Eureka highlight
Gateway to Redwood National and State Parks
Redwood National and State Parks was established on October 2, 1968, and has grown to protect 139,091 acres of the world's tallest trees, 40 miles of coastal bluffs, and over 100 miles of trails, with Eureka as the regional center.
On October 2, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating Redwood National Park. In 1978, an expansion doubled the park's size, bringing the total to 139,091 acres across four units managed jointly by the National Park Service and California State Parks. The parks protect the only coast redwood forest remaining in the world, holding the most impressive old-growth forest ecosystem north of San Francisco. The tallest trees on Earth grow there, within an hour's drive of Eureka, and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The parks protect 40 miles of dramatic coastal bluffs and over 100 miles of maintained trails ranging from short walks among the largest trees to backpack routes through meadows and old-growth groves. Visitors arrive from around the world to hike among trees that have stood for over 2,000 years, fish for salmon in clear creeks, and camp under the canopy. For many Eureka residents and workers in the parks, recreation and tourism are part of daily life and work. The parks also anchor the region's identity as a destination where wilderness and community depend on each other.
When work and recreation are tied to the land and seasons—whether as a park ranger, guide, lodge owner, or visitor center staff—the years of peak earning power matter most for families. Life insurance sized to those working years, when dependents are youngest and a mortgage is newest, lets families enjoy the region without the risk that a single loss would displace everyone who depends on that income.