Redwood National and State Parks

Jedediah Smith

Old-growth redwood forest rises along the banks of the Smith River, a wild and scenic waterway that offers fishing. Stout Memorial Grove is a half-mile loop with a steep descent into a grove of large trees. The Boy Scout Tree Trail is a moderate 5.6-mile hike to a giant redwood, with a spur to Fern Falls. Hikers wanting more can try the strenuous Little Bald Hills Trail, which allows bikes and horses. A scenic drive winds through the forest, and the campground, set in a grove, offers hiking trails, swimming, fishing, and cabins. The small visitor center near the amphitheater has exhibits and a junior ranger program.

Del Norte Coast

Ancient coast redwoods meet a dramatic, rugged coastline along this stretch of the park, and hiking trails lead to both. The most demanding option is Damnation Creek Trail, a 4.4-mile strenuous route through old redwoods that reaches the coast. Closer to Mill Creek Campground, the Nature Loop Trail is a one-mile loop with interpretive signs that explain the forest, where the trees include coast redwoods, madrone, alder, tanoak, and vine maple. The easy walk takes about 20 minutes. The Trestle Loop is a one-mile moderate route past old railroad trestles and berry bushes, starting from the same campground. For a longer outing, the California Coastal Trail Last Chance Section runs about six miles with some steep areas.

Prairie Creek

Old-growth redwood forest covers much of this area, with fern-filled canyons and sandy beaches nearby. The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway winds through the trees, and the Big Tree Wayside offers an easy loop of less than half a mile to the Big Tree. Hiking through Fern Canyon brings you past ferns and tall cliffs. Trails suit a range of visitors, from the Revelation Trail, designed for visually impaired hikers, to the Brown Creek Trail, which lets you compare streamside plants with old-growth forest. Roosevelt elk graze in the Elk Prairie, and herds also appear along the Carruthers Cove Trail. The visitor center has exhibits on redwood ecology and the Civilian Conservation Corps, plus a junior ranger program. Elk Prairie Campground, set among ancient redwoods, is a base for watching elk and black-tailed deer.

Redwood

Old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth, define the character of this coast. Visitors can walk among them on trails that range from short paved strolls to multi-day backcountry routes within a system of about 170 miles. Howland Hill Road, a 10-mile drive that follows Mill Creek through old-growth forest, passes Stout Grove, where a half-mile trail winds among the giant trunks. The Coastal Drive, an 8-mile road along the rugged Pacific coastline, offers ocean views, a World War II radar station and seabirds on offshore rocks. Wildlife watchers come for the gray whale migration and seabirds. Cyclists can choose from more than 50 miles of marked routes, including downhill single-track through the forest. Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks add more groves and shoreline nearby.