Crescent City, Calif. – Brad Meggetti is a park ranger in Stout Grove, perhaps the most famous stand of giant redwoods in all the redwoods. But he’s also a big star wars fan.
So when he’s asked about those thrilling scenes in return of the Jedi, you know, the big battle and speeder-bike chase that supposedly take place right in the middle of Stout Grove, he knows the truth.
And for true fans, the truth hurts.
Stout Grove is awesome. Just ask Ranger Brad. “Anyone of these trees around us right now could be the tallest tree in the world.”
And it’s easy to visit. “You can pretty much drive right up to it and park the car and the trail head is right there,” Ranger Brad said.
And for Star Wars fans who make the long pilgrimage to see the beloved forest moon of Endore, well, they’re close. Real close.
“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was filmed in this area,” Ranger Brad said. “A lot of people say that it was filmed right here in the Stout Grove. I am a Star Wars nerd so I looked into that. It turns out it’s not true. They didn’t do any filming of Star Wars right here in Stout Grove.”
Ranger Brad said it was for a pretty good reason. “Because they wanted to blow stuff up. It was a battle scene and we generally don’t let film production companies blow up your National Parks. So they decided to film it instead on private land near the park that had the same kind of trees like this.”
According to Ranger Brad, it’s very difficult to visit the exact spot where they filmed Star Wars because that land was harvested.
But Ewoks live in the grove. “One time we saw Ewoks at the Stout Grove.
it was pretty awesome.”
Well, sort of. “There was an Ewok enthusiasts club,” Ranger Brad explained. “And they travelled all way from the East Coast. They had made their very own Ewok models and they set them all up through the Stout Grove and took pictures of them.
So when you come to Stout Grove, you don’t have to bring your own Ewok. Ranger Brad said you just need your imagination. “Visit stout grove right outside of Crescent City and don’t forget your light saber.”
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