11 Must Hike Trails: Redwood National Park

Located in Northern California, Redwoods is a combination of a National Park and State Parks. Actually, the state parks pre-date the National Park by quite a while, which makes them even more impressive.

Most of the hikes are across the various parks, and we considered them all together when making this list. These trails are some of the best hikes you can do during your time in the park.

Grove and Bench - Tall Trees Trail - Redwood NP

Where to Stay for Redwoods National Park

The most challenging part of the park is where to stay. Several campsites are located within the various state parks. Hotels can be challenging during peak times. In our opinion, staying north of the park is easiest.

Camping

Gold Bluffs Beach Campground: 26 sites; Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park; Requires access via Gold Bluffs Beach Road (may require high-clearance 4WD at times)
Jedediah Smith Campground: 89 sites; 4 cabins; Jedediah Smith State Park; Some sites accommodate trailers/motorhomes.
Mill Creek Campground: 145 sites; Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Good Central location

Hotels

Holiday Inn Express: Part of the Redwood Casino, it’s best positioned for the parks; however, far from food options in neighboring towns.
Lighthouse Inn: Crescent City. Older, but good option if you don’t mind the weird dollhouses. Good location close to restaurants and north of the parks.
Best Western: Crescent City. Older hotel, good location, and easy in/out. Worth checking if the price makes sense for your stay.

Chilaquiles Rojos - Seafront Baking - Crescent City CA

Where to Eat

SeaQuake Brewing: Large local brewery with great food options. They also brew their own rootbeer and kombucha for non-drinkers. Recommend getting on wait list on busy weekend nights.
SeaFront Baking Company: Our favorite breakfast spot. Very new place by the same folks as SeaQuake. Good coffee and food portions.
Paragon Coffee: Our favorite coffee spot. Excellent coffee. Food is from some other local sources, but also pretty good.
Kin Khao Thai: Best option for Asian food in the area. Extra popular on weekends, so call ahead.

Tall Trees Trail

Trailhead | Distance: 3.6 miles | Difficulty: Moderate

Located in Redwood National Park, tall trees take visitors through some of the tallest old-growth redwoods in the park. These “record breakers” were thankfully saved from logging. This 3.6-mile Out & Back trail takes visitors to the “tall trees grove,” where you’ll witness many of these trees firsthand. The trail generally takes about 1.5 – 2 hours to complete.

To access the trail, you’ll need to drive down a 6-mile gravel/dirt road, which is the access road for this part of the park. This gives you access to one of the remote areas of the park, and you’ll feel further from civilization (Tip: download any maps ahead of time; cell service is low)

NOTE: The Tall Trees Trail requires a permit to access. For more information, check out our Guide to Tall Trees Trail or book at Redwood Conservancy.

Grove of Titans

Trailhead | Distance: 1.7 miles | Difficulty: Easy

One of the newer trails (completed in 2022), Grove Of Titans, is easily one of my new favorite trails in the park. The trail wanders through some beautiful redwoods to the Grove of Titans, which has stunning old-growth trees. The grove also includes a raised metal boardwalk to help protect the sensitive root area around the trees.

The trail has quickly become one of the most popular in the park, and for good reason. I enjoyed that the trail and area noted the history of this area and the local tribes that lived here, including information and names from the original peoples of this land.

The first 0.8 miles follow the longer Mill Creek Trail before branching off to the Grove. The actual grove part is a short 0.1 mile.

Simpson-Reed Grove

Trailhead | Distance: 0.9 miles | Difficulty: Easy

This was my friend’s favorite trail. For such a short, easy trail, it’s one of the most beautiful examples of a Redwood Grove. It’s such a lovely trail, and we loved how well-preserved this area is. The trail takes you right into the heart of the grove, and I found it very accessible for all hiking levels. You can even take a short extension on the trail to add in Peterson Memorial Grove.

Located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the trail is perfect for those staying in Crescent City or going to/from Oregon. The trail is exceptionally easy to access for visitors to the north end of the park areas.

Stout Memorial Grove

Trailhead | Distance: 0.6 miles | Difficulty: Easy

Stout Memorial Grove is one of the most popular trails within the park. It takes visitors through a quick and easy walk through a great Redwood Loop. Named for a lumber tycoon, the grove his wife donated the land to memorialize her husband.

It’s not my favorite of the groves, to be honest. But it’s an excellent example to show more of the scars from the area’s logging history. It also has easy access to the Smith River, which I enjoyed. If you have a boat, kayaking in this area is also popular.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Trailhead | Distance: 1.4 miles | Difficulty: Easy

Often shrouded in fog, the atmosphere of the weather here is my favorite part of this trail. The hike takes visitors through this grove dedicated by Nixon to Lady Bird Johnson, who dedicated much of her time to nature protection. I also really find the wood bridge at the start of the trail a good addition for crossing the road.

One of the most shocking things about this grove is how it looked at founding. The scars of logging have become overgrown, making the history of this place even more impressive.

The trail is very popular, so be sure to come early or late in the day.

Fern Canyon

Trailhead | Distance: 1.1 miles | Difficulty: Easy

This is one of the more beautiful trails within the State Park System here. It takes you through some fern-covered trails, even within a canyon (the namesake), and among coastal redwoods. The water-filled canyon is beautiful, and the short hike is a great way to experience it. Be sure to plan for getting wet regardless of the season.

Accessing the trail is the tricky part. Driving to the trailhead requires traversing a sometimes tricky road (Gold Bluff Beach Road). Access requires fording two streams, which can be difficult in non-summer months. Refer to the visitor center as many times high-clearance is required. Reservations are required from May 15th to September 15th

Gold-Bluff day-use costs $12; however, America the Beautiful Passes, California State Park Annual Pass, Poppy Pass, or a current park campground reservation are accepted.

For those without a permit, access is via the James Irvine Trail (10 miles / 6-8 hour road trip).

Sign By Big Tree Wayside - Prairie Creek State Park

Cathedral Trees (w/ Big Tree Wayside)

Trailhead | Distance: 3 miles | Difficulty: Easy

Cathedral Trees is an easy, long trail through some impressive Redwoods in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The trail is an out & back and you can go as far as you want before returning.

For those who go the full distance, you are rewarded with a stop at the famous “big tree wayside”. This is a popular spot photo spot as it is road accessible. The cathedral trail is nice in that you’ll get some respite from the crowds.

Endert Beach - Del Norte Coast - Redwoods

Endert Beach (via Coastal Trail)

Trailhead | Distance: 1.3 miles | Difficulty: Easy

Endert Beach is one of the most accessible trail-access beaches in the park. The trail is a short walk down the Coastal Trail before turning off and quickly descending to the ocean. Even with how easy of a trail this was, fewer than a handful of folks were on the beach when I arrived.

The trail is an excellent place to spot sea lions, dolphins, and other wildlife. The rocks on a the beach are a good place to sit and have lunch. While not as remote as other beaches, it’s a nice change from some of the park’s more popular roadside access beaches.

Trillium Falls Trail

Trailhead | Distance: 1 – 2.7 miles | Difficulty: Moderate

Trillium Falls is an easy-to-moderate hike through redwoods to a small waterfall. I liked the atmosphere of the falls, with its rainforest feel and big trees surrounding it. While one of the better falls in the park, the falls may be a letdown for those expecting towering drops.

It’s only 0.5 miles from the trailhead to the falls, and for those who just want to see them, we recommend turning back to the trailhead. For others, the trail is a loop with an additional 2 miles of hiking available. You won’t see any other water features, but you’ll have lovely wooded trails and towering trees without the crowds that only head to the waterfall.

B-71 Radar Station

Trailhead | Distance: 0.2 miles | Difficulty: Easy

This is barely a trail, but it is a super interesting site. Located along the one-way Coastal Drive, the Radar Station is a fascinating bit of World War 2 history. Following Japanese submarine attacks on US coastal areas, the US knew they needed better early warning systems in case of future attacks.

This is one of several radar stations built along California’s coast. Located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the site was built to resemble farmhouses so that it would be more difficult to detect by enemies and US visitors, too! You can hike a short 0.2-mile trail down to get a closer view of the buildings. The buildings themselves are not open to visitors.

Boy Scout Trail

Trailhead | Distance: 5.3 miles | Difficulty: Moderate

One of the more challenging day hikes in the park, Boy Scout Trail is a 5.3-mile out-and-back hike through beautiful fern-covered grounds and impressive redwoods.

The trail has over 950 feet of elevation gain, with most of it near the start of the trail. The trail peaks and then descends through the forest until you reach the small fern falls, which is the turn-around point of the trail.

The trail is a good one to do either instead of or in conjunction with Stout Memorial Grove and Grove of Titans.

How Many Days to Spend in Redwood National Park

For those looking to check out the park’s highlights, 2 to 3 days should be plenty of time to experience them. We recommend at least two days to do a few of the wonderful groves, beaches, and drive the scenic Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.

If you are planning to do any of the permit-based areas, such as Tall Trees of Gold Beach, we recommend trying to book ahead of time. Thankfully, you’ll also have options to book the day before via the Redwood Parks Conservancy Website.

Tips & FAQs

If you have a America the Beautiful or Access Pass, it will save you money on any state park access in Redwoods as well.
Plan your hikes for the day in the same or nearby parks.
Wear good footwear. There’s a lot of uneven, rutted ground to walk on.
Check with visitor center for road and trail conditions. Especially for Gold Beach Road driving.