Leaving Eureka, CA, we stopped at a little known place called Fern Canyon, accessed via a long dusty trail but well worth the hike to see the many native ferns covering the 15m (50ft) sheer walls. No wonder this place was used for filming scenes from Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs - the cool micro climate and unique habitat make for a truly primeval ambiance.
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| Fern Canyon |
Driving on we went through the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a 14,000 acre park of more Giant Redwood trees and home to a population of Roosevelt Elk. It was our last scenic drive in California and we crossed the state line into Oregon on Thursday, with only a small sign to let us know that we could tick off another state on our list.
That same day, we made the winding drive up to the Oregon Caves National Monument in the northern Siskiyou Mountains. This cave system was first discovered in 1874 and has been a popular attraction ever since, now managed and preserved for future generations by the National Parks Service. The cave is made from marble and formed just a few million years ago, though the parent rock was originally limestone dating back some 190 millions years ago. Though the entire cave system is huge, the guided trip covers over half a mile, climbing 230 feet vertically, through some tight passages, and all at just 7 degrees centigrade, quite an experience.
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| Inside the cave at Oregon Caves National Monument |
Stopping for the night near Grant's Pass, OR, we headed out for a day at Crater Lake, literally a lake in a caldera - a crater formed by a collapsed volcano. At 1943 feet deep (592 m), it is the deepest lake in the USA, and has no outlets, the water lost by evaporation being replaced by rain and snowfall. The color of the water is so blue that it looks artificial, the picture doesn't do it justice.
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| Panorama of Crater Lake |
Whilst there we also went to the Pinnacles, towering needle like formations of rock, formed by steam and gases escaping through sheets of volcanic pumice and hardening the vents, the soil around which has subsequently eroded away over thousands of years. Quite spectacular.
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| The Pinnacles |
And so onto Madras, OR, and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Covering nearly 14,000 acres of semi desert shrublands, this park has well preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals dating back 45 million years. In one unit of the park is an area known as Painted Hills, named after the colorful layers on the hills corresponding to various geological era's.
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| Panorama of Painted Hills |
That's it for now, but watch this space for our next update !
