Sequoia sempervirens — the oldest, tallest tree species on Earth — ranks high among the many attractions of California’s famous Redwood National and State Parks.
Bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco, the 157-kilometer property achieved national park status in 1968 and includes state parks established in the 1920s. The parks are home to a multitude of species — including sea lions, bald eagles and black bears — but their primary feature is the coastal redwood forest, whose massive sequoia trees (popularly known as “the Ancients”) can range from 500 to 2,000 years old. As of September 2006, the parks’ tallest tree stood at 379.1 feet (115.5 meters).
The redwood forest is a surviving remnant of a group of trees that has existed for 160 million years, so today’s redwoods are descended from trees that lived during the age of the dinosaurs. In 1980, the parks were designated as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).