Prairie Creek redwoods State Park

As the name implies, almost all of this park is a redwood forest with Sequoia sempervirens, Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, tan-oak, Lithocarpus densiflora, California rhododendron, Rhododendron macrophyllum, and Western azalea, Rhododendron occidentale. Most of the redwood is old-growth.

In addition to the redwood forest, there is a variety of other communities present, including coastal prairie, northern coastal scrub, coastal strand, marsh and riparian. The most abundant of these is the coastal prairie. Along Home Creek is Fern Canyon which contains an excellent display of ferns, including Adiantum aleuticum, Polypodium scouleri and Polypodium glycyrrhiza, as well as various others. A total of 98 mosses and liverworts have been identified in the park. The rare plant Pityopus californicus and the uncommon saprophyte Monotropa uniflora are also found here.

Animal life is varied and abundant. Of particular note are the two herds of Roosevelt elk, Cervus canadensis, that may be seen in the park. A variety of fish is found in the creeks, including lampreys, Lampetra sp., coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and coastal cutthroat trout, Salmo clarkii. The marbled murrelet, Brachyramphus marmoratus, nests in trees in the park.

Prairie Creek is one of the few creeks in the State whose watershed is wholly protected.

Most of the area is underlain by Plio-Pleistocene nonmarine sedimentaries.

Integrity: Though there are numerous recreational developments, most of the park is relatively undisturbed.

Use: Research, educational, observational, present.

September 1977