★★★★

The Homestead and Big Trees Loop

Length 2.4 mi · Climbing 110 ft

California > Humboldt Redwoods and Vicinity > Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Mattole Road

This short walk around Bull Creek Flats is one of the most enjoyable lowland hikes in Humboldt Redwoods. Just getting to the trailhead is a real treat — a 15-minute drive on a narrow, bumpy road through a forest which is not only the tallest on earth, but also the largest remaining contiguous stretch of old growth redwoods. Near the end of the hike is a prototypical cathedral-like grove that’s among the most spectacular in existence. And although there’s a road nearby for the entire hike, it’s relatively little-used, so you can at least begin to appreciate the serenity of the redwoods without the constant drone of highway traffic.

The loop starts on the Homestead Trail, a lushly-vegetated horse trail that skirts the edge of Bull Creek Flat. It returns on the Big Trees Trail, which cuts through the middle of the flat and has much bigger trees. The best parts are the beginning and end, the parts closest to the Big Trees Area.

In winter, there’s less horse manure on the Homestead Trail and Mattole Road has less traffic, but even so, I still enjoy this hike the most on sunny summer days.

Start at the Big Trees Area parking lot. Walk back out on the paved access road to Mattole Road, turn left, and walk a short distance to a pullout on your right. This is one of the more impressive sections of Mattole Road, enveloped in the deep, dark redwood forest.

From the pullout, take the Addie Johnson Trail to a “T” intersection with the Homestead Trail. Turn left.

The Homestead Trail

The Homestead Trail gently rises and falls through lush redwood forest. Here at the edge of the alluvial flat, the redwoods aren’t nearly as big as they are along Mattole Road just a few yards away. On the other hand, the vegetation is more lush and the trail is slightly elevated, providing some nice views of the fern-carpeted flat below. The trail is little-used, and although the occasional car or small truck passes by on Mattole Road, the area is otherwise very quiet. Especially in winter and spring, you may hear the distant rushing sound of Bull Creek and the single-note call of the varied thrush.

Eventually the redwoods get smaller and sparser and the forest opens up, signaling that you’re nearing the end of the old growth. This seems to be a natural boundary and not the result of logging. When you come to the paved access road to Albee Creek Campground, turn left onto the road. You’ll soon re-enter the huge old-growth redwoods.

Turn right at the T intersection with Mattole Road and walk along the road a short distance until you reach the Big Trees Trail. Turn left.

The Big Trees Trail

The first half-mile of the Big Trees Trail skirts the edge of the area of really big redwoods, running through streamside woodland with relatively small redwoods. Any views are obscured by a dense understory of huckleberry and tanoak.

Eventually the trail dives into the cathedral-like center of the grove. For the sheer scale of the forest — the size of the redwoods and well as the overall expansiveness of the grove — this is one of the most impressive redwood walks anywhere. The grove has an amazingly dense collection of huge trees growing from a sparse scattering of redwood sorrel and ferns. The grove is a nearly pure stand of redwood and there’s no understory to obstruct views. Even the canopy is relatively open; you can see the tops of the trees. The rushing sounds of Bull Creek fill the grove.

At a trail intersection, turn left to take a short detour past the Tall Tree. Shortly afterward, you’ll reach the Tall Trees Area parking lot where you started.

Fall color on the Big Trees Trail

More photos

Here are a few more photos of this hike.