Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park: Amphitheater – Crescent City CA

Description

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) did the initial development of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in the 1930s.  The major CCC contribution was the Jedediah Smith campground, which is just off state highway 199 west of the village of Hiouchi. The campground includes an amphitheater (called the Campfire Center) for ranger presentations to visitors.  It sits next to the small visitors’ center in the campground.

The Campfire Center contains a dozen or so banks of seats, carved from whole redwood logs and arranged in a semi-circle. It has a stone campfire pit, a modern chalkboard/screen, and a stone drinking fountain.  Because of the humid environment, it is covered in a patina of moss or lichen. Nevertheless, the redwood logs, which resist decay for long periods, appear to be the originals.

Engbeck (2002) notes that, “CCC Company 1903, of Camp Prairie Creek, built a new entrance road and a park custodian’s residence. They built a campground near the Smith River with a footbridge over the river, connecting the campground with the ancient redwoods of the Stout Grove. The campground included tables, stoves, cupboards, and restrooms. They put in a water distribution system for the whole park.”

Surprisingly, Engbeck does not mention the amphitheater, which almost certainly was created by the CCC.