Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
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After three lovely days in the northern redwoods, we picked up camp and headed further south to our second stop: Elk Prairie Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This part of the Redwoods is a mix of towering redwoods and open meadows, with a stretch of land extending all the way to the ocean.
Paul Bunyon and Babe at Trees of Mystery
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On the drive, we pulled into the parking lot at Trees of Mystery. It’s one of those classic roadside Redwood stops with towering statues and attractions. We decided not to go inside and pay the fare, but we still enjoyed the oversized spectacle in the lot. Paul Bunyan, the legendary lumberjack of American folklore, stood tall alongside his blue ox, Babe. I took a moment to sit beside Sasquatch on a bench. We may have shared a quiet spark. I didn’t mention it to Danny.
On the way in to camp, we stopped at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, where I was immediately distracted by a nest of five juvenile swallows tucked under the porch eave. They looked just about ready to take their first flight, though mom and dad were still hard at work, swooping back and forth with food. The little ones sat facing outward, quiet and watchful, until they spotted a parent incoming. Then it was an explosion of chirp chirp chirp and wide yellow mouths signaling “feed me, feed me!” After a while, a couple of the juveniles hunkered back into the nest, most probably stuffed and content. I watched the show for a good half hour before we finally headed on.
We settled into camp and took it easy after the travel day. But that evening, I wanted to see if the campground lived up to its name. Sure enough, right in the prairie in front of campground stood five bull elk. At other parks we’d seen the Rocky Mountain elk. But these were the Roosevelt elk, the largest elk species in North America. Roosevelt bulls can weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Two of them were sparring lightly, knocking antlers as if rehearsing. The real rut, when they fight for the ladies, kicks off around September. We were just a little too early in late August, but you could tell, they were getting ready for showtime.
Roosevelt elk were once nearly hunted to extinction, and this stretch of the redwoods became one of their last refuges. Thanks to protection, they’ve rebounded here, and seeing them thriving in the prairie at dusk felt like the perfect welcome to our new campsite.
On the way in to camp, we stopped at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, where I was immediately distracted by a nest of five juvenile swallows tucked under the porch eave. They looked just about ready to take their first flight, though mom and dad were still hard at work, swooping back and forth with food. The little ones sat facing outward, quiet and watchful, until they spotted a parent incoming. Then it was an explosion of chirp chirp chirp and wide yellow mouths signaling “feed me, feed me!” After a while, a couple of the juveniles hunkered back into the nest, most probably stuffed and content. I watched the show for a good half hour before we finally headed on.
We settled into camp and took it easy after the travel day. But that evening, I wanted to see if the campground lived up to its name. Sure enough, right in the prairie in front of campground stood five bull elk. At other parks we’d seen the Rocky Mountain elk. But these were the Roosevelt elk, the largest elk species in North America. Roosevelt bulls can weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Two of them were sparring lightly, knocking antlers as if rehearsing. The real rut, when they fight for the ladies, kicks off around September. We were just a little too early in late August, but you could tell, they were getting ready for showtime.
Roosevelt elk were once nearly hunted to extinction, and this stretch of the redwoods became one of their last refuges. Thanks to protection, they’ve rebounded here, and seeing them thriving in the prairie at dusk felt like the perfect welcome to our new campsite.