A Redwood from the Ground Up

This is a picture from Lady Bird Johnson Grove in the Redwood National Park in northern California. This grove is truly old growth, having never been cut for timber. That's pretty remarkable considering that only four percent of the original forests that stretched from the Pacific Coast to Big Sur still remained untouched by logging.

This particular tree was probably 15-20 feet in circumference. Absolutely huge! I can understand why loggers are so attracted to this area.

The intense logging that began here in 1850 has not ended, but at least is now more controlled with the creation of both state and national parks to protect the old growth and many second generation Redwoods.

The Lady Bird Johnson Grove is beautiful and some of the largest trees at the park are here or near here. This 300 acre grove dedicated in 1969 by Presidents Nixon and Johnson. And was enlarged in 1978 to include more of the nearby Redwood Creek watershed.