Sometimes it seems like California has it too good when it comes to nature. Great beaches. Inspiring mountaintops. Epic scenery. And the biggest trees on the planet.

Redwood National Park is crowded with such monsters. The forest here feels like a primeval temple, a devotion of sorts to ancient gods. Or, for a less pious perspective, the redwoods here are simply beyond your imagination. You’ve never seen a tree this tall.

Fortunately for us modern humans, we still have an opportunity to visit these old giants. With the gold rush of the 1850s came an unsustainable need for lumber. In effect, large tracts of old-growth redwood forest were axed. According to the National Park Service, “logging had consumed nearly 90 percent of all the original redwoods by the 1960s.”

Alarmed environmental activists eventually intervened, pushing for responsible logging practices and preservation. Their voices were heard, but large-scale logging continued in the area until Congress created Redwood National Park in 1968.

Here are a few photos from our recent redwoods camping trip.

All it needs is a doormat.

A maximum tree hugging effort for scale purposes.

Safety first, says the elk.

Claw marks left behind by a critter with big claws.

For more big tree action, read my post on sequoias.