16 |
TALL TREES |
DISTANCE: 3.0 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 1.5 hours
SEASON: year-round
DIFFICULTY: moderate
The Tall Trees Grove is one of the most impressive groves of redwoods in Redwood National Park. To see it, pick up a permit and gate combination from the visitor center, then drive 16 miles to the trailhead. Only 50 cars are given permits each day, but that limit is rarely reached except on peak summer weekends.
Once at the Tall Trees trailhead, head downhill. Just beyond the restrooms, the trail bottoms out and makes a loop among the mammoth trees. Follow the trail clockwise, and take the left spur trail to see Redwood Creek, spanned by a footbridge in summer. Rich soils from the streambed, combined with the mild climate, cause the redwoods to grow to their enormous size.
Back on the main trail, you reach the base of what was once the world’s tallest tree (others have since surpassed it). Even the rhododendrons here grow as tall as 15 feet. The trail continues to the north, where maples and bays contrast with the giants. The loop heads back into the big trees and rejoins the main trail to head back uphill.
From Eureka, take U.S. 101 north for 40 miles to Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center on the west side of the highway. Pick up a permit and gate combination. Take U.S. 101 north for 3.0 miles and turn right onto Bald Hills Rd. Drive 7.0 miles to Tall Trees Access Rd. on the right. Stop at the gate, open it with the combination, then re-lock it. Drive 6.0 miles to the parking lot.
