Jedediah Smith & Del Norte Redwoods National and State Parks

by Gerald F. Beranek

Photographs of the giant redwood trees in Jedediah Smith & Del Norte Redwoods parks.

168 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2017

Reviews

[Chason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought all the books in this series written & with photographs taken by Gerald & his wife Terri and I really love them. Gerald brings a unique perspective to the subject because he worked for decades clearing utility rights of way in the forests of California and he sees the value in harvesting redwoods for the safety of humanity while simultaneously working to conserve these wonders of nature and the ecosystems within which they live. Gerald grew up in Mendocino County and spent a lot of time in these forests fishing and recreating so he weaves stories from his life into these books when talking about the parks. The books are large, nearly coffee table sized, allowing for the massive size of the coast redwoods to come through for the reader. Gerald and Terri appear in most of the photographs for scale, further enforcing how gigantic they are. The maps in the book are very thorough and detailed, utilizing satellite images of the parks. The books are very user-friendly and the author offers advice and tips on where to park for the easiest access to trails as well as warnings about the condition of various trails. Having visited these parks on numerous occasions, the information will prove invaluable for future visits to see all the groves and hidden gems I’ve missed. The information about Del Norte Redwoods was particularly interesting. I wasn’t aware that the coast trail in the park is the old highway 101 and despite taking five years to build was only in use for seven years when landslides made it unusable. I highly recommend this entire series. I purchased these books through a retailer but all the books are available directly from Beranek’s website, easily findable with a quick internet search. If you love coast redwoods you’ll love these books.