Orick, California

This hike starts in the parking lot of the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Picnic Area. As one of the more popular hikes in Redwood National Park, it is a good idea to get there early to secure parking and miss the crowds. To get to the parking lot from the Kuchel Visitor Center, travel north on Highway ...

Trillium Falls trail is a nice little hike through a second growth and old growth redwood forest. The trail is lined with sweet smelling ferns and has plenty of shade the entire route. This would be good for a midday hike in summer.  The trail starts from the Elk Meadows Day Use parking area. St...

This classic cycling loop is a great way to experience a variety of scenery and riding surfaces in The Prairie Creek Redwoods. It also allows you to visit Gold Bluffs Beach and the famous Fern Canyon without the otherwise required parking permit which needs to be acquired in advance. The route he...

Clintonia Trail Loop is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Orick, California.

This is the itinerary for our 3 day backpacking trip at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in early May. The original plan was to backpack Redwood Creek Trail in Redwood National Park.  A couple issues stopped us from doing that: The water level was too high in May and multiple Park Rangers warne...

Cal Barrel Road is an out-and-back trail where you may see wildflowers located near Orick, California.

NOTE: You need a permit, albeit free, to do this hike.First, you'll need to go to the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center just off Highway 101 south of Orick, CA. Once there, write down your license plate number and go up to the counter and ask one of the rangers for a permit for Tall Trees Access Ro...

Day 1: Check with the Rangers station before heading up for best camping opportunities. Assuming you've checked with the rangers for approval...if there are openings, off of the main road, there are side streets with access to the beaches. Pull into one of these areas and drive down as far as you...

This loop begins at the Tall Trees Trailhead.  To access this parking area, you must have a permit that you can obtain from the Kuchel ranger station.  The gate is locked.  When you get the permit, the ranger will also give you the combination to the gate.  Once you drive through, close the gate ...

Located at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the access road to this beach is a dirt road through the redwoods. Once you arrive to the beach area there is a park booth. The charge to overnight is $35 per day. Can also pay a day use fee which is less. The campground is situated some 200 yards fro...

This loop hike starts at the Fern Canyon Trailhead.  To get to Fern Canyon, drive to the end of Davison Rd, also known as Gold Bluff Beach Road.  There is a pay station at the entrance to the road ($8 in 2015).  After heavy rain, the road may be impassable for passenger cars.   From the parking ...

Fern Canyon is located within Gold Bluffs Beach at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park located some 45 miles south of Crescent City, CA. Entrance to the beach area is located on Davidson Rd off the US-101 in Orick, CA. You will need to drive for about 6 miles on the dirt road at the turn of Davidso...

What is known as the "James Irvine Miner's Ridge Loop" is actually a combination of trails that creates a loop in the Redwood Forest. For only being around 12 miles round trip, it is an easy way to see the diverse scenery in one hike. In a nutshell, on this hike you get some of the best features:...

Wedding Rock Trail is an out-and-back trail where you may see wildflowers located near Trinidad, California.

Patrick's Point Trail is an out-and-back trail where you may see wildflowers located near Trinidad, California.

This is really a dirt road that is gated off from Bald Hills Road. The trail head parking can fit about 6 cars but seldom do people venture out this way. After all, the attraction of Redwood National Park is the redwoods but this high prairie is definitely worth exploring.The walk to the ranch is...