By Mariah Cannon

Walking amongst these giants is a feeling like no other, it makes you realize just how small you are compared to the rest of the earth! I loved visiting the Redwoods; therefore I’m going to share with you some of my favorite trails and ones I think you definitely shouldn’t miss while visiting the area.

The thing I will say about these trails, is they’re in different sections of the Redwoods, so you will more than likely need a couple days to explore all of them and all of the park!

I visited in mid March and it was AMAZING, we got beautiful weather – mostly sunny and mid 50’s-60’s, which honestly felt so great. I’ve also visited in the Fall months and it was beautiful as well!

Where is Redwoods National Park?

The Redwoods National Park is located in North Western California, spread amongst 131,983 acres – 71,715 being federally ran land while the other 60,268 acres being state park ran. That’s a lot of park to explore!

If you’re coming to the park from the North, you’ll first run into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park which is about 5 miles before the town of Crescent City, CA.

Second comes Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park that consists of 32,000 acres of redwoods. This is about 7 miles South of the town Crescent City. A lot of people choose to stay here when visiting if not camping in the park since it is so close.

Followed by Prairie Creek Redwoods National Park, about 11 miles South of Del Norte. Here you’ll find lots of wildlife opportunities and several stunning trails.

Lastly, there is Humboldt Redwoods State Park and it all kind of blends together with Prairie Creek, but there is tons of hiking, river playing, and relaxing to do in this part of the park.

Things to Know Before You go!

1. It’s a spread out National Park and I’d mixed with the state parks as mentioned above, make sure to allow yourself enough travel time and days in the area to explore everything you want.
2. There’s always a good amount of people at each spot I’ll list here, I highly recommend going early in the morning to avoid large crowds or towards the evening/sunset time for some more solitude.
3. This is a coastal town and it’s very wet, even when it’s not raining. Be sure to bring layers and rain jackets in every season!
4. Always bring your Ten Essentials when hiking, it’s better to be prepared and safe than not!

Best Time of Year to Visit

I highly recommend going in the Spring or Fall, but truly Summer is a great season here too. In the Spring you’ll get lush greenery surrounding the redwoods and in the Fall you’ll get incredible Fall foliage. Both seasons are great for wildlife viewing and both seasons bring a good amount of rain and sunshine alike! You’ll also likely find more solitude in these “off seasons”.

Places to Stay Near the Redwoods

1. The Redwood Log Cabin in Crescent City is a beautiful PNW stay.
2. The Lighthouse Inn is a beautiful, budget friendly hotel.
3. If you’re looking to camp, Jedediah Smith Campground is beautiful and you’ll feel one with the Redwoods!
4. Gold Bluffs Beach Campground is another great option for camping and you’re still really close to everything!
5. This Fern Hook Cabin is also a fun option and you’re tucked right in the middle of a lush Redwood forest!

1. Lady Bird Johnson Trail

Distance: 1.5 miles round-trip

Elevation: 102 feet

Hike Type: Lollipop loop

Difficulty: Easy

Lady Bird Johnson Grove is a fun lollipop loop style trail that walks through lushes greenery, ferns, and tons of redwoods. There is a ton of large redwoods and ones you can walk around and stand inside (which is super fun)!

2. Grove of Titans

Distance: 1.3 miles round-trip

Elevation: 108 feet

Hike Type: Out & back

Difficulty: Easy

This was the first trail I did in the Redwoods and it was incredible, the drive to the trailhead is breathtaking as it is, and the trail itself is relatively easy and has some real giants amongst them. If you’ve only got time for one or two, this one should be included in the “must see” group!

3. Foothill to Cathedral Trees Loop

Distance: 3.5 miles round-trip

Elevation: 184 feet

Hike Type: Loop

Difficulty: Moderate

This trail starts from the Prairie Creek Visitors Center and it actually really surprised me, there wasn’t a lot of people and the views and trees where gorgeous. We combined it with the big tree trail on the way back to make a loop. There was a large downed redwood towards the end of the Cathedral trail that we had to navigate around. It was a little sketchy, however that was in Spring of 2024, so it very well could’ve changed since then.

4. Founders Grove Loop

Distance: .8/mile round-trip

Elevation: 36 feet

Hike Type: Loop

Difficulty: Easy

This trail was short and packed a punch! Lots of super large trees and obviously the founder’s tree which is a sight to see. This grove is super popular and for good reason, it’s also one I would suggest that families explore as it’s one of the more stroller/wheelchair accessible.

5. Bull Creek Loop (Big Tree Day Use)

Distance: 1 mile round-trip

Elevation: 60 feet

Hike Type: Loop

Difficulty: Easy

This trail is absolutely stunning, you park in the Big Tree Day Use area and you have to walk over the river on a giant tree that fell over the river and it’s been used enough to have flattened out on the side you walk on. It is a blast. If you have vertigo, or get dizzy easy, this may not be the trail for you. Though if you have hiking poles, it’s totally doable!

Final Thoughts

The Redwoods are somewhere everyone should visit at least once in your life! I truly loved visiting in the Spring and Fall, the weather was a PNW gal’s dream and the trails were way less crowded from what I hear with people who visit in the Summer months. Most of these trails are rated as easy and are very family friendly, I however would not recommend strollers on most of them as they can be super rooted and narrower trails.

Enjoy this Redwoods Hiking Guide? Be sure to save it for future adventures!

Let’s Get Adventuring!

Mariah