World’s Third Tallest California Redwood at Montgomery Woods State Reserve
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Redwoods in Montgomery Woods State Reserve by John Birchard
The world’s third tallest California redwood, at more than 350 feet, is at Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve is just 35 miles from Fort Bragg.
Until Aug. 25, 2006, when the Hyperion redwood was discovered in Humboldt County and determined to be the world’s tallest living tree, Montgomery Woods boasted the largest tree (while the Lost Monarch and Del Norte Titan have more volume).
The Hyperion’s location – out of fear it will be damaged – is a closely guarded secret, while Montgomery Woods offers close-up views of giant Northern California redwoods and perfect spots for picnics.
From California State Park’s Website:
“Montgomery Woods is one of the more remote of California’s 31 redwood parks. It is a perfect place for a picnic, and tables are provided for that purpose.
A trail follows Montgomery Creek upstream to five separate redwood groves that have never been logged. The trail is about three miles long, laid out in a shallow loop that takes about an hour to travel.
The California redwoods you will see here, while walking the trail, are among the two main species of redwoods in the Western United States.
The Sierra Redwood (Sequoia giganteum) also called Big Tree, is both older and more massive but rarely attains the heights of its coastal relative. The Sierra redwood grows at higher elevations, which is why it can be found in the Sierra mountain ranges.
The taller Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) grows along the California coast into Southern Oregon in an area about 500 miles long by 20 or 30 miles wide.”
To See more redwoods by John Birchard, visit his website.
