Best Hiking Trails in Redwood National Park

Overview

Few forests rival the majesty and scale of the Redwoods. The trees whose ancestors once thrived across the Northern Hemisphere are now mostly relegated to swaths in California and Oregon, and are known as the tallest trees in the world, alongside [Tasmania's giant ash] (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141222-the-worlds-new-tallest-tree). If it weren't for the efforts of early conservationists leading to the founding of the Redwood National Park in 1968, the coast redwoods may have all been turned to timber. Relative to their ancient abundance, only a small fraction still stand today, the giants of the plant world. Walking through the groves of 2,000 year old redwoods, you're immediately connected to a long and distant past, with glimmers of hope for a better preserved future with the notable and worthy [Redwoods Rising] (https://www.nps.gov/redw/redwoodsrisingmain.htm) restoration program.

Getting Started

Your first foray into planning a trip to the Redwoods can be a little daunting, as it's difficult to distinguish one park from another. We spoke directly with a ranger in Northern California's Kuchel Visitor Center, who cleared things up: Though there are an abundance of redwood state parks to choose from, Northern California is home to the Redwood National Park, which encompasses and is co-managed by various state parks.

You can't miss the park traveling down U.S. Highway 101. From north to south beginning near Crescent City, California:

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

Take U.S. Highway 199 to visit the Hiouchi Visitor Center in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and don't miss the easy trail to [Stout Grove] (https://www.gaiagps.com/hike/14962/stout-grove-via-stout-memorial-grove/). Only have a few hours? Detour Jedediah Smith's Stout Grove from the visitor center and walk along the short loop trail with 300-foot redwoods towering overhead.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park

This area is perhaps the more popular part of the park, and a great place to spot herds of elk lounging in the prairie. Don't miss a stop at the Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick for some excellent information, interesting artifacts and knowledgeable rangers. From here, rangers suggest not missing the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and the short 30 minute hike, or the Trillium Falls Trail loop.

Nearby Tall Trees Trail is one of the more popular hikes due to the name, though the rangers specify that the trees there are not actually the tallest. Allow 4 hours of travel to get to Tall Trees by car. One hour to drive there, two hours to hike, and one hour to drive back to U.S. Highway 101, which bisects the Redwood National Park. Alternately, park at the nearby Redwood Creek Trailhead (permits required for overnight stays), a good jumping off point for longer forays into the woods and backcountry camps along Redwood Creek, taking hikers to the Tall Trees Trail.

Just north of the visitor center, travelers shouldn't miss Big Tree, with its aptly named sign indicating “Big Tree” just off the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, the scenic route to the west of 101, and a very worthy detour through incredible old-growth forest. Big Tree is the widest redwood within the Redwood National Park, with some of the biggest and oldest just to the north.

Check out the National Parks webpage for details or closures on this outstanding park, or visit this page to book a campground in one of the various California state parks. Be warned, the park camping grounds get packed all summer long, so be prepared to try and book other accommodation.