The Trouble with Trilliums
Jedediah Smith Redwoods
Trillions of trilliums
Springtime in Northern California’s state and national parks brings a dazzling display of wildflowers. If you’re eager to see trilliums, rhododendrons, azaleas, and countless other floral wonders in their prime, now is the perfect time to head to Crescent City. And while you’re there, don’t forget to take in the ever-present giant redwoods and breathtaking coastal scenery.
Of course, some journeys require a little sacrifice. Crescent City is a six-hour drive from Oakland, but the route offers some of the most spectacular forests, landscapes, and rugged coastline in the world—making the road trip an adventure in itself.
Magnificent rhododendrons
If you enjoy serious hiking through old-growth forests bursting with trilliums, then Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park’s Boy Scout Trail is a must. This park preserves one of the last remaining patches of what much of Northern California looked like before the Gold Rush era—when explorer Jedediah Smith passed through in the 1820s in search of fur.
Redwood forests once covered vast areas of the region, but today only four percent of the original forest remains. The Parks Service protects three percent, while logging companies control the last remaining one percent—where felling continues today. The destruction of these majestic trees happened in just 200 years, despite their survival for millennia beforehand.
Everywhere rhododendrons and azaleas
Words barely capture the awe-inspiring grandeur of a redwood grove. Walking among these towering giants feels akin to wandering through a cathedral or an ancient Egyptian temple. At the same time, it’s easy to imagine a prehistoric world—dinosaurs navigating ferns and trees as they once did millions of years ago.
Among the wonders of the forest, trilliums provide an unexpected delight. These perennial herbaceous plants are native to temperate regions of North America and Asia. Their rare, fleeting blooms add exquisite bursts of color to the greenery—an experience that every nature lover should witness at least once.
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A great place to stay in Crescent City is the
Lighthouse Inn
, located at 681 Highway 101 South. They offer reasonable rates, friendly service, and clean rooms.