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Original Event Notes: May 23-25: Redwood National Park Camping and Hiking
This trip to Redwood National and State Parks is an easy, relaxing trip to see the world's tallest trees as well as some of the last remaining old growth redwood forests. The park also boasts miles of pristine, rocky beaches and herds of Roosevelt elk. I’m quoting some descriptions from the park website/books/past trips on the internet.
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SIGNUP REQUIRED: read last section
• Departure: Early morning (6-7am on Sat 23rd)
• Return: Mon 25th around 10pm
• Driving Time: about 6 hours each way
• Camping: Elk Prairie Campground, Prairie Creek Redwoods SP Full-service campground with coin-operated showers 2 cars allowed at site.
• Length of Hikes: 6 Miles on Sat, 12 miles on Sun and 7 miles on Monday
• Costs: $47.5 campground fee split among campers, $5 state park fee per car per day good for surrounding parks, carpool costs: 20 cents per mile split among all passengers, plus food
• Deadline to sign-up: May 11 (or until all spaces are filled)
Saturday:
Coastal Trail/Gold Bluffs Beach
6 miles round-trip, about 3 hours. Both hikes Sat and Sun are within Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, very close to our campground. Although Redwood NP covers some 40 miles of coast along Hwy 101, this SP certainly has some of the best views. Coastal Trail is framed by coastal bluffs and a mossy spruce forest. There are 3 waterfalls tucked into the forest and Roosevelt elks can be seen roaming the coastal prairie. "After a brief stint in the forest, you walk on open grass- lands with the ocean to your left and tall vertical bluffs to your right. The sound of the ocean is always with you, but the waves are as much as 150 yards away." A few miles in, you will come to Gold Dust Falls, a 80-foot-high narrow waterfall. You can find hundreds of 3-inch-wide mushrooms growing on logs near the base of the falls."
Sunday
James Irvine & Miner's Ridge Loop
9 miles round-trip, about 5 hours; start at 100 ft, total change of 800 ft. (easy). "The lush foliage is the star of the show on this loop trail in Prairie Creek Redwoods SP. The 9-mile round- trip features huge redwood trees, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, hemlocks, alders, ferns, and moss--in more shades and shapes of green than you can possibly imagine. The farther you go on the trail, the more primeval the forest looks and feels, as if untouched by humans. This is a dark and dense forest, filled with moss and ferns. The towering trees block most of the sun- light, creating a dreamy, shadowy effect." There is also a 25-foot-tall delicate waterfall also the way. About 4 miles into the trail, we will follow the Fern Canyon Loop, a "hidden paradise of giant ferns growing on 50-foot-high rock walls on both sides of a forest stream. The canyon feels like a rain- forest. Look for the many frogs, salamanders, and newts that make their home in the canyon."
Brown Creek, Rhododendron, and South Fork Loop
3.6 miles round-trip, about 2 hours; start at 250 ft, total change of 600 ft. (easy). Depending on how much time we have after the previous hike and group consensus, we'll check out more ancient redwoods and wildflowers on this hike. "This loop trail through the redwoods may give you a neck ache. It leads through a colossal old-growth forest in which you will walk with your head raised, neck craned, and eyes gazing toward the sky. The size of the redwoods is truly inspiring. Try as you may, it's impossible to see their tops, which are as much as 300 ft. off the ground. Often the trees that make the greatest impression are the fallen giants, toppled by centuries of weather."
Monday:
Klamath Overlook to Hidden Beach/Coastal Trail
4 miles one-way, about 2 hours; start at 600 ft, total change of 600 ft. (moderate). Klamath Overlook is about 15 miles north of Prairie Creek Redwoods. Since we will hike this trail one-way, we'll need to run a car shuttle between the start and end at Lagoon Creek. The 3-mile hike from Klamath Overlook to Hidden Beach is "filled with wild- flowers, ocean views, and a thick alder and spruce forest. The route follows a portion of the 40-mile Coastal Trail, beginning at the drive-to overlook just north of where the Klamath River empties into the Pacific Ocean." If we were there at springtime, we'd be "wowed by the variety and profusion of wildflowers in the sunny, grassy areas of the trail. Nurtured by the ocean fog and mild climate, the flowers explode with color from March to May [I'm sure we can still see flowers, but maybe just not as many as in spring]." After 3 miles, the views change to "deep, shaded woods filled with ferns, berries, and vines. Watch for abundant banana slugs in the wooded sections. You will probably hear the sound of sea lions barking, although only rarely can you see down to their rocky shoreline perches."
Tall Trees Grove
3 miles round-trip, about 1.5 hours; start at 650 ft, total change of 650 ft. (easy). Access to this trail requires a permit, so we have to drive down to the Redwood Information Center to pick up a permit and a gate combination, then go 16 miles north to the trailhead. This area is not too far south of our campground. "The Tall Trees Grove features the world's tallest tree at 367 ft high, as well as the third and sixth tallest trees in the world." (there are plaques on the ground that identify these giants). "There are so many mammoth-sized trees in such close proximity that humans feel ant-sized in comparison. Even the rhodo- dendrons grow extra large--as tall as 15 ft. They display flashy pink blooms among the dark shadows of the redwoods."
Gear
This is a car-camping trip, so be as luxurious as you'd like in terms of camping gear. Bring folding chairs and firewood. You'll need a day-pack for the hikes, as well as 2 liters of water (also bring a water-filter if you have one). If you are new to camping and need a full list of what to bring, let me know.
Food
Details to follow but we’ll have gourmet vegan camping food, cooked fresh in camp, not hemp granola and canned chili. Food costs will be split.
SIGNUP
I have reserved just one campsite that allows up to 8 people. Please sign up by clicking HERE if you're interested in joining. If there is a lot of interest, I may book an additional campsite. If you have questions, please click on my name above to email me.
