Tall Trees Walking Tour Stop 5

Imagine that this forest landscape was once a streambed!

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

41.20857043620, -124.00377717600

Ancient Streambed

The long life of a single old redwood tree is a mere blip in time compared to the geological age of the rocks beneath your feet. The ground upon which you are walking is an ancient streambed where salmon likely once swam a million years ago! Redwood National and State Parks rests on the North American tectonic plate, which overlaps the actively subducting oceanic Gorda plate. These plates continuously grind against one another, slowly uplifting and altering the land. Look for rounded rocks, which were tumbled by the prehistoric flow of water. Geology and topography are often overlooked but are important factors in biodiversity: Geology effects everything from the soil to weather which in turn determines the success of the plants and animals within an area.

The ancestors of redwoods first appeared during the Jurassic Period, almost 150 million years ago. The limited ranges of the three remaining species are the gradual result of geological shifts and natural climate change. Despite their millions of years of history one factor has limited their success in recent times.