Roosevelt Elk in The Redwoods of CA

Today was a 12+ hour drive home...thank goodness it went well. One of my favorite things to do is visit the Redwoods of Northern California when we return north to Portland.

One of the largest Roosevelt Elk herds in the Redwoods park can be seen from the Elk Meadow Day Use Area off Davison Road in Orick. While elk can be seen in wooded areas and along some stretches of beach, they are most common in open grassland areas, which makes Elk Meadow a perfect spot to view these majestic animals. Elk are wild animals, though they may appear tame they can turn aggressive if threatened.

The safest way to view elk is at a distance through binoculars, or photographed through a telephoto lens. Roosevelt Elk are the largest subspecies of elk in North America, with bulls weighing 750-1,200lbs. and females weighing 350-700lbs.

Sometimes elk can be seen at Elk Meadow, not always. The most common viewing spots are at or across the road from a private campground called Redwood Trails near Dry Lagoon, about 10-12 miles south of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. In the spring it is often difficult to find elk, with the exception of bachelor bunches, because when birthing starts the females like to be where they can leave their babes in very tall grass or other such hiding places, Elk are also often scattered at spots before and after Davison Road. One can see a male or two grazing in a front yard in that area

To see more photos from our trip home, CLICK HERE!