Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Lady Bird Johnson Grove

    5.0 (41 reviews)

    Lady Bird Johnson Grove Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Lady Bird Johnson Grove

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Plaque
    Jacques I.

    What a beautiful trail that takes you to old growth redwood trees, which is exactly why we visited the northern California coast. The tallest trees in the world can be found around these parts and Lady Bird Johnson Grove makes it accessible to find these gems. We visited Redwood National Park and our first stop was at Lady Bird Johnson Grove that's easy to get to once you're in the national park. It's a very popular trail, so parking can be hard even with a private lot, but we were able to find street parking nearby, which is where a lot of cars end up parking. Once you're in the lot, you walk on a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the street that you just drove on to get to the other side where the grove starts. The grove is a 1.4 loop and is a very easy and flat trail, so is accessible for many. As soon as you make your way along the trail, you'll see old growth redwoods everywhere, giving you a neck cramp because you can't help but look up the entire time. Eventually, you'll see a plaque about Lady Bird Johnson who visited this grove, to highlight the need of conservation and preserving our redwood trees. I can get on board with that! If you're visiting Redwood National Park and are looking to find old growth redwoods on an easy and flat trail, this one is key. Get here early to avoid crowds and find parking. Beautiful grove.

    road sign
    James A.

    Leaving early from our hotel in McKinleyville, California (06:00), my wife, her mom, and I arrived at our first stop of the day (06:37) at Lady Bird Johnson Grove. This is the start (and end) of the relatively flat 1.4 mile loop trail, walking through a pedestrian land bridge that goes over the road that we had just come through (Bald Hills Road). That being said, we didn't want to exhaust Mom on our first stop, so ended up walking over the bridge but stopping before the start of the loop. The parking lot is paved, with spots for about 25 cars or so, with us being the first car there. It has outhouse style bathrooms. We were able to see downed old growth redwoods here, and marveled at how thick redwoods are. It's one of the few areas of the park where cell service was available, so my wife and I ended up playing a bit of Pokemon Go while we walked, leaving some in 2 blue and 1 yellow gyms. A bit of history: Redwood National Park was established in 1968, and the park dedication was done here the same year. The following year, the grove was formally dedicated in honor of Lady Bird Johnson. In 1980, the park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of twelve natural sites in the US.

    Loved this trail. It almost had an Erie feel to it because of the fog and mist. It was an easy walk. There are different posts labeled 1-13 throughout the walk that we were able to get enough service for to look up online to find information about throughout our walk. We would recommend doing this as it gave us a lot more information about the trees than we would have otherwise had.

    Beautiful!
    Vivienne C.

    Out of all the Redwood National Park trails, I think this is probably my favorite one. Here are some of the reasons why this is hands-down a must visit if you're in the area: - I think this is the most representative trail of what you imagine the Redwoods to be like. The entire trail is full of these 150+ foot redwoods surrounded by mist. It really makes you contemplate your life especially among these magestic vegetation. - The trail is relatively easy to hike as it is pretty wide and doesn't have many elevation changes. - There are a lot of park benches that have very great placement so that you can just be silent and listen to the sounds to the redwoods. I love that you can hear the drip of the water from the redwood branches onto the ferns as well as different types of birds chirping. - Coming here during the wintertime in the afternoon also didn't seem to be too bad as I think there's a certain beauty with the mist. Also, parking was not a problem at all. Overall, I could not recommend this place more in your next Redwoods visit!

    Travis T.

    This turned out to be one of my favorite hikes on my trip to the Redwood Coast. It is located in Redwood National Park. Lady Bird Johnson Grove is a 1.5 mile loop trail that gives you an intimate look at a mixed forest of redwoods. The trailhead is a few miles off the 101 and has a small parking lot. It is dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson (the former First Lady) for all of her conservation and environmental work. There is a bridge at the start of the trail. The trail itself is pretty easy to walk. You are able to walk through a second-growth forest into an old-growth redwood forest. A forest that has been logged once and has grown back it is called second-growth. The trees here are very dense but thin because very light gets in the area. Because of its high elevation, Lady Bird Johnson Grove can have some fog and is far from any traffic noise. My favorite things about this grove is how shady it is, the ferns all over the ground, and the moss growing on the branches. It is such a beautiful relaxing hike. I enjoyed taking lots of photos with my DSLR camera. There is a dedication plaque to Lady Bird Johnson in the middle of the hike. Dogs are not allowed on this hike.

    Start of the trail. Informative sign
    Sagan S.

    Make sure you bring water. It's a long trail . But it's super beautiful and worth it. So many awesome things to see and climb. We really enjoyed the entire trail. It was beautiful weather out when we went and I would say the trail does get a bit slippery in some places so make sure to wear some good shoes.

    Kids found (and released) a slender salamander
    Ben A.

    20 years ago, my bride-to-be and I took a road trip north to the redwoods. We stopped in Orick at a small diner, and enjoyed a quick breakfast while our server gossiped with a few regulars and kept looking out the window at her small-town arch-nemesis who was meandering around the business across the two lane highway. And I remember that as we drove north out of town, we saw signs for Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and made a shared mental note to check it out someday..... It took two decades, but we finally made it there-- married, with three kids in tow. The steep road to the grove heads pretty much straight up the mountain, and quickly you find yourself at 1000 ft. of elevation from Orick below (which is well within a tsunami danger zone at just a few feet above sea level.) The first thing you'll see to signal your arrival is a wooden footbridge traversing the Highway overhead; parking is just past tue bridge on your right. The grove preserves a few old growth redwoods amidst a sea of second-growth forest. The area is very beautiful and serene: the green of the redwood canopy, and the dense forest beneath of rhododendron, clintonia, ferns, and sorrel. Here and there, various mushrooms and fungi grow. Chipmunks, banana slugs, and salamanders can be found on the forest floor, with various birds singing in the trees. This is a good place for a peaceful walk on the relatively flat hiking path, or use this as a starting point for one of the connected and more strenuous hikes in the area. A beautiful place that thankfully will remain preserved for generations.

    Kandi G.

    Amazing! It was our first experience walking through a forest on the west coast and it was everything and more! It gave us an active workout, especially walking with a four year old! I ended up having to carry him for half our walk. The trails are kid friendly but can just be lengthy for those little legs. There are many scenic spots for pictures. Be prepared to carry your trash with you to the entrance of the park! There are bathrooms there too.

    Stefani T.

    From the looks of the parking lot, this is a busy spot! And if we didn't know better, we would have been left thinking the trails were going to be packed. If this is you, I'll tell you now to not worry. Most people don't walk the entire trail. I saw many with dogs (not allowed) stay near the parking lot, others crossing the bridge and reaching the first few trees to take selfies and turn back. After that, the maintained trail loop is sparse with people. The loop is short, and worth walking - if you drove all that way to park, then why not?

    Lori H.

    Stopped off Highway 101 to stretch our legs. Beautiful park with an abundance of majestic Redwoods. Small parking lot. Long wooden bridge takes you up to the trails. Would highly recommend!

    About the grove at the entrance to trail
    Jennifer N.

    This was my first stop in Redwood National Park. The drive here isn't too bad, taking Bald Hills road off 101. The trailhead is well marked and it's about 2.5 miles down the narrow, windy road-which isn't too bad-just be courteous for others coming the other way. There is ample parking at the trailhead and two pit toilets (not the best but also not the worst.) For a sunny Saturday, it wasn't all that crowded so it was a peaceful 1.5 mile loop. Easy trail but not to be missed for the serenity and history-it's a great introduction to the park if you're coming from the South. There is an interpretive map that you can pick up at the trailhead and I advise to meander the path, read the various placards and soak in the beautiful forest. All of this is absolutely free! No entrance fee for day use to the park or various trailheads-so no excuses to come out and enjoy!

    Tim S.

    Beyond beautiful! Absolutely amazing! So amazing that I am unable to upload most of my photos because they are "too large" for Yelp. Lame! We took a drive up to Crescent City, and we stopped here to walk around for a bit. Parking was a bit scarce (had to wait a few minutes for someone to pull out of the lot) with maybe 20 parking spots total? There is no charge to walk into this park, and if you want to take a souvenir pamphlet, they ask you to leave $1.00. The pamphlet points out 13 distinct areas along the trail (each one numbered on a wooden post) and gives descriptions on what you are looking at. The walk around the trail is a little over a mile. My mom walks with crutches, so it took us awhile longer than normal, but I had no complaints. The trail is flat for the most part, and the only steep hill is right in the beginning of the parking lot. Even then, it's not a hard hike at all. My mom made it the whole way around. They have benches you can rest on along the trail if you get tired. The coastal redwoods are simply amazing! Words/pictures don't even do them justice. They are SO BIG! 10-15 feet around, and 300 feet high. This grove has them all over the place. Even the small ones, are huge! Besides redwoods, there are wild flowers, ferns, and other trees all along the path. There are quite a few hollowed out redwoods along the path that you can stand inside. These trees burn from the inside out, causing them to hollow out. You would think that they would collapse, but they are so structurally sound, they still hold up. It's an awesome sight to see! If you are driving up the coast, definitely stop here. You can walk the trail in about 30 minutes and be on your way. It was absolutely beautiful and I hope to make it back again someday soon.

    Neal E.

    I visited the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. located within Redwood National Park one misty morning. You drive up about 2.5 miles up a paved road - which locals tell me is a logging road. I'm assuming the road leads to some private land inholdings or other non-National Park lands - past the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. On the way out - going down the mountain, I was behind two logging trucks loaded full. The parking lot itself is not very large. I managed to get a spot and started the hike to the loop trail. I was not paying close attention, but if I had to guess - hiking in, the loop trail, and then back out - maybe 1.5 miles total? Words seem insufficient to describe the experience. Anyway, the trees are breathtaking and gorgeous. Large, massive, tall, wide, beautiful, magnificent, ancient, majestic - are all adjectives I would use to describe these gorgeous Redwood trees! I took some photos and video - but even those fail to give one the total experience of what it's like to stand next to these trees. I spent most of my time in silent appreciation and observation of these trees; Feeling their bark. It's definitely a natural high to visit here! #LadyBirdJohnsonGrove #RedwoodNationalPark #NationalParkService #NPS

    The sheer size of these trees!!!!

    See all

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 days ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 2
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kara E.
    366
    268
    1110

    3 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ben A.
    4993
    1742
    5089

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joe C.
    4
    16
    14

    3 years ago

    It's a great circular trail for the family. A lot of photo opportunities along this trail.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of L W.
    0
    43
    25

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S W.
    1
    20
    23

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom H.
    1761
    141
    247

    9 years ago

    Helpful 55
    Thanks 0
    Love this 46
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lindsey G.
    32
    144
    159

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joseph L.
    9
    209
    36

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Lady Bird Johnson Grove

    Review Highlights - Lady Bird Johnson Grove

    If you're visiting Redwood National Park and are looking to find old growth redwoods on an easy and flat trail, this one is key.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Redwood National & State Parks - Fungi

    Redwood National & State Parks

    4.8(124 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    Beautiful scenery…read more There are so many different areas to go and see. All in different cities. The Redwood National Forest spans over a great distance. I drove from San Francisco. To see everything, I had to stay in a hotel overnight. With the exception of driving through carved out tress, all the sites are free. Driving through trees was $15 at each of the 3 sites I visited. There are several rest stop areas while driving to and from there.

    You had me at tallest trees in the world…read more Visiting this park feels like stepping into an ancient, enchanted realm where towering trees hush the wind and misty trails invite quiet awe. It's humbling, cinematic, and deeply restorative. Here's what makes this experience unforgettable: Home to the tallest trees on the planet, some stretching 370 feet and have stood for more than 2,000 years. Walking among them feels surreal, like wandering through a cathedral built by nature. Filtered sunlight, moss-draped trunks, and the scent of damp earth create a sensory-rich almost spiritual atmosphere. Fern Canyon is a must, a lush gorge with 50-foot walls blanketed in prehistoric ferns, famously featured in Jurassic Park. Other trails range from gentle strolls to challenging backcountry hikes, revealing old-growth forests, and coastal bluffs. The park isn't just forests. It embraces the northern California coast, with driftwood-strewn beaches and many areas remain quiet, offering a rare kind of solitude. Fun facts: best time to visit is Summer for best weather and accessibility, and there's no entrance fee. If you're drawn to places that blend grandeur with intimacy this park will linger long after you've left.

    Photos
    Redwood National & State Parks
    Redwood National & State Parks
    Redwood National & State Parks - Dense old-growth woods. Absolutely amazing!

    See all

    Dense old-growth woods. Absolutely amazing!

    Trillium Falls Trail

    Trillium Falls Trail

    4.5(6 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    This is coming from a middle aged out of shape non-hiker. This trail is a trial for a person like…read moreme. Steep-ish in places, roots to stumble over and crazy long...2 hours of walking when you are not used to going on trails like this? Holy crap. They could have done a huge public service and placed a restroom mid way through as well. It was easy to find parking in September. I parked right next to the trailhead thinking this was going to be a 45 min flat jaunt. I was so wrong! There are proper restrooms next to the parking lot with flush toilets and non potable sink water. It is beautiful though and you can really get an immersive redwood experience. The falls themselves are kinda baby falls compared to others I've seen.

    I hiked two of my favorite hikes in one day while exploring the Redwood Coast - Lady Bird Johnson…read moreGrove and Trillium Falls. This is such an amazing hike and easy to do. Trillium Falls Trail is a 2.6 mile loop trail off the 101 near Orick that starts off in the Elk Meadow Day Use area. It is part of Redwood National Park. Parking is at Elk Meadow and there are plenty of spots. The loop trail climbs a hill with switchbacks to a steel bridge over Trillium Falls. This shady redwood forest is so beautiful. There are redwoods and ferns everywhere. The sun peeking through the trees is just gorgeous on sunny days. The waterfall is small but makes for nice photos. The trail then loops around back around to the parking lot. I highly recommend doing this nature hike. It is one of the prettiest hikes in the park.

    Photos
    Trillium Falls Trail
    Trillium Falls Trail
    Trillium Falls Trail - Trillium Falls Trail

    See all

    Trillium Falls Trail

    Skunk Cabbage Trail - Another view of the tiny creek, and ferns, next to Skunk Cabbage Trail.

    Skunk Cabbage Trail

    5.0(1 review)
    1.5 mi

    The "Skunk Cabbage section" of COASTAL TRAIL starts at the edge of Route 101, and follows along…read morenear Skunk Cabbage Creek, and brings you to the beach at the Pacific Ocean. This trail is also called, "Skunk Cabbage Trail." The one way distance from Route 101 to the beach is about two and a half miles. According to Google maps, Skunk Cabbage Creek disappears at the half-way point to the Pacific Ocean. The trail keeps a distance of about 50 feet from the creek. It is possible to walk from the trail to the creek to get closer to the huge number of colorful skunk cabbages growing near the creek, but you might need to push yourself through a blanket of small plants and small bushes. Only a few skunk cabbages grow next to the trail (we saw about 20 of them), and some of these have big holes in the leaves and look deteriorated. MAGICAL THINGS TO SEE. As shown by my photographs, the magical things to see along the Skunk Cabbage Trail include the abundant ferns blanketing the landscape, green-colored lichens hanging from branches of nearby trees and, of course, the redwood trees. One of the redwood trees by the trail has a monsterously huge bizarre-looking burl. I decided to post only one photo of this burl because it is ugly looking. Another magical thing are the shelf fungi. We saw two trees with shelf funguses growing from them, and the shelf funguses looked like pancakes with a brown upper side and a white bottom side. Shelf funguses having a brown upper face and a white lower face include, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma sessile, and some species of Trametes versicolor. SKUNK CABBAGE (Symplocarpus foetidus). This plant has large leaves (50-135 centimeters long and 30-80 centimeters wide). The flowers are produced in a spadix. The skunk cabbage produces heat. The goal of the plant is to use the heat to melt snow, and ensure its survival in the winter. The temperature of the flowers can be about 20 degrees centigrade higher than the surrounding air. Skunk cabbages have a stinky odor that attracts insects that help pollinate the plant. Skunk cabbages have a hood, which is a modified leaf called a "spathe." The spathe wraps itself around a space that encloses a sphere of flowers called a "spadix." See, 1-page article on skunk cabbage published by California Native Plant Society (Calscape). See also, Skunk Cabbage by Craig Holdrege (9 pages) published in Fall 2000 in the newsletter, "In Context." MY PHOTOS. My photos show the parking lot where the trailhead is located, a huge sign at the edge of the parking lot, where the sign explains things about Skunk Cabbage Trail. My photos show shelf fungi growing on a tree next to the trail. My photos also show thick bushy lichens hanging from small trees, a few skunk cabbages, and a photo of me wearing a Cal Berkeley hat and a Cal Oski bear T-shirt. Other photos show a view of a huge ugly burl that grows on a redwood tree, and two photos 5 redwood trees growing in a tight bunch. One photo shows the area near the ground, where the 5 trees are bunched together. Another photo shows a higher area, where the 5 trees are separated from each other. ATTRACTIONS TO THE SOUTH ALONG ROUTE 101. We hiked to the half-way point along the Skunk Cabbage section, and then turned back. The town of Orick is a one minute drive south from the trailhead. Bald Hills Road is even closer. Bald Hills Road takes you to the east, and to the trailhead for Lady Bird Grove Trail. Both of these trails include some gentle up-and-down sections, and wooden footbridges crossing over tiny creeks. Trinidad is 17 miles south of Orick (see, my YELP review of Trinidad Head in Trinidad). Holiday Inn at McKinleyville is about six miles south of Trinidad. We stayed at this Holiday Inn. This Holiday Inn is elegant and very clean, and I felt like a king during our stay here.

    Photos
    Skunk Cabbage Trail - Hiker (me) kneeling next to the trail.  I'm wearing a Cal hat and a Cal Oski bear T-shirt.

    Hiker (me) kneeling next to the trail. I'm wearing a Cal hat and a Cal Oski bear T-shirt.

    Skunk Cabbage Trail - Redwood tree next to the trail.  This tree has amazing spiralling bark.

    Redwood tree next to the trail. This tree has amazing spiralling bark.

    Skunk Cabbage Trail - Parking lot and restroom.  The trailhead is at the side of this parking lot.

    See all

    Parking lot and restroom. The trailhead is at the side of this parking lot.

    Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - My hike

    Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

    4.8(186 reviews)
    35.2 mi

    It's one heck of a drive to get here, but it's so worth it…read more My husband has always wanted to go see the redwoods so I'm glad we were able to cross it off the list finally. It's magical to get to drive through and walkthrough the redwoods as it rained during our time here. I wish there was more I can say, but you're just going to have to plan a trip here and see it for yourself. We would happily plan a second trip back here.

    I mean... wow. I went hiking here last weekend, and it honestly took my breath away…read more As a SoCal girl now living in NorCal, I've made it my mission to explore as much as I can around this beautiful state, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods completely stole my heart. These trees are absolutely massive, walking among them feels like stepping into another world. The light, the air, the silence... everything feels calm, ancient, and sacred. The trails are super well maintained, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of parking even though it was busy. The roads and trails are a bit narrow, but honestly, that just adds to the charm. The river that runs through the park is crystal-clear and peaceful a perfect little spot to stop and take it all in. Standing next to those giant redwoods makes you realize how tiny you are in the best possible way. It's humbling and magical at the same time If you're driving from Eureka toward Crescent City, the entire drive is breathtaking, every curve along the coast looks like a postcard. You'll even pass through Elk Valley, and oh my god, there are actual elks just hanging out by the side of the road! They're so beautiful and so used to seeing people; it felt like nature welcoming you in. If you love hiking, nature, or just want to feel grounded and amazed, this place is a must. California, you really outdid yourself with this one.

    Photos
    Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
    Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - Salmon

    Salmon

    Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

    See all

    Trees of Mystery - Cute item in the gift shop

    Trees of Mystery

    4.4(427 reviews)
    19.8 mi

    Cool park with lots of strangely grown redwood trees. If you're traveling with a furry friend, they…read moredo allow dogs on everything except for the Redwood Canopy Trail, which contains a lot of suspension bridges. Admission is a bit steep, at $30 for adults and $25 for seniors. No extra fees for dogs. The trails contained plenty of dog poop bags, trash cans, and restrooms. It is quite well maintained. The trees are massive and nice to look at the vast variety. The Redwood Canopy Trail was cool to explore and is pretty short. There is also a gondola that takes you to an observation deck, though you may not be able to see anything if it is foggy. There are a couple of audio tapes that explain stories behind some of the figures that were there. Last but not least, the gift shop at the very end had lots of unique goodies to commemorate your time here.

    The sixth stop (09:43) during our drive up the 101 through the redwood forests to get to Crescent…read moreCity, the Trees of Mystery is a tourist stop that has a 49 foot high Paul Bunyon and his 35 foot high blue pet ox, Babe. The parking lot is large, with space for plenty of cars and tour buses. There are multiple buildings on the property, with a very large gift shop (ended up buying some souvenirs here, including salt and pepper shakers made from redwood), a shop that sells homemade fudge, and a private shop that sells more high end artistic crafts and artifacts. The restrooms are in a separate building to the side. Today wasn't the right time to take the gondola ride (1,500 foot high over the forest floor) and trail hike ($30 per adult), so will need to try it some other time when we have more time and ability to hike.

    Photos
    Trees of Mystery - 05.25.25 Ted's Ridge via the Sky Trail at the Trees of Mystery

    05.25.25 Ted's Ridge via the Sky Trail at the Trees of Mystery

    Trees of Mystery - 05.25.25 it's like walking on treetops

    05.25.25 it's like walking on treetops

    Trees of Mystery - Native playing a flute with my flute player.

    See all

    Native playing a flute with my flute player.

    Fern Canyon Trailhead - Magnificent Monkeyflowers were blooming in Fern Canyon

    Fern Canyon Trailhead

    4.7(26 reviews)
    7.2 mi

    Fern Canyon, within the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, is one of the most stunning natural…read moreattractions you will ever see. A one mile loop hike through a canyon with 20-foot walls covered in at least 7 different species of ferns? It's mind-blowing. And film-makers agree; one of the Jurassic Park movies was filmed here and I can see why. It's like going back in time to pre-meteor days, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Pictures truly don't do justice to the sense of awe and wonder you'll experience visiting Fern Canyon. The trail is basically the creek bottom. Planks are placed over the creek to keep your feet dry but you may still get wet in certain places. Wear rubber boots or waterproof shoes. Take a good camera and be mindful that there is no cell phone service in the Canyon itself (there is spotty service on the beach nearby). It's a bit of a drive out to the trailhead and yes, there are a couple of creek crossings, but nothing too crazy in summer months. (My SUV-wannabe car made it just fine.) You must reserve a permit ahead of time during the summer months; the "day-ahead" reservations are gone right at 9 am daily, so set your alarm. It will be worth it. https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/ferncanyonpermits.htm Grateful indeed for the California State Park system which preserves national treasures such as Fern Canyon.

    Beautiful short walk !! Amazing views! Not very long, some construction occurring at the end…read morebuilding some additional walkways

    Photos
    Fern Canyon Trailhead
    Fern Canyon Trailhead
    Fern Canyon Trailhead - It's breathtaking out here

    See all

    It's breathtaking out here

    Endert's Beach

    Endert's Beach

    4.5(16 reviews)
    28.5 mi

    While on a road trip, I had dinner then walked around here. The reason I took 1 star off was…read morebecause of some trash and lots of dead crabs / crab shells on the beach. I did not go into the water, fish or sit around the bon fire, but I am sure those things are fun to do here. It was easy to find parking.

    Years ago, long before Mrs. Picante del Monte and I tied the knot, we took the long drive north to…read moreJedediah Smith Redwoods outside of Crescent City, CA to camp and hike and cook over fire and do boyfriend & girlfriend kinda stuff. An outdoorsy gal to match my own granola-ish tendencies, she chatted up a couple of locals at the gas station about nice beaches in the area. An old gnarly hippie, who most likely spoke Boontling as his native tongue, told us about Enderts Beach on the south side of town, and off we went to seek our own insular Tahiti in the cool, perpetual overcast of extreme NorCal. We pulled off Hwy 101 and started down the long stretch of two lane highway, flanked by blackberry briars and wildflowers, to a nondescript turnout and a deer path heading out toward the dunes. Soon, we were walking through long-standing spider webs, as garter snakes skirted across our path, appearing and disappearing just as quickly in the thick green blanket of grass and blackberry vines. Along the way, we picked handfuls of the wild berries and popped them in our mouths, savoring the sweetness of the fruit, and the equally satisfying beauty and solitude of this place. Just a few yards from the trail, a black bear busied herself with her own berry gorging, seemingly oblivious to our passing. Truly, this was one of the most wild and untouched places we had ever been, and so close to the highway. The beach itself is wide and clean, heavily influenced by the tide and the relentless surf that pounds this part of the California coast into submission. Sand crabs, sand dollars, shorebirds, and--at high tide with the right bait-- red tailed surf perch are plentiful. An osprey hunting fish outside the surfline was a welcome sight, as was the occasional bear that would lumber along where the blackberries met the sand. Lots of driftwood, agates on the rock piles, and sea glass polished by the surf made beach combing productive. SoCal beaches can't even begin to compare to this level of natural beauty, even off the beaten path spots like Padaro, Blacks, and El Capitan. If you ever have the chance to enjoy a beach like Enderts or many other spots from Southern Oregon down along the Lost Coast of California, please take a moment to see nature as the Great Programmer intended it. It truly is a Thin Place-- a location where the distance between heaven and earth are significantly closer than average.

    Photos
    Endert's Beach - A white blackberry blossom and a beach backdrop

    A white blackberry blossom and a beach backdrop

    Endert's Beach - The sandy beach through the pines

    The sandy beach through the pines

    Endert's Beach - Sunset at Endert's Beach/Crescent Beach Picnic Area.

    See all

    Sunset at Endert's Beach/Crescent Beach Picnic Area.

    Gold Bluffs Beach & Campground

    Gold Bluffs Beach & Campground

    4.0(17 reviews)
    3.9 mi

    Gold Bluffs Beach and Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a remote beach in northern…read moreHumboldt County. I personally love how secluded this beach is that stretches out for miles. This beach is great for walking along the shoreline and/or enjoying a picnic at. In order to get here you will have to drive on a somewhat twisty road for about 6 miles. It is right next to Fern Canyon so I love visiting both at the same time due to the close proximity to one another. There are unique hikes in Fern Canyon due to the fern-covered walls you can walk through. This is such a beautiful area. I have not used the campground and only visited the beach so I can't speak to the campground aspect of this area. It is very peaceful and serene and a place where you can often spot elk.

    Gold Bluffs Beach extends for 10 miles along the Humboldt County coast in Prairie Creek Redwoods…read moreState Park. It requires a day use permit to enter because of the volume of visitors that come here. Mostly because popular Fern Canyon is next to it. Gold Bluffs has a campground with 26 sites. Permits are not required if you have camping reservations. To reach Gold Bluffs Beach, you have to drive on a 6 mile windy dirt road called Davison Rd that you can access near the Elk Meadow picnic area. Trailers are not allowed on Davison Road. Visitors will need to pay the day-use fee, or show their federal pass or CA state park passes at the Gold Bluffs Beach entrance station. You can also hike the 11-mile James Irvine loop trail from Prairie Creek Visitor Center. No permit is required if you are hiking. Gold Bluffs Beach was named after a gold discovery in the 1850's that attracted some interest by miners. If you are going to come here, make sure you check out nearby Fern Canyon. It is a must-see! The 1,200 mile California Coastal Trail runs through Gold Bluffs. After hiking Fern Canyon, I walked over to the coast of Gold Bluff to walk in the water and soak in the sun.

    Photos
    Gold Bluffs Beach & Campground - Gold Bluffs Beach

    Gold Bluffs Beach

    Gold Bluffs Beach & Campground - Gold Bluffs Beach

    Gold Bluffs Beach

    Gold Bluffs Beach & Campground - Fern canyon

    See all

    Fern canyon

    Lady Bird Johnson Grove - hiking - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...