RIVER OF THE MONTH
Redwood Creek A hidden jewel in Northern California, Redwood Creek flows westward from the crest of the Coast Range without a single dam impeding its path. Its lower banks—18 miles of them winding through the fog-drenched Redwood National Park—are shaded by colossal redwoods that are some of the tallest trees on earth. At the end of its 60-mile course, Redwood Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean near the small town of Orick, forming an important estuary for salmon, birds and other wildlife.
Why It Matters
Barrie Kovish
Golden Bright
One of California’s rare, free-flowing rivers, Redwood Creek is an important salmon stream that flows through ancient redwood forests that teem with wildlife. The river provides some of the state’s most pristine habitat for chinook and steelhead, and has comparatively sizable coho runs for the state. One of a handful of critical coastal rivers, Redwood Creek is key to the larger network of biodiversity of the Pacific Coast ecoregion.
Fish
Redwood Hikes Press
Like most streams of the Northern California coast, Redwood Creek supports Chinook (pictured) and coho salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout. Coho returns, while far from their former abundance, remain relatively robust. The stream is also home to white sturgeon and resident rainbow trout.
Wildlife
Within the national park, stretches of Redwood Creek are home to northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, bald eagle, peregrine falcon (pictured), Roosevelt elk, black bear, mountain lion and southern torrent salamander. Estuary habitats support shorebirds and waterfowl, including mallard, cinnamon teal, brown pelican, western sandpiper and western snowy plover.