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"Northern California: Have You Hugged a Tree Today?"

If you ever find yourself in Northern California and suddenly feel overcome by an inexplicable desire to hug a tree – don’t be surprised. Lots of people have the exact same reaction when they stand beneath the mighty Coast Redwoods that populate the plush mountains of California’s northern coast.

But if really want to hug one of the towering trees, don’t be surprised if your arms can’t reach all the way around. Those coast redwoods – not to be confused with their stouter cousin, the Giant Sequoia – are among the largest living things on earth. The trees reach heights exceeding 360 feet.

Perhaps the best place to get that tree-hugging feeling is in Redwood National Park, which hugs the coast in the heart of Humboldt County, about 300 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 101. The park offers beachside camping and a web of scenic hiking trails that cut through plush, densely-forested hills.

You can also get your tree-hugging fix anywhere along the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile route that parallels Highway 101 and runs through more than 51,000 acres of redwood forest, populated by ancient trees whose branches scrape the sky.

The silent splendor of the redwood forests inspired America’s original tree-hugger – John Muir. He loved the trees of Northern California, and his desire to protect them led him to co-found the Sierra Club.

So, in Northern California, tree-huggers like to remember Muir’s immortal words: "The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness."

RESOURCE: http://www.nps.gov/redw For information on National and State Parks in the area.”