Redwood National Park is undertaking a significant project to relocate its Visitor Center away from the coastal tsunami flood zone. The chosen site, an abandoned lumbermill situated 3 miles inland, offers a unique opportunity at the confluence of Redwood and Prairie Creeks, adjacent to ancient old-growth Coast Redwood forest. Save the Redwoods League acquired this valley with the intention of transforming its industrial past into a vibrant southern gateway to the North Coast Redwood Region.
Our team was commissioned to design a new visitor center complex that harmonizes with the remediation of the Prairie Creek floodplain, balancing public access, cultural heritage preservation, and ecological restoration.
In a noteworthy development, the original plan to gift the land to the National Park Service (NPS) was revised in 2024. The League and the Yurok tribe made the decision to return this ancestral land to the Yurok tribe under a novel cooperative management arrangement with the National and State Parks. This shift represents a progressive approach to land stewardship and cultural recognition.
The envisioned visitor complex is comprehensive in scope, featuring regional and local trail connections, diverse habitat restorations, and modern amenities. The design includes parking facilities for various vehicles, ecologically-derived site infrastructure, and a visitor center building with both indoor and outdoor interpretive exhibits. Additionally, the plan incorporates outdoor classrooms, public gathering spaces, and a Yurok village. The initial phase focuses on site-wide ecological restoration, flood mitigation, and basic visitor amenities. Subsequent phases, to be implemented by the Yurok tribe, will see the installation of the Yurok village and the main visitor center building. Throughout this process, our team has closely collaborated with various stakeholders, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and actively engaging in community outreach to create a truly integrated and respectful development.
Size
±15 acres
Client
Save the Redwood League
National Park Service Pacific West Region
Team
Siegel & Strain Architects (Architecture)
JNRA (Landscape Architecture)
AldrichPears Associates
(Interpretive Designers)
SHN Engineers
(Civil Engineers)
NHE (Hydrology)
GHD (Env.Compliance)
Scope
Schematic Design to Design Development
Redwood National Park is undertaking a significant project to relocate its Visitor Center away from the coastal tsunami flood zone. The chosen site, an abandoned lumbermill situated 3 miles inland, offers a unique opportunity at the confluence of Redwood and Prairie Creeks, adjacent to ancient old-growth Coast Redwood forest. Save the Redwoods League acquired this valley with the intention of transforming its industrial past into a vibrant southern gateway to the North Coast Redwood Region.
Our team was commissioned to design a new visitor center complex that harmonizes with the remediation of the Prairie Creek floodplain, balancing public access, cultural heritage preservation, and ecological restoration.
In a noteworthy development, the original plan to gift the land to the National Park Service (NPS) was revised in 2024. The League and the Yurok tribe made the decision to return this ancestral land to the Yurok tribe under a novel cooperative management arrangement with the National and State Parks. This shift represents a progressive approach to land stewardship and cultural recognition.
The envisioned visitor complex is comprehensive in scope, featuring regional and local trail connections, diverse habitat restorations, and modern amenities. The design includes parking facilities for various vehicles, ecologically-derived site infrastructure, and a visitor center building with both indoor and outdoor interpretive exhibits. Additionally, the plan incorporates outdoor classrooms, public gathering spaces, and a Yurok village. The initial phase focuses on site-wide ecological restoration, flood mitigation, and basic visitor amenities. Subsequent phases, to be implemented by the Yurok tribe, will see the installation of the Yurok village and the main visitor center building. Throughout this process, our team has closely collaborated with various stakeholders, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and actively engaging in community outreach to create a truly integrated and respectful development.
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