Summer is here, and we’ve got daylight hours to burn. Even with a busy schedule, you can take a day trip before the sun goes down. Here are recommendations for three excellent half-day redwood hikes. Enjoy!
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Prairie Creek Trail is another worthwhile hike. Although the trail is about four miles one way, you don’t need to venture far to see large old-growth coast redwoods. The aptly named Big Tree, with an impressive 21.6 feet in diameter, is a mile and a half from the visitor center. The Corkscrew Tree, with its four inexplicably intertwined trunks, sits nearby.
Portola Redwoods State Park
For an easy-going and kid-friendly hike, take Sequoia Nature Trail, a ¾-mile loop that starts at park headquarters. Pescadero Creek runs along sections of this trail. Brilliant orange leopard lilies, which bloom between early May and July, run along the creek and attract both hummingbirds and butterflies. To extend this hike, take the connecting Iverson Trail, which leads to Tip Toe Falls, a six-foot cascade with a glossy, circular pool below.
Before leaving Portola Redwoods, don’t miss The Old Tree, which is near park headquarters. This old-growth redwood has an impressive 12-foot diameter and 305-foot stature. At nearly 1,200 years old, it’s named The Old Tree for a reason.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
For a good half-day excursion at Calaveras, start with North Grove Trail. It’s a gentle 1.5-mile circuit around North Grove, a forest that has been under protection since the League acquired it in 1931. Several oddities border North Grove Trail, including the Discovery Tree — a magnificent stump as big as a house — and Father of the Forest — a hollowed, horizontal tree that visitors can walk through.
After completing the trail loop, head over to Beaver Creek. This creek, which crosses the southern end of the park, is shaded and perfect for wading or swimming. Bring a picnic!
For more redwood trip ideas, check out our Discover Redwood Parks interactive map.