Redwood National Park was established in 1968 and has been co-managed with California State Parks since 1994. The park preserves and protects the tallest trees on earth – the coast redwoods. Although not the oldest living things, redwoods can live up to 2,000 years, which is surely impressive. While the trees are impervious to fire and insects, thousands of acres have fallen victim to logging. In fact, redwoods were used for building early cities, including San Francisco in the 1800s. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the State of California became alarmed at the fast disappearing redwoods and created 3 state parks in the 1920s. Eventually, some 40 years later, Redwood National Park was created and finally, in 1980 the park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Here are 7 wonderful hikes in Redwood National Park you should take
I am listing the hikes in geographical order, from the north to the south (see park’s map). We spent 5 days in the park in July of 2020, so we took our time to explore the park really well. Here are the 7 wonderful hikes in Redwood National Park I recommend:
Stout Grove - Jedediah Smith State Park
To get to this beautiful and easy trailhead, enter the park via Hiouchi Visitor Center and then take the unpaved Howland Hill Road west. This scenic road will take you through the amazing redwood forest. While the Stout Grove hike is only a 0.5 mile loop, it is definitely lovely. You will hike among some old growth redwoods with lovely ferns covering the ground. The mostly flat trail allows you to look deep into the forest. If you’re there on a sunny day, you will love the light illuminating the trees. This is definitely one of the nicest hikes in the park.
The Rhododendron Trail - Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
While the entire Rhododendron trail is 9 miles long, you don’t have to hike it all. Just go as far as you’d like to and then turn around. The trail starts uphill with interesting tree snags and nurse logs. Because the trail ascends right from the start, you can essentially look into the canopies of the redwoods as you climb. It’s certainly a beautiful sight. What I particularly liked about this trail were the blooming rhododendrons! It appears that late June is the time when they blossom. It was really pretty to see flowery rhododendrons next to the amazing redwoods.
An Pah Interpretive Trail - Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
This is a short in and out trail among old growth redwood trees. There are several interpretive signs along the way describing the rehabilitation of the hillside after a logging road was removed.
The Big Tree and the Cathedral Tree Trail
One of the most popular, this is an easy and family friendly hike. The trail starts with a stand alone ‘Big Tree’, which is certainly impressive, although I prefer to look at trees without specific signs or designations. The Big Tree Trail connects to several other trails, so you can easily extend it. We combined it with the Circle Trail and part of the Cathedral Trail, which was definitely enjoyable. The different trails here are pretty flat and will take you along old growth redwoods. You will see several outstanding nurse logs along the way.
The Fern Canyon and the Gold Bluffs Beach - Davidson Road
The Fern Canyon is definitely picturesque and surely unique. Basically, you are in a canyon surrounded by ferns growing out of the canyon walls. It’s certainly worth the 8 mile drive up a dirt road. On your way back, stop by the Gold Bluffs Beach. It’s a beautiful wild beach with brown pelicans. We were also lucky to see several seals swimming in the ocean.
Trillium Falls
The Trillium Falls trailhead is essentially located right at Elk Meadow at the start of Davidson Road. The falls are pretty nice and the trail takes you through the spectacular redwood forest. The Trillium Falls trail is a 2.5 mile loop but you can just hike to the falls and back. Although we didn’t intend to, we ended up hiking the whole trail, which was certainly scenic. If you just want to see the falls, you can hike in and out in about 35 minutes.
Lady Bird Johnson Grove -Bald Hills Road
Out of the 7 wonderful hikes in Redwood National Park, this was my favorite one for sure. Lady Bird Johnson Grove trail is a lovely and easy 1 mile loop through a mature redwood forest. Take a brochure from the stand and enjoy a self- guided tour of this redwood grove. You will learn a lot of interesting facts about the trees. Halfway down the trail, you will come upon a dedication site where president Richard Nixon dedicated the grove to Lady Bird Johnson. The hike is popular yet absolutely enjoyable. We liked it so much that we did it two days in a row. Since we were hiking during the Covid 19 pandemic, the trail was one way, so you didn’t actually pass many people. Lovely trees all around you yet again.
A Bonus - An Amazing Beach
Once you’re done with the 7 wonderful hikes in Redwood National Park I just listed, you may want to spend some time on an amazing beach. If so, head for the Coastal Drive in the Klamath area. The beach is located right at the mouth of the Klamath River. Certainly, this was one of the wildest beaches I have ever seen. Not only are there lots of sea stacks but two sandbars are home to seals and pelicans. It’s a lovely sight.
Interesting facts about redwood trees:
- Redwoods are the tallest living things on earth
- The tallest redwoods are about 360 feet
- Redwoods gain most of their height in their first 100 years.
- The oldest redwoods are about 2000 years old although an average tree lives between 400-700 years
- A 400 year old tree is between 5-7 feet in diameter
- A 700 year old tree is between 10-15 feet in diameter
- 2/3 of the park is made up of second growth trees
