Redwood Walks

This is a rough guide to some of the trails in the redwood parks of California. Most of these walks are for less than 5 miles. I've rated each park on a scale of 1-5 "redwoods" (yes, I know the trees in the graphics aren't redwoods, but they're the best I've been able to find). The ratings are only based on my opinion, experience and taste. I tend to prefer the tranquility of walking deep in a redwood forest, even if it's smaller "second growth" trees, to large individual trees near distractions like roads and crowds. It's great to see the old growth trees in place like Muir Woods just to be awed by their sheer size, but I think you have to get away from the pavement and crowds to really appreciate the forest. I'd like to hear other opinions or of other parks and trails that I have missed (my email address is at the bottom of this page).

Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve, Guerneville, Sonoma County

Old growth redwoods. I've only been there once, and just went on the Pioneer and Discovery Trails. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great, mainly because the trail didn't go far from the road and picnic areas. At least the trails were flat. Are there better trails there that I've missed?

I think there was an entrance fee, but I forget what it is ($4-$5?).

Bothe-Napa ValleyState Park, Napa County

The Redwood Trail along the creek is pretty nice, a gentle climb, and has a few nice groves out where the trail meets the Ritchey Canyon Trail.

A good 3-4 mile loop is to go out the Redwood Trail and up the the Coyote Peek Trail, which is moderately steep at times. Then take the South Fork Trail back down to the creek and follow the Vineyard Trail across the creek to where it meets the Redwood Trail. In the winter, it might not be possible to do this because the creek might be too high to cross.

This is a pretty nice park that's surprisingly never been crowded when I've been there. I guess these are new growth redwoods, but they're pretty big. There is an entrance fee ($4-$5?). The visitor center sells trail maps, but I don't know if they're open year round or only in the summer. There are flush toilets at the picnic area.

Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County

The easiest accessible old growth redwoods from San Francisco. Real nice old growth redwoods, but unfortunately the Main Trail which goes through them is paved and usually crowded. One good hike is to start from the parking lot and head up the Dipsea Trail. The initial part is pretty steep, but when it gets out into the open meadow it becomes only a moderate incline. Take the Dipsea Trail to where it meets the Ben Johnson Trail and then take the Ben Johnson Trail back down to the Main Trail. The Ben Johnson Trail is pretty nice (except for the occasional noise of cars, trucks and motorcycles climbing up Mount Tam). The Main Trail back to the parking lot has the biggest trees.

There is now an entrance fee ($4-$5?). The Visitor Center has free maps which only show the tails along the creek and they sell larger maps which show and describe more of the trails in the area, including trails to Stinson Beach and up Mount Tam. The Visitor Center has flush toilets. Parking is usually a hassle here and sometimes there aren't even spots along the road.

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County

One of the nicest new growth redwood parks. Start at the Half Moon Bay trailhead, unless you like hiking up hill on your return trip.

A pleasant 2-3 mile walk is up and back the Purisima Creek Trail to where it meets the Soda Gulch Trail. Most of the trail is a gentle climb, with only a few moderately steep parts. It does get pretty steep in the last section before the Soda Gulch Trail, but if you turn back there you won't miss much.

A real nice 7 mile hike is up the Harkins Ridge Trail to the Soda Gulch Trail and back down the Purisima Creek trail. The Harkins Ridge Trail climbs quickly out of the redwoods into open meadow and is pretty steep at times, but it has some good views of the ocean and creek valley. The Soda Gulch Trail starts out in low brush before it reaches the forest. The Soda Gulch Trail through the forest is beautiful; dense forest, and not too crowded since you have to walk at least 2 miles to get to it. And as a bonus, the Soda Gulch Trail and Purisima Creek Trail are all down hill.

No entrance fee. Maps are available at the trail heads. Chemical toilet at the trailhead. About the only problem with Purisima is that the parking lot is real small (4-5 cars) so you usually have to park on the road.

Although on a map it may look like Higgens-Purisima Road is the easiest way to get to the Half Moon Bay trail head, Purisima Creek Road is actually much easier. From Half Moon Bay, just continue south on Highway 1, past Higgens-Purisima Road, until you see a sign for Verde Rd. and turn left onto this road. Shortly after you turn, Verde Rd. branches off to the right, but if you continue straight you will be on Purisima Creek Road which you can then take to the trail head and parking area.

El Corte De Madera Creek Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County

Supposedly has an old growth grove, but the trees seem to be smaller than the new growth at Purisima Creek and the hills are steeper. I've only been there once though, so maybe there's a good part that I've missed?

No entrance fee. No toilets. The Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District's web page says you have to go to their office to get a map, but there is a large wooden map at the trail head on Skyline Blvd. (and I think they had paper maps too, but I don't remember).

Huddart County Park, San Mateo County

New growth redwoods. There are a number of picnic areas in the redwood groves near the parking areas but there are also a few nice trails here, and this is probably the easiest redwood forest to get to from San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley (although Wunderlich is even easier to get to, especially if you're not comfortable driving on a narrow mountain road for a mile or so).

The best trail I've found so far is to take the Campground Trail (actually, a road) out to the Toyon Group Camp Area. It's a fairly gentle climb. From there take the Crystal Springs Trail down past the Canyon Trail and Chaparral Trail to the Dean Trail. The Crystal Springs Trail is a moderate decline to the McGarvey Gulch Creek, but after the creek it heads up hill, rather steeply at times.

As for other trails there, the upper parts of the Dean and Crystal Spring Trails are fairly steep and mainly go through a deciduous forest. They only go through redwoods when they meet at McGarvey Gulch Creek. It looks like the creek has some nice redwoods along it and would be a pretty nice walk, but there isn't a trail there. The Dean trail is also pretty close to Kings Mountain Road.

$4 entrance fee. Maps at the entrance. Flush toilets at the Zwierlein and Werder Picnic Areas.

Wunderlich County Park, San Mateo County

New growth redwoods. Mostly a deciduous forest, but if you head out the Alambique Trail and come back the Loop Trail, you'll cut through two parts of one redwood grove. The Alambique Trail is a moderate climb and the Loop Trail is a moderate descent.

I think there's another grove if you take the Alambique Trail out to the Meadow Trail, over to the Redwood Trail and come back on the Bear Gulch Trail.

There are even fewer redwoods here than Huddart Park, but at least there's no entrance fee, and it's a little easier to get to. Water, maps and a chemical toilet in the parking lot.

Heritage Grove, San Mateo County

Old growth redwoods. A very small park, but at least the trail isn't paved and there are no picnic areas in the middle of the grove.

The trail to the Upper Grove is moderately steep at times and the grove itself doesn't have many trees.

The trail to the Lower Grove is pretty flat and there are a lot more trees in the Lower Grove than in the Upper Grove. Unfortunately though, Alpine Road goes right along side the grove.

Alpine Road is quite narrow, so driving here involves some white knuckles (a little if you come from Pescadero Road to the west; a lot if you come from Skyline Blvd to the east). A better way to get here is to walk from Sam McDonald County Park.

No entrance fee, no maps, no toilets or water.

Sam McDonald County Park, San Mateo County

New (and old?) growth redwoods. An OK, but short, walk is the Big Tree Trail which is about a mile loop with some moderate uphill parts.

A nicer walk is to take the Big Tree Trail to the Towne Trail up to the ridge. This is a moderately steep climb. Continue on the Towne Trail as it levels out along the ridge and then go down the Heritage Grove Trail. This is a kind of steep descent at times. The Heritage Grove Trail doesn't actually go into Heritage Grove, you have to take a side trail that leads into the Upper Grove and then down to the Lower Grove. Return on the side trail and then continue on the Heritage Grove Trail back to Sam McDonald.

No entrance fee. Maps at the Ranger Station. Flush toilets at the parking area.

Pescadero Creek County Park

New growth redwoods. The Old Haul Road Trail is pretty good as far as paved trails go. It's more of a mixed forest than a redwood forest, but it's still rather nice and not as crowded as adjacent Memorial County Park.

No entrance fee. Water near the trail head, but no toilets. No maps, but at the Memorial County Park entrance they sell a map which covers Pescadero Creek, along with Memorial and Sam McDonald parks.

Memorial County Park, San Mateo County

Old growth redwoods. A real nice grove of old growth redwoods which unfortunately has parking lots and picnic areas built through it. Probably a nice place for a picnic in the redwoods but adjacent Pescadero Creek County Park is better for walking.

Entrance fee ($4-$5?). Flush toilets. At they entrance they have free maps of Memorial County Park and they sell another map which covers Memorial, Pescadero Creek and Sam McDonald parks.

Butano State Park, San Mateo County

Old and new growth redwoods. The Lower Butano Creek Trail along the creek is only a mile or so long, but it's quite nice. At last, some large redwoods that don't have a paved trail, or a parking lot or picnic area in the middle of them! On top of this, the trail is even level for the first mile or so. A real easy and beautiful walk is to just walk the first mile along the creek until the trail starts a long switchback up hill.

The Ano Neuvo Trail up to the top of the ridge is quite steep and brutal, doesn't go through any redwoods, and the view of Ano Neuvo Park and the ocean is rather underwhelming for the effort. But the Lower Butano Creek Trail more than makes up for it.

There are only 2 or 3 parking spaces near the Lower Butano Creek Trail Trail head, so it's better to just park near the entrance or picnic area (although neither of them have much parking either) and walk in along the road. Even the walk along the road is quite nice, through the redwoods and near the creek.

Entrance fee ($4-$5?). Water and toilets at the picnic area. In the summer you can buy a map at the entrance. In the winter the only map I've found is in a glass case at the parking area near the entrance.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County

Old growth redwoods. A nice grove of old growth redwoods, but unfortunately the only trail I've been on is the one-mile paved Redwood Trail loop. Supposedly the other trails are quite nice, especially the Berry Creek Falls Trail.

$6 entrance fee. Maps and flush toilets at the Park Headquarters. Supposedly you do not want to drive the section of Rt. 236 that connects with Rt. 9 near Skyline Blvd. Instead, you want to take the section of Rt. 236 that connects with Rt.9 in Boulder Creek (which isn't bad at all).

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County

Old growth redwoods. The 0.8 mile Redwood Grove Trail loop is paved but the trees are nice. I only ventured down the River Trail briefly and it seemed to head into a deciduous forest instead of redwoods. Are there any other nicer trails there?

Entrance fee ($4-$5?). Maps and toilets at the Visitor Center.

The easiest way to get to Henry Cowell is to take Highway 17 to the Mt. Hermon Rd. exit and drive 3.5 miles towards Felton until the road ends in a T at Graham Hill Road. Turn right on Graham Hill Road and take that less than a quarter mile to the traffic light at Highway 9. Turn left onto Highway 9 and the park entrance is less than a mile away on the left. The park can also be reached by taking Highway 9 directly from Santa Cruz or Saratoga, but that involves a lot of driving on narrow, twisty, mountain roads.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Monterey County

Old growth redwoods. The Buzzard Roost Trail is pretty good, and the only drawback is the noise from cars on Highway 1. It's a reasonably steep climb. The view from the top, at Buzzard Roost itself is only so-so, but the trip up and back is the highlight. I haven't had a chance to go on any of the other trails yet.

Entrance fee ($4-$5). Maps available at the entrance (for $0.50-$1?). Flush toilets at the Visitor Center.

Of course that address is a lie, to discourage junk mail spammers. I didn't go to Spam College, I went to Santa Clara University. To send me email, change spam in that address to the 3 initials of Santa Clara University (hint, the first initial is s, the last initial is u, and the middle one is c).

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