There is a fascinating location in California called Shady Dell which boasts an incredible redwood grove that seems almost surreal.
The stunning Lost Coast, located in California, is most likely one of the most untouched natural coastlines in the United States. This area covers Humboldt and Mendocino counties and includes the King Range, where there are very few signs of human intervention on the landscape. In the 1930s, the region was depopulated because it would have been too expensive to build roads due to the steepness and geotechnical challenges of the coastal mountains, hence the name “Lost Coast.” Today, it remains the most undeveloped and remote part of the California coast and is home to some incredible natural scenery.
Nestled in the heart of this pristine wilderness is the Shady Dell forest in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, where you’ll find a small but rather peculiar-looking hillside grove of impressively reiterated old-growth redwoods that resemble candelabras. The trees seem to have been split into a dozen trunks just a few feet off the ground, each reaching towards the sky like huge candleholders.
While redwoods typically grow straight up, the unique shape of these trees is due to stressors like strong winds and salty air that caused them to sprout branches near the ground. As conditions improved, the branches grew straight up, becoming secondary (reiterated) trunks.
The grove features some smaller redwood trees, but the larger ones are extensively replicated and show no signs of logging activity. It is likely that these twisted trees have survived to this day because they wouldn’t make for good lumber. Locally known as the “Enchanted Forest,” this medieval forest holds significance in the field of forest science. According to Emily Burns, Ph.D., the Director of Science for the League, these gnarly branches and oddly shaped trees provide essential habitat for wildlife. There is much to be learned from these trees, as their development provides insight into how the environment shapes redwood forests.
Shady Dell boasts of not just the distinctive candelabra-shaped coast redwoods, but also a diverse ecosystem that includes a variety of flora and fauna. Some of the wildlife found in the area are salmon, black bears, Roosevelt elk, and mountain lions. Additionally, there are unique flowers called “mycotrophs” that rely on fungi for nourishment instead of green plants. Visitors can explore the redwood grove through the 2.3-mile-long Peter Douglas Trail, which was established in 2016. Pinterest has credited this information to Natural Wonders.
