Redwood National Park and Rhodies

[Randy Redford]

Can anyone tell me when the best time to be at Redwood National Park for the rhodies in bloom would be. Started out for there this morning, but the snow between there and Seattle and the forecasted rain made me turn back. Hopefully in the spring. Thanks.

[Georges Pelpel]

Mid April to end of May should be the best time.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Mid-April is probably be too early. Last time I visited Redwoods NP was at the end of May/beginning of June and the rhodies were at peak. Judging by the number of professional photographers I kept running into on the trails, this is appaently the usual time for the rhodies to peak.

Don't be put off by the rain. Just go prepared. When I was there it rained every day, sometimes quite hard, but you really want overcast lighting and some fog when shooting in the forest. Otherwise the contrast can be too much for the film to handle. If you shoot between the rain showers, you should get some nice images.

Kerry

[Bruce M. Herman]

I agree with Kerry's estimate of the time, although I've seen them peak as early as mid-May. A lot depends on the rains and temperatures in the Spring. If you have sufficient flexibility in your scheduling, call the visitor center at the park and ask to speak to a naturalist. You can ask him/her how things are progressing.

The last time I went (spring before last), I had blue skies nearly every day. They were in the middle of a drought. What a disaster. The bloom was late despite the warm temperatures and the ferns were brown. I wish you much better luck!

Bruce