Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is an attraction located at Disney California Adventure located in the Golden State area's Grizzly Peak Recreation Area. It serves as the park's counterpart to Tom Sawyer Island. It utilizes elements from Brother Bear and Disney Pixar'sUp.
History
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail opened with the park on February 8, 2001. In October 2003, the area received a Brother Bear overlay, including the show "The Magic of Brother Bear" at the Alwahnee Camp Circle and the addition of Kenai's Spirit Cave in Hibernation Hollow. Kenai and Koda would both appear for meet and greets, as part of the show, and as a large wood sculpture at the entrance to the area.
In the summer of 2011, the Brother Bear theming would be mostly stripped away as a theme based on Up's Wilderness Explorers took it's place. Guests were now invited to complete activities to earn merit badges and achieve Senior Wilderness Explorer status and Russell and Dug appear for meet and greets and as part of a ceremony at the camp circle. Though the Spirit Cave would lose it's signage reference to Kenai, it's interior remained the same with the bear and handprint logo and the totem animations.
Activities
Big Sir - walk-through redwood tree
Millennium Tree - cross-section of a tree that fell in a storm in 1937. Some of the rings of the tree are marked with the dates of significant events in California history.
Redwood Creek - bridge crosses a creek and small waterfall and runs throughout the area to the Spirit Cave.
Wawona Walk - signs along the path identify the footprints of the animals whose footprints can be seen in the path.
Mt. Whitney Lookout - climb the steps to the top of the tower, which connects via a suspended rope bridge to the Mt. Shasta Lookout.
Cliff Hanger Traverse Rock Climb - hone your rock-climbing skills as you use the foot and toe holds to traverse the rock wall.
Rock Slide - two slides down through the rocks
Boulder Bears - rocks shaped like bears
Eagle's Ascent - climb a series of rope bridges to the top of the ranger lookout.
Squirrel Scramble - bounce across this swaying suspension bridge
Mt. Lassen Lookout (Ranger Headquarters) - check out the rangers' equipment, including firefighting gear, ropes, and snowshoes.
Sequoia Smoke Jumpers Training Tower - hang onto the rope as you sit and swing zip-line style down an overhead cable. (Must be at least 42" tall).
Hoot-n-Holler Logs - slide down through a tree log
Shake-a-Log - crawl through a swinging, bouncing log
Pine Peril Bridge - this narrow log bridge crosses a stream
Quail Trail - follow the tracks of California's state bird.
Ahwahnee Camp Circle
The camp circle is a small amphitheater that has housed various shows over the years. Surrounding the amphitheater are various woodcarved animal figures corresponding to different Native American stories.
In its first few years, it served as a location for telling Native American stories, before becoming home to "The Magic of Brother Bear" in 2003. An interpreter retold the story of the film with a talking woodcarving of Rutt and Tuke chiming in and a totem ceremony was performed as well. In 2011, it would be replaced with the Wilderness Explorer Ceremony, where children who completed the Merit Badge activities would receive their Senior Wilderness Explorer rank.
Spirit Cave
Originally known as Hibernation Hollow and featuring only some Native American pictograms and the sounds of a bear, it would be retrofitted into Kenai's Spirit Cave in 2003. Pressing your hand against a bear/human print on the walls would cause lights and rumbling sounds to play as an animation depicting your spirit animal would play. Spirit Animals include the loving and strong Bear, the wise and loyal Wolf, the intelligent and brave Eagle, the dependable and honest Moose, the hardworking and industrious Beaver, instinctive and strong willed Salmon and the curious and adventurous Skunk.
The only changes it would receive would be removing Kenai from the name and adding Kevin to the sign, described as "loves chocolate".
In popular culture
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and Spirit Cave are the subject of a bit on stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt's 2011 album, Finest Hour.
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