Big Trees in Redwood Country

Today was big tree day, reserved for hiking around and seeing the giant redwoods the parks are named after and famous for. Due to a bad ankle, part of our group split off to do a variation on the less strenuous Big Tree Loop instead of the originally planned West Ridge loop. 

Big trees near the visitor center

From the visitor center, we decided to start off in the direction of the Cathedral Trees Trail. There were a few steep areas and some branches strewn across the trail, but for the most part it was a very moderate hike that still provided very nice scenery. The trail started off with dense fields of tall grass below light tree cover. Beyond the Foothill Trail split off, we saw a slow transition from light yellow to lush green grass, to ferns and smaller trees, and finally to full fledged towering redwoods.

Trailhead starting from a wide meadow

By the time we reached the fork between Cathedral Tree Trail and Rhododendron Trail, we were seeing huge “Cathedral Trees”, redwoods growing in a circular formation. When a large redwood falls, new trees grow around the stump, forming a circle of trees. Standing in the middle of the groves, you can look up into the small speck of sky framed by the tops of the trees and imagine that you are seeing the heavens above you. Maybe that’s where the name comes from.

Cathedral tree grove

Continuing on the Cathedral Tree Trail, we encountered many more picturesque groves of trees, as well as massive fallen trees and their corresponding stumps. A bit past the one and a half mile mark, we finally reached the main feature of the day. Appropriately labeled “Big Tree” on all the park maps, the 1500 year old tree reaches a height of 304 feet and a diameter of 21.6 feet, giving it a larger footprint than some bay area apartments. A nearby sign said that in the late 1800s, some people were considering cutting down the tree to build a dance floor on the stump. It lucky that they eventually decided against it, leaving this great piece of natural history for all to enjoy.

The famed Big Tree

For the last segment of the hike, we decided to return to the visitor center via the Foothill Trail. The way back led us through a few more redwood groves, and was almost completely flat, making it almost a leisurely walk to end our redwood adventures.

Large groves on Foothill Trail

The redwood forests of northern California are vast. During our weekend there, we only had time to explore the southern part of a single park. If we come back in the future, I would definitely make it a priority to find lodgings farther north, making visits to the northernmost Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park possible. There are countless more trails to explore in the area - we’ve only scratched the surface so far!

- MC 5/27

Celebrity Sandwiches and Dinosaur Habitats in Redwood Country

After a long, but scenic drive through the vast forests of Humboldt County, we finally reached Eureka in the late afternoon. This small, seaside town was to be our home base for visiting the Redwoods National and State Parks over the weekend. We arrived with a bit of daylight left, just enough to take a short walk around the downtown area. There were many unique shops selling all sort of odds and ends, from clothes and jewelry to art pieces by local artists.

Unfortunately, most of the stores and galleries closed early there, but we were able to enjoy a nice dinner downtown. We decided on Cafe Nooner, a Cajun-Mediterranean fusion restaurant. To our surprise, as soon as we walked in we saw a picture of the restaurant when it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. With high expectations, a few of us ordered the “DDD” Pulled Pork with Appleslaw, the very same dish that Guy Fieri tasted on the show. The sandwich was delicious, with flavorful sauces and meat served in fresh, locally produced bread. My favorite part was the way they finished the pork, making the edges slightly crispy and producing a nice contrast in texture. It was a great meal to reenergize on after a long journey, and I would highly recommend it.

Enthusiastically endorsed by Guy Fieri

The next day we drove about an hour and a half north to hike an abridged version of the James Irvine Loop in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Instead of beginning the hike at the visitor center, we decided to head towards the Fern Canyon parking lot. On the way there, we stopped to snap a few photos on Davison road just off 101, where a large herd of elk were grazing. Continuing towards the trailhead was a rough dirt road, with many potholes filled with puddles. We finally reached the parking lot next to the beach, and set off on the hike. 

Elk by the road

After about a quarter mile we reached the famous Fern Canyon. A wide creek cut through the gorge, making it an interesting challenge to keep our shoes dry as we scrambled over fallen trees and wobbled across branches acting as make-shift bridges. In the heart of the canyon was the main attraction - thousands of lush, green ferns growing on the towering walls surrounding us, giving the place a sense of timelessness. It’s no wonder that Steven Spielberg opted to film part of Jurassic Park 2 there.

Walking through Fern Canyon

The next segment of the hike provided ample opportunities to see majestic redwoods and more luscious ferns. Slightly past the two mile mark, the Clintonia trail branched off from James Irvine. We chose to turn right onto Clintonia instead of continuing on James Irvine, reducing the hike’s total mileage from 11.6 miles to roughly 8 miles. At the next fork, we turned right, taking the Miner’s Ridge Trail back to the beach. 

Redwoods along the trail

Finishing out the loop was a little more than a mile of beach. Hiking through sand proved to be physically quite tiring, but the sea breeze and ocean scenery provided a nice contrast to the dense forest we just left. The sand was just warm and soft enough to walk in barefoot, giving our feet a welcome respite at the end of a long day of hiking.

Beach at the end of the hike

We thoroughly enjoyed this hike, the definite highlight being Fern Canyon with the beach as a close runner-up. There were also many redwoods along the trail, few of which were note-worthy, but that is what the second day of hiking was reserved for. I would highly recommend this hike for anyone spending more than a day in the redwoods parks.


Extra PSA: Keep your distance when viewing wildlife! On our drive back to Eureka, we saw a man taking pictures just a few meters away from an elk. This is very dangerous - elk behavior is unpredictable, and they can charge at you at 35 miles per hour, way faster than you can run.

Don't do this

- MC 5/26

Memorial Day Redwoods

Many people use the Memorial Day long weekend to go on a short vacation somewhere, resulting in soaring plane ticket prices. This year, a few friends and I are going to take a road trip up to the Redwood parks, avoiding the airports but still getting away for the weekend. Redwood is one of those places that I've seen pictures of my infant self at, proving that my parents had taken me there before, but I don't actually remember visiting. I look forward to this trip now that I have the fitness to go on interesting hikes and the functional memory to remember sights and experiences with.

One surprising fact I discovered while researching this trip is that Redwoods National Park is actually comprised of four different parks - Jedediah Smith State Park, Del Norte Coast State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and of course, Redwood National Park. Each park has their own distinct features, but they all provide ample opportunity to see the famous giant redwoods. The redwoods there are hundreds of years old, and the largest trees are even big enough to drive a car through.

We are still in the process of hashing out our itinerary, but the tentative plan is as follows -

Friday

Start driving up around late morning or midday and check into the house we rented in Eureka. It takes an estimated 5-6 hours to reach Eureka from the bay area, so we should get there right in time for dinner. 

Saturday

Day-hike in the parks. Redwood Hikes has many recommended hikes for all four parks. We will most likely do one of the “Big Tree” hikes such as the Boy Scout Tree Trail in Jedediah Park.

Sunday

Another day-hike. This one will likely be a non-“Big Tree” hike to see more variety. A few recommended trails we are deciding between are the James Irvine Trail and Coastal Trail in Prairie Creek Park, and the Dolason Prairie Trail in Redwood National Park.

Monday

Drive back to the bay area.

Crossing our fingers for good hiking weather next weekend!

- MC 5/18