascinating in its own way.

Utah Alpine Loop scenic drive and Bridal Veil Falls

We did a day trip drive along the Utah Alpine Loop scenic drive, to the Timpanogos Cave National Monument visitor center, through the outskirts of Salt Lake City, and to Bridal Veil Falls.

Here’s an embedded map of the route, as an experiment (alternative link):

Alpine Loop scenic drive:

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

Alpine Loop scenic drive

We stopped at the Timpanogos Cave National Monument visitor center, since it was on the way. We didn’t go to the actual cave, since (a) it requires reservations, (b) it requires a fairly long hike to reach it, and (c) it requires having never been in a cave before:

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jenn

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

We stopped at The Holy Grill for lunch, a BBQ restaurant:

The Holy Grill

The Holy Grill

BBQ food

The Holy Grill

The Holy Grill

The Holy Grill

And a stop at Eddie Bauer to return some clothing:

Eddie Bauer

Mountains:

Mountains

Mountains

Bridal Veil Falls:

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Dinosaur National Monument

While staying in Vernal, Utah, we visited Dinosaur National Monument, which spans Utah and Colorado, and has two visitor centers.

We visited both, starting with the the Utah side:

Dinosaur model

Sign

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Relief map

Visitor center

Visitor center

Up the hill is a separate building with the dinosaur fossils. One can’t drive up there, instead taking a free shuttle:

Shuttle

Shuttle

The quarry visitor center:

Quarry visitor center

The building encloses a wall of dinosaur bone fossils:

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Info sign

Panorama

Display

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Dinosaur fossils

Some fossils one can touch:

Dinosaur fossils

Selfie

Dinosaur

Then we headed into Colorado:

Colorado

Sign

Canyon Visitor Center:

Canyon Visitor Center

Canyon Visitor Center

Relief map

We had a picnic lunch:

Picnic

The park has a weird border, with a long road that is part of the park:

Map

(And yes, I was amused by the name of the picnic area.)

This part of the park is mostly about scenic rocks:

Rocks

Info sign

Road

Info sign

View

Flowers

View

View

View

View

View

Colorado National Monument

We visited Colorado National Monument, in — you guessed it — Colorado, west of Grand Junction.

Sign

We started by having a picnic lunch in a nice shelter:

Picnic shelter

Picnic shelter

Picnic

Then continued along the twisty roads, looking at the interesting rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

The first of three tunnels:

Tunnel

Tunnel

We stopped at several viewpoints:

Rocks

Morons sitting on rocks off the trail:

Morons and rocks

An open-ended canyon:

Valley

Valley

Valley

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Big horn sheep; we were excited to see her, as she was the first big horn sheep we’ve managed to get a picture of in the wild (we’ve seen them in a zoo in Palm Springs, and on the side of the road in Lake Mead, but not so close):

Big horn sheep

Big horn sheep

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Tunnel

Info sign

Rocks

Rocks

Viewpoint:

Rocks

Viewpoint

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Tree

Rocks

Blooming prickly pear cacti:

Blooming cacti

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Artwork

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

The Colorado plateau; been to all of those places:

The Colorado plateau

Views:

View

View

The other two tunnels:

Tunnel

Tunnel

Tunnel

Tunnel

Balancing rock:

Balancing rock