Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is a state park located along U.S. Route 199 approximately 9 miles east of Crescent City, California. The park consists of about 9,500 acres. The park is named after explorer Jedediah Smith and is one of three state parks cooperatively managed as part of Redwood National and State Parks.
Established in 1929, this predominately old growth coast redwoods park is bisected by the last free flowing river in California, the Smith River.
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| Bright orange topped mushrooms. |
Almost all the park land is a water shed for the Smith River and Mill Creek, a major tributary. The park has about 20 miles of hiking and nature trails, river access, a visitors center with exhibits and a nature store. Drive Howland Hill Road ( gravel, not recommended for trailers) and stroll in the Stout Grove.
We did not get out of the car that much, my wife was nervous there. To secluded for her liking. It was very beautiful there, I just love the moss, the redwoods, the ferns and the river and streams. Would love to have done some hiking, that's where you find all the hidden treasures!
This pretty much sums up our California part of our trip. Now we are off to Oregon!
We started our trip of Oregon inland somewhat, coming from Jedediah Smith State Park we continued on 199 up to Grants Pass.
Grants Pass is a city in, and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon. The city is located on I-5, northwest of Medford. Attractions include the Rogue River, famous for it's rafting, and the nearby Oregon Caves National Monument, located 30 miles south of the city.
While on I-5 driving, we where debating whether to continue on I-5 up to Mount Saint Helen's, our next stop, or to go back to the coast to visit the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area. We decided to go to the dunes, so we took some back roads cutting across to Coos Bay, where we spent the night in a motel.
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Prior to Europeans first visiting the Oregon coast, Native American tribes claimed the Coos Bay region as their homeland for thousands of years.Members of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille tribes lived, fished, hunted and gathered there.
Approximately 400 years ago, British and Spanish explorers first approached the South Coast. In 1579 Sir Francis Drake is purported to have sought shelter for his ship, the Golden Hinde, around Cape Arago. Trader and explorer Jedediah Smith was in the region seeking furs.
The earliest settlement of European Americans in the area was in January 1852 when survivors of the Captain Lincoln shipwreck established Camp Castaway until they and their cargo could be fully rescued. There has been a permanent settlement on Coos Bay since 1853, when the town of Marshfield was founded there and named after the Massachusetts hometown of its founder, J. C. Tolman.
On February 4, 1999, a Japanese ship named the New Carissa ran aground on a beach 2.7 miles (4.3 km) north of the entrance to Coos Bay, drawing international attention to the town. The New Carissa was empty at the time, heading for the Port of Coos Bay to pick up a cargo of wood chips. When the captain was told that the weather was too poor for the ship to enter port, he anchored his ship close by. The crew put out only one anchor, and it appears that this was probably on too short a chain to be effective. The subsequent US Coast Guard investigation found several other aspects of the ship's company's handling of the situation to have been poor, leading to the conclusion that human error caused the grounding. 70,000 US gallons of fuel oil were spilt by the vessel, with a further 165,000 to 255,000 gallons being deliberately set alight and burnt off by salvors later. The stern of the ship remains on the beach, the bow was towed out to sea and sunk after structural damage caused by the fire split the ship in two.
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area!
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is located on the Oregon Coast, stretching approximately 40 miles north from the Coos River in North Bend, to the Siuslaw River, in Florence. The National Recreation Area is part of Siuslaw National Forest and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The dunes adjoin Honeyman State Park.
The Oregon Dunes are a unique area of windswept sand that is the result of millions of years of wind, sun, and rain erosion on the Oregon Coast. These are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America. Some dunes tower up to 500 feet above sea level, providing numerous recreational opportunities including off-road vehicle use, hiking, photography, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and camping. The Carter Dunes Trail and Oregon Dunes Day Use provide disabled access for forest visitors.
Umpqua Lighthouse State Park is located less than a mile from the famous Salmon Harbor on Winchester Bay. The campground and developed day use areas are centered around beautiful Lake Marie. Access to this small freshwater lake is provided for angling and non-motorized boating. There is also a small sandy beach set aside for swimming or just relaxing.
The small overnight campground offers RV and tent campsites, along with two beautiful one-room log cabins. These warm and cozy cabins sleep four comfortably. They also have covered porches which overlook picturesque Lake Marie. Two rustic yurts and six deluxe yurts are also available in the campground (the deluxe yurts feature restrooms, a kitchenette, TV/VCR and beds). Showers and restrooms are centrally located. This beautiful and quiet campground has yet to be discovered by crowds of camping enthusiasts.
The park is centered in the stretch of towering sand dunes protected by the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area . These dunes, many of which reach heights of 500 feet or more, are ideal for the off-road enthusiast, or for the person who enjoys the magnificent wonders of nature.
The Umpqua River Lighthouse towers above the entrance to Winchester Bay. The 65-foot tower contains a distinctive lens which emits a red and white flash. The lighthouse and adjacent museum are operated and maintained by the Douglas County Parks Department. Tours are offered May 1 through September 30
Sea Lion Caves are a connected system of sea caves and caverns open to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. They are located 11 miles north of Florence on U.S. Highway 101, about midpoint on the 400 miles Oregon Coast. In this area Highway 101 follows a steep and undeveloped seascape 300 feet above sea level. Access to the caves are through a gift shop building, down an elevator.
The cave system is at sea level and the ocean continually washes into the main cavern which has a floor area of about 2 acres and a vaulted rock dome about 125 feet high. Southward from the main chamber, a low passage runs 1,000 feet to a sea level opening. This corridor is flooded at high tide and free of water at low tide. The western entrance is a short, high passage through which the ocean washes at all tide levels. At the north, a third entrance is about 50 feet above the ocean which serves as an elevated observation area where the entire underground cave system and its wildlife are visible.
Lichens, algae, and mineral stains cover the cavern walls with greens, pinks, purples, buffs, and reds on the rough surfaces some of which are named Lincoln's Head, the Indian Maiden, and The Goddess of Liberty.
The sea level portion of this cave and the sea cliff rocks just outside the cave have become, over the centuries, the only known mainland rookery and hauling area (wintering home) of the Stellar Sea Lion and to a lesser extent, the California Sea Lion.
Umpqua Lighthouse State Park!
The small overnight campground offers RV and tent campsites, along with two beautiful one-room log cabins. These warm and cozy cabins sleep four comfortably. They also have covered porches which overlook picturesque Lake Marie. Two rustic yurts and six deluxe yurts are also available in the campground (the deluxe yurts feature restrooms, a kitchenette, TV/VCR and beds). Showers and restrooms are centrally located. This beautiful and quiet campground has yet to be discovered by crowds of camping enthusiasts.
The park is centered in the stretch of towering sand dunes protected by the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area . These dunes, many of which reach heights of 500 feet or more, are ideal for the off-road enthusiast, or for the person who enjoys the magnificent wonders of nature.
The Umpqua River Lighthouse towers above the entrance to Winchester Bay. The 65-foot tower contains a distinctive lens which emits a red and white flash. The lighthouse and adjacent museum are operated and maintained by the Douglas County Parks Department. Tours are offered May 1 through September 30
The Sea Lion Caves!
Sea Lion Caves are a connected system of sea caves and caverns open to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. They are located 11 miles north of Florence on U.S. Highway 101, about midpoint on the 400 miles Oregon Coast. In this area Highway 101 follows a steep and undeveloped seascape 300 feet above sea level. Access to the caves are through a gift shop building, down an elevator.
The cave system is at sea level and the ocean continually washes into the main cavern which has a floor area of about 2 acres and a vaulted rock dome about 125 feet high. Southward from the main chamber, a low passage runs 1,000 feet to a sea level opening. This corridor is flooded at high tide and free of water at low tide. The western entrance is a short, high passage through which the ocean washes at all tide levels. At the north, a third entrance is about 50 feet above the ocean which serves as an elevated observation area where the entire underground cave system and its wildlife are visible.
Lichens, algae, and mineral stains cover the cavern walls with greens, pinks, purples, buffs, and reds on the rough surfaces some of which are named Lincoln's Head, the Indian Maiden, and The Goddess of Liberty.
The sea level portion of this cave and the sea cliff rocks just outside the cave have become, over the centuries, the only known mainland rookery and hauling area (wintering home) of the Stellar Sea Lion and to a lesser extent, the California Sea Lion.
The high vault is a natural resting place for sea birds. Many birds make their home at or near the Sea Lion Caves such as the Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt's Cormorant, Western, Herring, and California Gulls, Tufted Puffins, and the occasional hawk or Bald Eagle.
Sea Lion Caves is one of the great sea grottos of the world, comparable in size and coloration to the famed Blue Grotto in the Mediterranean.
The whale watching deck, located below the gift shop, permits a seaward view of approximately 20 miles. The deck is at an elevation of 300 feet, making it a popular whale watching post. Typically Orcas are seen migrating once a year past the Sea Lion Caves, whereas the Grey Whale is seen anywhere from a few months to all year long. Small groups sometimes end their migration in the immediate vicinity, feeding very close to the shore.
Sea Lion Caves were discovered in 1880 by a local seaman, Captain William Cox, who entered the grotto through the western channel in a small boat on a calm day. He reportedly returned to explore the caves a number of times and on one occasion was marooned for several days because of stormy weather and rough ocean. He reportedly sustained himself by shooting a young sea lion and eating the meat of its flippers. Regardless of the incident's authenticity, it is established that Captain Cox purchased the land in 1887 from the State of Oregon. His family owned the property until 1926.
There were no roads in the area at that time. The slopes of the rocky headlands were used for sheep pasture.
Access to the caves from the hillside above was not even considered until after the land was acquired by R. E. Clanton in 1927, with the specific intention of opening the caves as a business. In 1930, when it became probable that U.S. Route 101 would be completed going past the site, Clanton was joined by J. G. Houghton, and J. E. Jacobson. The three partners decided to risk all their money to build a safe access to the cave. A 1,500-foot long trail was excavated by hand into the face of the cliff. At the bottom, a 135 step wooden tower was extended down to the north entrance of the caves. Despite the difficulty and danger of the construction, the trail and stairs provided safe access for visitors and the Sea Lion Caves opened to the public in August 1932.
The traffic was light at first. The highway was a gravel road until 1934, and until 1937 there were five ferry crossings within 100 miles to traverse the highway. However, word of the attraction spread and the number of people visiting the Sea Lion Caves slowly grew until 1942, when virtually all recreational travel halted due to World War II. Meanwhile, Clanton withdrew from the partnership in 1934 and R. A. Saubert became part owner. The three families operated the Sea Lion Caves until 2006, when the Saubert and Jacobson families took over the partnership.
In 1961, the addition of an elevator resulted in a sharp rise in the number of visitors. The elevator took three years to build, but by June 1961, Otis Elevator Company completed the elevator. It has a capacity of 23 passengers and travels 208 feet at 250 feet per minute (2.8 miles per hour). It can accommodate 400 people per hour.
After leaving the Sea Lion Caves we drove up the coast a ways, then we crossed back over on another side road making our way to I-5 again heading toward Portland, which we drove through without stopping, making our way into Washington, Mount St. Helen's bound. Here are a few more pics of our journey through Oregon.
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