SF Gate
Before Instagram and geotagging threatened its very existence, a unique thicket of redwood trees nestled within Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park flourished for over a thousand years near the tip of Northern California.
Dubbed the Grove of Titans for its boscage of old-growth redwoods, thought to be around 1,500 years old, the area was threatened by trampling tourists who sought out the hidden hike over the last decade. Visitors began carving their own paths through the fern shrubs, disturbed the habitat and leaving traces behind; because it was an undeveloped environment, the lack of access to bathrooms created issues with human waste.