Redwood Hikes
A guide to old-growth coast redwood trails
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Click on grey boxes to view regional maps; click on park names to view park pages
This site is a guide to hiking California's old-growth coastal redwoods. It contains descriptions, photos, and maps of almost every trail that has a significant amount of old-growth redwoods and is open to the public. Many notable trails that don't have a lot of old growth are also covered.
News
California state park closures
In 2009, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, used his line-item veto to cut state park funding significantly. As a result there are still some campground closures that will continue until at least July 2010, when a new fiscal year begins. The governor has proposed that parks receive full funding after July 2010, which suggests that parks may return to normal once a new state budget is enacted.
Following is a list of redwood parks that are closed due to the state budget shortfall and other issues.
- Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek, and Redwood National Park: These parks are all open.
- Grizzly Creek: open.
- Humboldt Redwoods: Open except for Hidden Springs campground, which is closed until July 2011.
- Richardson Grove: Oak Flat campground is closed until July 2011, but the Huckleberry and Madrone campgrounds are open.
- Standish-Hickey: the lower (Redwood) campground is closed until July 2011.
- Montgomery Woods: Because of a construction project to make the park wheelchair-accessible, the park will be closed weekdays from May 3 to July 30, 2010. The park is open on weekends.
- Hendy Woods: All campgrounds and trails are open as usual. From September 25 until October 31, 2010 the campgrounds will be open on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations). The campgrounds will close for the winter beginning November 1, 2010.
- Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek: all campgrounds, including backcountry campgrounds, are closed until at least June 30, 2010.
- Samuel P. Taylor: The main campground and Devil's Gulch Group Camp are open. Madrone Group Camp is closed.
- Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais: visitors will not be able to drive to the top of Mount Tamalpais on weekdays until at least June 30, 2010. The Bootjack parking lot on Mount Tamalpais is also closed weekends.
- Portola: Open as usual.
- Big Basin: Open as usual.
- Butano: Open as usual.
- Henry Cowell: Open as usual.
- Andrew Molera: the East Ridge Trail has been closed since 2008.
- Pfeiffer Big Sur: trails east of Highway One have been closed since a 2008 fire. The campground is open.
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns: the Ewoldsen and Tanbark Trails have been closed since 2008. The short trail to McWay Falls is open, and the picnic area at the Ewoldsen Trail trailhead can still be accessed.
- Limekiln: the entire park has been closed since a 2008 fire. The entrance gate at Highway 1 is locked; a sign on the gate says "do not enter".
In addition, parking fees have increased. For example, parking at the McWay Canyon lot at Julia Pfeiffer-Burns is now $10 - despite the fact that with current trail closures, the only things that can be reached from this parking lot are a quarter-mile-long trail, a few picnic benches, and a restroom. Fees will also be introduced for some parking lots that used to be free, like the Visitor Center lot at Prairie Creek.
Other closures
Redwood Hostel (Redwood National Park): faced with a bill for $1.5 million to make the structure ADA-compliant and earthquake-safe, the hostel closed indefinitely on January 18, 2010. With this closure, there is nowhere that park visitors can stay indoors for less than about $50/night.
Redwood Nature Trail (Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon): Closed until at least Spring 2010 to prevent the spread of Sudden Oak Death.
Redwood park news
A recent UC Berkeley study suggests that the California coast is getting 25% less fog than it did 100 years ago. An earlier USGS study indicated that trees are dying at an accelerated rate throughout the western United States but did not specifically address the redwoods.
The October 2009 issue of National Geographic has a story on the redwoods.
Top picks
In general, the further north you go, the better the redwoods. To really experience the redwoods I'd suggest visiting at least three parks:
Currently, the tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion Tree in Redwood National Park. The tree is not accessible by trail and its location is kept secret to prevent visitors from trampling the soil around the tree. The tree is on a hillside, not in the Tall Trees Grove.
Hiking the redwoods
California's redwood forests are famous for being home to the tallest living things on the planet, but there's much more to these extraordinary woodlands than the size of the trees. At their best, redwood forests are suffused with a sense of openness and serenity. Sun-dappled, elegantly fluted tree trunks shoot straight as an arrow into the sky, while below are burbling streams, spectacular fallen trunks, and a lush accumulation of ferns, sorrel, moss, and lichen. Many redwood trails are also a pleasure to walk because they're so well constructed: wide, smooth, and easy to walk, with a springy mud-resistant carpeting of needles, and bridges to span even minor obstacles. The forest is cool in the summer but rarely below freezing in the winter, and (except for Muir Woods) the parks are almost never crowded.
Foothill Trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
California has six major redwood parks, each with their own character. Prairie Creek, for example, is an aggressively lush and green coastal forest, while Jedidiah Smith is filled with light and is the most photogenic. Del Norte has a unique location on a prominent coastal bluff, while Redwoods National Park occupies a large and heavily-logged inland valley. Humboldt Redwoods is best known for its dark, dense, and flat lowlands, and Big Basin has the mixed-species woodlands typical of southern redwood forests. Of these six parks, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek clearly have the best-preserved and most scenic hikes.
At least 15 other parks have small old-growth groves and should not be overlooked. Many of these parks are just as enjoyable as the big parks and, in addition to outstanding redwoods, offer a wide variety of other scenery, from the dramatic coastal bluffs of Big Sur to the rolling farmlands of the Anderson Valley.
Total area of and amount of old growth in some of California's redwood parks
Within each park, the largest trees are normally found in the flat bottoms of creek valleys, where the soil moisture is the highest. These alluvial flats host the spectacular, cathedral-like groves that redwoods are famous for. Most redwood parks are centered around an alluvial flat that originally inspired the creation of the park. These alluvial flats, which usually aren't very big to begin with, are often the site of highways and parking lots, making it difficult to appreciate their unique and serene character. The most striking example of this type of forest is the Bull Creek area in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
Pfeiffer Falls Trail, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Uplands tend to have fewer big redwoods and more trees of other species. The difference is more pronounced in drier and hotter parks like Big Basin and Humboldt Redwoods. On the other hand, in Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedidiah Smith parks, large redwoods can cover the hills right up to the ridgelines. Uplands can make great hiking because the hills make the trail more interesting. A great example of redwood uplands is the Miners' Ridge Trail in Prairie Creek State Park.
Redwood woodlands generally get more scenic as you go north. The northernmost parks tend to have the biggest trees and the lushest, healthiest appearance. The southern parks tend to be drier, have less greenery and more dead tanoak leaves on the ground, and often have a a dense layer of shrubs that obstructs views of the redwoods. On the other hand, the southern parks have better weather and there's more to do after the hike.
The tallest redwoods are found in Redwood National Park, Humboldt Redwoods, and Montgomery Woods, but their exact locations are not public knowledge. For the most up-to-date list of the world's tallest redwoods, see Michael Taylor's Landmark Trees website.
When to visit
Park visitor count is from the National Park Service website.
Climate data is from the Western Regional Climate Center website.
All the redwood parks can be visited year-round. Most people visit in summer, which is understandable - it hardly ever rains, all the trails are open, and the days are long so you can spend more time outdoors. And although the campgrounds fill up most summer weekends, none of the parks (except Muir Woods) ever get crowded, even on major holidays.
For sheer scenic beauty, though, winter is the best time to visit the redwoods. If you're willing to take a chance on the weather, the payoff can be a truly special experience. The rain washes the dust off the foliage, the woods are filled with the sound of rushing creeks, and the sunlight (if it's sunny) has a sweet, gentle quality because the sun is always low in the sky. The frequent mist, fog, and drizzle really enhances the scenery. And although the parks aren't really that busy in summer, there's a certain serenity that you can only get in winter when you have the park practically to yourself.
Winter weather is definitely rainy, but it's usually not that bad. However, keep in mind that even if it's not raining during your visit, trails and roads could be closed due to wind or water damage. Winter trips are definitely more advisable if you live nearby and can change your plans at the last minute.
Fall is also a good time to visit. The weather doesn't turn really rainy until mid-November and there are fewer visitors than in summer. It's not quite New England, but Humboldt County gets a little fall color as the maples turn yellow, usually from mid-October to mid-November.
Complete trail listing
Click on the links below to view the regional, park, and hike pages. Parks are listed from north to south. Each park and trail has been rated from one to five stars based on how enjoyable it is overall, with an emphasis on redwoods.
Key to table colors |
| Park names |
| Old growth redwood hikes |
| Other hikes |
Redwood sorrel in Rockefeller Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Disclaimer
Trails are rated for scenery, not safety. The fact that a trail is discussed or shown on a map on this site does not imply that it is safe for all visitors, even under ideal conditions. Furthermore, trails may not be well-maintained and may have become impassable since the last time I walked them. Notices may not posted at the trailhead when this happens, so always ask about trail conditions at park headquarters before your trip.
About the maps
Trails and some roads were mapped with a handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS tracks are overlaid on 7.5 minute (1:25,000 scale) USGS digital line graphs with hillshading derived from 1/3 arc second USGS digital elevation models. Roads outside of park boundaries are mostly derived from the digital line graphs and are therefore more likely to be outdated or contain inaccuracies.
Map legend
© 2006-10 David Baselt
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