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Redwood National Park & Trillium Trail

Location = Redwood National Park. 258 Davison Rd, Orick CA to the Elk Meadow viewing area & Trillium Falls.

Redwood National Park is amazing and known for it's gigantical Redwood trees. You can hike the trails until your shoes fall off. Plus, you can camp in the Park with reservations or permit. FYI: the scenic drive on Newton Drury Prkwy in Redwood National Park is not as impressive as the drive in Jedidiah Smith Redwood Park - see below.

Within the Redwood National Park is Trillium Trail - a 2.6 mile loop which has 2 surprises: the elk viewing area & the waterfall. On Davison Rd, the elk viewing area is on the right. Further down Davison, turn left into the parking lot. Start on Davison Trail and go south, then at the Trillium Trail go right. The Trillium waterfall is less than 1/4 mile in.

Plan on spending 3-5 days. FYI: All destinations are between McKinleyville & Crescent City along the coast. The closest airport is in McKinleyville CA. The best routes by vehicle are from Interstate 5 in Redding or Red Bluff.

Experience extremes: Death Valley & Palm Springs

Trees You Can Drive Thru

Location = Drive Thru Tree. 430 CA-169, Klamath CA. Cost = $5/vehicle.

It's true.....you really can drive thru a Redwood tree at Klamath Tour Thru Tree. That's me in the black SUV. I was having fun until my car stalled and I had to climb out the back. Ha Ha - totally kidding. Although.... it could happen!

Better keep all body parts & doggy snouts inside the vehicle, or chance losing something. Seriously - it's a squeeze, but really fun. Definitely wouldn't try it with a dually truck! Klamath Tour Drive Thru Tree is totally worth the 30 minute stop and a once in a lifetime experience. We recommend going on a week day, or if you're going on a weekend in peak tourist season - go earlier or later in the day.

More Drive Thru Tress

• Chandelier Tree, 67402 Drive Thru Tree Rd, Leggett CA.

• Shrine Drive-Thru Tree, 13078 Avenue of the Giants, Myers Flat CA.

Location = Tress of Mystery. 15500 Hwy 101, Klamath CA - 5.4 miles north of the Drive-Thru Tree.

The Trees of Mystery is awesome with a few giants of their own.....I mean, besides Paul Bunyan & Blue Ox at the entrance. Don't know why it's blue, it's weird. Did you know Redwoods can grow to 375 feet? That's about 35 stories tall & higher than the Statue of Liberty.

There are several short walking trails at the Trees of Mystery - generally no more than 1 mile with interesting tidbits of info posted along the way. The trails also have multiple wooden carved pieces that are fun like the squirrel running down the tree. Be sure to see the Trinity Tree, the tallest in the park at 297 feet as of 2018. Brotherhood Tree & Cathedral Tree also have unique stories of how they formed.

Next is the walk to Brotherhood Station at the top - or you can take the shuttle up. The views are pretty awesome. The best part of this little excursion to the top is the SkyTrail gondola ride back down. Super cool with glass all around for perfect viewing pleasure.

Redwood Canopy Trail

We saved the best for last. The Redwood Canopy Trail is a walk in the treetops with 8 bridges suspended between platforms and a steep spiral staircase at the end. Once you're up, there's no way out except to get to the end. FYI: Trees of Mystery website asks you to read the rules first, because a panic attack rescue would be pretty costly for you and them.

If you're new to my blog, you won't know about my slight fear of heights. OK, I lied - it's pretty bad. The Redwood Canopy Trail was my 2nd attempt to voluntarily conquer my fear. I was doing OK until we ran into a 20-something ding-bat of a girl. I guess she thought the suspension bridges were there to practice for the trampoline event at the next Olympics.

At more than 100 feet up, I pretty much need my feet to be on steady ground.... as steady as a suspension bridge can be. Despite my pleas and the sign that said NO jumping, the girl ignored me. That is until her mother could see my the panic in my face & grabbed her arm. Oh, thank you Lord. Once I realized that nothing the bridge was still in suspension, and I hadn't plummeted to my death - I had a good time.

My daughter below turned around to check on me, so I gave her a thumb's up. I should have gone a second time, because my legs completely stopped shaking by the time I was 2/3 of the way through. The Trees of Mystery and the Redwood Canopy Trail is a fun treetop adventure.

Wilson Creek Beach

Location = No address to Wilson Creek Beach. Hwy 101, Klamath CA - 1.3 miles north of Trees of Mystery, and just north of Lagoon Pond Picnic area.

Wilson Creek Beach is small, but it's a pretty little beach right off Hwy 101 to stretch your legs & let the dogs out. The sand is dark gray/black and the beach is 1/2 mile long. If you go to Wilson Creek Beach during low tide, you should be able to find a sea creature or two hiding around the rocks & shallow pools.

Look at this little guy we found - Crusty the Crab who was probably trying to dry out all his parts! Send me a photo of a little friend you found.... or, your best pose on a beach.

Ocean World

Location = Ocean World. 304 Hwy 101 South, Crescent City CA. About 15.1 miles north of Trees of Mystery. Small entry fee.

Ocean World is small, but it's really cute with some interesting features. You'll enjoy their guided interactive tour as they lead you to various stations where you can observe & pet some of the marine life. Did I forget to mention - you can pet a shark?

Ocean World also has an adorable seal show, especially the babies. They're intelligent, comical, and mischievous critters - the perfect combo to entertain. While it's nowhere near the size of the big city aquariums I've been to, Ocean World has it's charm and we're glad we went.

Sequoia & Redwood Trees

The 2 well known species of Redwood are the Sequoia & coast Redwood - and they're massive and very vulnerable. Sequoias are the biggest by volume in the world with thick trunks. Redwoods are the tallest in the world with thinner trunks.

Redwoods are vulnerable to drought, excessive rain, soil compaction mostly due to humans, and limited space between trees. To protect all that God gave us, please stay on the trail as we, and our pets, cause damage without realizing it. Scientists also learned if the green leaves towards the top are dead, the tree is dying of thirst.

The biggest Sequoia in the world - General Sherman located in Sequoia National Park, CA. It's 36 feet in diameter, and estimated to be 1,800 - 2,700 years old.

The tallest Redwood in the world - Hyperion located in Redwood National Park. It towers above the forest at 380 feet tall. FYI: Hyperion is illegal to see because it needs protection from humans - undergrowth has been damaged plus garbage & human waste was found. The Park has blocked the area with a fine + jail time for violators. Humans that purposely damage nature - Just STOP.

Location = No address to Jedidiah Smith Redwood Park. Crescent City CA - 11.7 miles from Ocean World to the intersection of Redwood Hwy 199 & County Rd 427 (aka S. Fork Rd). On County Rd 427, cross Smith River twice, go right on Douglas Park Dr. which turns into Howland Hill Rd and into Jedidiah Smith Redwood Park. Go 1.1 miles past Pacomo Camp Dr. (on the left) to the Stout Grove Trail & parking lot on the right. FYI: RV's & trailers can't drive this narrow road, with little room to turn around.

Jedidiah Smith Redwood Park is a huge forested area with multiple hiking trails, meandering thru majestic redwood giants & gorgeous scenery. Get ready for amazing photo ops with these living giants.

Grove of Titans Trail

For more incredible scenery, keep going an additional 1.4 miles to the impressive Grove of Titans Trail - a short distance past the bridge over Mill Creek. It's 1.7 miles roundtrip. FYI: sorry, I missed this when I researched hiking trails: NO dogs allowed on Grove of Titans Trail, and parking is very limited on Howland Hill Rd. With no parking available & our dogs in the car, we headed back to Stout Grove Tail.

Stout Grove Trail

Stout Grove Trail in Jedidiah Smith Redwood Park has some Redwood giants with unique shapes, appendages, large gaping holes, and merging trunks. From the trailhead, around the loop & back is .6 mile. However, you can connect to other trails for a much longer hike.

Starting out, when you reach River Trail, go left which takes you to the emerald waters of Smith River, photo in the section above. The shallow waters are crystal clear & refreshing on hot days. We continued along the river to the footbridge which is only there during summer. Across the bridge, the trail soon ends at a campground.

If you don't cross the footbridge, and go straight south for a bit - there's 2 lengthy trails to explore. With your back facing the bridge, go right on Hiouchi Trail that follows Smith River, or turn left on Mill Creek Trail that follows Mill Creek.

On the way back just past the river a short distance, be sure to take Stout Grove Trail to the right to see a different section of the loop. Then go right at the "T" intersection back to the parking lot. The scenery is gorgeous & blow your mind amazing. The Redwood trees in Jedidiah Smith Park seem to have their own personality.... showing us just how alive they really are.

We noticed that quite a few trees grew a sort of bridge that connected to a nearby tree. See photo at the bottom. Some tress are growing these weird, knotty appendages like the black spider looking growth in the next section below. It makes me wonder if these appendages were formed because the trees were under stress? Or maybe to repair itself?

More Fun Things to Do

• From McKinleyville, going north to Crescent City.

• Moonstone Beach, Trinidad - a very popular beach for good reason. It's great for surfing & rock climbing including some bolted sport climbs.

• Houda Point Beach & Camel Rock Lookout, Trinidad - go at low tide. It also has beautiful scenery and is good for surfing and exploring some awesome caves.

• Humboldt Lagoons State Park - go kayak in a beautiful lagoon, find the elk grazing and look for sea lions.

• Hey-Hay horse lovers - Redwood Creek Buckarettes in Orick offers horseback riding on some beautiful trails.

• Del Norte Golf Course - a 9 hole picturesque course just east of Crescent City.

Vacation Travel Tips

• Average temps high/low = Summer 64/50 degrees F. Winter 55/42.

• Backpack essentials - water, bug spray, sunscreen, whistle, flashlight, cell phone, pocket knife, and a light jacket.

• Winter Essentials - waterproof hiking boots, and warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery from foggy conditions.

• Vehicle safety – keep spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, snacks in the car.

• Wild animals - elk, deer, bobcats, raccoon, and fox are commonly seen. Mountain lions, black bears, coyotes also inhabit the area.

• Safety Tips: learn safety tips in case you encounter a black bear, mountain lion, or elk especially in rutting season Aug-Oct.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – river shoes are helpful due to rocky river-beds.

• Poison oak - always know before you touch. If it's growing up like a vine with reddish color in stem/leaves, it's probably poison oak. On the ground it has 3 leaflets.

• Rattle Snakes - they do live in CA coastal areas, however they prefer to avoid humans, and only bite as a last option to avoid harm.

• Wilderness areas – take a buddy & tell someone your travel plans.

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