I love hiking, and northern California has some of the best hikes in the world (okay, so I’m totally biased, as I lived there for two years, but just trust me on this). That being said, I don’t always want to go on a full-day excursion through the woods. I prefer scattering a bunch of shorter hikes throughout the day, so I can see a wide variety of sights and experience all that a place has to offer. These are some of my favorite hikes in California, and one of them even holds the spot of one of my favorite hikes in the world. You can break them up between different days, or go for it and cram them all into one. They each have something really unique to offer, from gorgeous old-growth redwoods to stunning ocean views. This land is absolutely magic, and whether you’re in town for a couple days or just rolling through, you have to check out at least a few of these trails: 1. Wedding Rock Trail, Sue-meg State Park0.2 Miles | Moderate Good for: Ocean views Despite being the shortest hike on this list, Wedding Rock Trail is one of my favorites for the views alone. A short scramble up steep, uneven stone steps will take you nearly to the top of the rock for the best views in the park. I recommend visiting during golden hour, just before sunset, when the sun’s rays turn the vista into a sea of pastels, and you get the best view of the ocean in the park. In the morning (and after sundown), California’s coast tends to be very foggy, so it’s better to come here after the fog has burnt off, in early afternoon or later. There are short side trails branching off the main trail which you can follow to explore the rocks, or you can combine this with the Rim Trail, recommended below, for a longer excursion. 2. Sumêg Village Trail, Sue-meg State Park0.25 Miles | Easy Good for: History buffs, culture Family homes at Sumêg Sue-meg (formerly known as Patrick's Point State Park) boasts a recreated Yurok village, Sumêg, featuring traditional style family homes, a sweat house, changing houses, a redwood canoe, and a dance house. The village was built by Yurok people using modern tools and traditional materials in the traditional style of a permanent village, and is used by local Yuroks for youth education and to share their culture with the public. You can walk here from the visitor’s center along a short trail, which also branches off to include a native plant garden. I recommend picking up a pamphlet from the visitor’s center to explain how each building was traditionally made and used. Don’t be afraid of entering the buildings, either -- that’s half the fun! Although this trail is so short I have a hard time calling it a “trail,” I still recommend checking it out for the impressive architecture and to learn about how the Yurok people used to live. 3. Ceremonial Rock Trail, Sue-meg State Park0.7 Miles | Easy Good for: Bird’s-eye views This out-and-back trail takes you through the forest and meadow to a massive outcrop. Start at Bishop Pine parking and picnic area, and take the meadow trail to the rock. Here, you can circle it along Ceremonial Rock Loop Trail, and choose to climb to the very top along the Steps Trail. They’re unmarked, but although they both allow you to climb a little ways up the rock, only Steps Trail leads you to the top for beautiful views of the forest and field. The stairs are uneven, and very slippery in winter, but most have guard rails which you can hold onto if you’re nervous. When you’ve soaked in the view, you can loop back through the forest along Ceremonial Rock Trial proper, which will take you back to the main road. The Bishop Pine area will be just a quick walk to your right. 4. Fern Canyon Loop, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park1.1 Miles | Easy Good for: Cool plants, river crossings, movie buffs Out of all of the places you could visit in northern California, this is one you can’t miss. It’s one of my favorite hikes not only in California, but in the world, and I have an entire blog post dedicated to it here. It’s located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, one of several parks which make up the massive Redwoods park system, and a mere thirty minutes north of Redwood National Park proper. Despite its status as a filming location for Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World, it’s relatively uncrowded -- likely due in part to the rough, unpaved road you need to take to get there. Ferns, moss, and numerous small waterfalls adorn every inch the steep cliff walls, and a slow-moving creek runs alongside and occasionally through the trail. Boards are laid out over the creek for easier passage in the summer, but during the off-season you’ll have to make do with fallen logs and not caring when your feet get wet. At the back end of the canyon lies a set of stairs to the canyon’s rim, turning the trail into a relatively easy, mile-long hike that’s accessible at any time of year, weather permitting. There, you can find canyon views, a prairie that’s good for wildflower spotting in spring, and the site of a former mining camp. For a longer trek, you can take the James Irvine Trail to and from the Prairie Creek visitor center down to Fern Canyon and nearby Gold Bluffs Beach, 4.5 miles one way or 9 miles round trip. 5. Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail, Redwood National Park1.3 Miles | Easy Good for: highland redwoods, history buffs Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail is a popular, level trail close to the Kuchel visitor center, and one of the easiest loops in the park. 1200 feet above sea level, it features smaller trees and often more fog than lower valley trails, but that’s part of its charm. In August 1969, President Richard Nixon dedicated the grove to Lady Bird Johnson, former first lady and lifelong environmental activist. The location of the dedication ceremony features a nice plaque, and there are information stands and historic photographs at several points along the trail. For a longer hike, you can take the three mile Berry Glen Trail from the Elk Meadow viewing area along highway 101 up to the trail, making your way from the lower old growths up to the ridge. 6. Trillium Falls Trail, Redwoods National Park2.6 Miles | Moderate Good for: Old-growth redwoods, animal viewing, waterfalls Trillium falls trail leads you past an elk viewing station and into the hills for magnificent views of old-growth redwoods. At 0.6 of a mile in, you’ll find the trail’s namesake, a small waterfall cascading over rocks. It’s very pretty, but if you’re expecting something large or dramatic, you’re likely to be disappointed. That being said, it’s a good trail to experience old-growth redwoods, and there are multiple opportunities for elk spotting, such as at the latter end of the trail: hike over the Prairie Creek Bridge for creek views and the chance to spot the area’s famous elk herd. 7. Rim Trail, Sue-meg State Park3.1 Miles | Moderate Good for: Ocean views The Rim Trail is an out-and-back trail along the cliffs of Sue-meg, leading you from Agate Beach all the way across the park, with plenty of smaller trails branching off with spectacular ocean views. Rocky Ridge trail and, of course, Wedding Rock are two of my personal favorites. The nice thing about this trail (aside from the beautiful ocean views) is that you can make it as long or as short as you like, depending on how far you want to walk. That being said, the day use fee is presently $8, so I would suggest hitting up as many hikes as you can while you’re here to make the most of your money. BONUS: Big Tree Wayside Walk, Prairie Creek State Park0.1 Miles | Easy Good for: Introduction to the park, big trees! The walk to Big Tree is less than 200 yards (100 m) from the parking area, so I really can’t call it a hike, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving it out, either! Just off the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek is Big Tree, a wheelchair-accessible trail featuring... well, a really big tree! While it’s not the largest tree in the park, it’s still positively massive:
Detailed trail information and audio boxes are located at the trailhead so people can hear from Yurok elders about redwood trees, and a platform (sadly not wheelchair-accessible) was built around the tree to allow people to get close without damaging her large, shallow root system. Along the trail, you can also see a felled redwood tree, which gives you a better idea of how massive these magnificent trees roots really are. Have you been on any of these hikes? Are there any other hikes along California’s north coast which you think should have been included? Tell me all about it in the comments section down below -- I love to hear your thoughts! Know Where You Walk: Redwood National Park and Sue-meg State Park are traditionally home to the Yurok people. Like this post? Why not share it?If you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment telling me what you think! Or, if you found it useful, share it with your friends! You'll be helping me turn my passion for travel into a business, and more importantly, you'll be helping your friends out with any travel questions they might have, too. See more adventures!If you liked this post, you may also like:
1 Comment
|
Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
searchLooking for somewhere in particular? Search here:
shopsocial mediapopular postsThis website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of Cookies |