Avenue of the giants is a great way to drive along the freeway with a more scenic route. It was…read morebeautiful and gorgeous drive and they have stops that you can go to for view points. I suggest you go early to avoid crowds if you want to get to every site and not have toooo much traffic. Also Make sure to get the map at the first stop so you can read about each stop and decide which ones ha wanna go to.

Absolutely wonderful way to experience the Redwoods firsthand. No need to drive the whole avenue;…read moreyou can pop off the 101, drive up Avenue of the Giants for a bit, and then pop back on the 101 to resume your trip. That's exactly what I did and it worked out great. You can slow down and experience the Redwoods close up, rather than whizzing by on the highway. No fee! Don't miss it!

Pretty cool trail. Tucked up in a community forest plenty of insects, birds, trees, and greenery :pread more

GREEN DIAMOND TRAIL Found this trail on YELP, located at the…read moreedge of town using their map. Started at an open gate onto a dirt road through a massive Redwood forest. This trail has no signage...so a gps mind is helpful. I used the go out, out and out and find a way back plan. Lots of crisscrossing dirt roads, found some new, hard to follow, barely there single tracks, dead-ends, a small jump park and some super fun but short runs. Unfortunately it was muddy and I should actually have stayed off some of them but I was in a controlled state of lost. It was late afternoon and you would get into these shoots/gullies that got dark fast so I made a premature turn back on a brutal up hill. My STRAVA map gives me a much better look at the layout now. It's a new trail system with potential for growth. There is a small trash problem that has the neighborhood on edge...so pack it out! Skill level- medium , fun level- high. .

Multiple use area good for hunting, mushroom collecting, hiking, mountain biking, woodcutting and…read morewildlife viewing. Free overnight camping is allowed in designated camping areas. There is no designated shooting area, but use of firearms is permitted away from trails and camping areas. Fun spot to show shoe or cross country ski in winter months.

Headwaters Forest Reserve is an amazing place and full of natural beauty! The Reserve is managed by…read morethe Bureau of Land Management in consultation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The trails are well maintained and there is a decent size parking lot. This Reserve protects 7,472 acres of old growth redwood groves, other forest stands, streams, and wildlife. This is an amazing place to go hiking at there is a Headwaters Education Center if you want to learn more about this area. There are different hikes you can take varying in length. Some of the trails are paved and some are unpaved. Dogs and bikes are allowed on some of the trails and not on others. The Elk River Trail is the longest trail and it is 11 miles roundtrip. This area is so peaceful and tranquil and loved that this area has been preserved so that everyone can enjoy it!

The land consistently gets trimmed and cared for…read more I have come here for doggie hikes, walks, forest runs and to admire the river/nature. Overall, the high review comes after the expansion of their parking lot. If you are familiar with this place you will know that it used to be a two-way entrance now it is a one-way. Careful when coming in because a car might be backing up or confused it is a one way! I highly appreciate that on the trail they consistently have signs to show you if you are allowed off trailing or not. It is helpful to see a map in case you are unsure how far you want to go in. Take into consideration the amount of miles going in and out. Usually my partner and I go up to the 2nd mile maker which is the bridge overlooking the river. And building up your tolerance from there.

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.

FYI on this steep but GORGEOUS hiking trail: As of Jan 18, 2024, the Bureau of Land Mgmt closed…read morethis trailhead AND parking lot due to damage from winter storms. On Feb 23, 2024, a large portion of the parking lot fell down the cliffside due to continuing landslide movement. Please DO NOT try to access the trail until BLM judges the land movement has stopped and can begin repairs.

Spectacular views at the Fleener a creek lookout point. We did not hike the trail to the bottom…read morealthough it's only a quarter mile the elevation drop and thought of the walk back up was too much for my feet that day. The overlook has a big grassy area and a few picnic tables. On the day we went there was only one other car in the parking lot. On the north side of the parking lot is additional trails through a fenced area where farm/grazing animals are kept, it looks like there was a slide into the ocean as part of the barbed wire fence is dangling above the beach below. Be careful around here as there were some visible cracks in the earth above the slide area so I quickly backed away from the edge. Worth the drive for a picnic or a breather, I'm sure the beach below is beautiful as well. But with any ocean cliff environment, always be safe.

My family and I stay here almost every year and we absolutely love it here. The cabins are quaint…read morewith great heaters (we come in December), a full kitchen, amazing fruit, amazing river with a sandy bar and wonderful hosts. My grandaughters 3 and 4 years old begged us to stay there forever when we left today. They played soccer with one of the doggies, picked kiwis, played ping pong, climbed trees, built sand castles, and found heart shaped rocks to name a few reasons they loved it. Bring your own groceries and they have pots and pans , dishes, coffee maker, towels and everything you need to cook and wash your dishes. We will be back for sure. The hosts take care of any issues immediately ( we had a slow draining sink they fixed right away). The cabins do not have wifi, tv, or cell reception but you can walk a short distance to the office and get wifi.

We have been coming here every summer since our first child was born in 1997. We know no better…read moreplace to completely relax and recharge in a beautiful, peaceful environment. Built from old-growth redwoods in the 1930s, the cabins are simple, clean, and well-maintained. The best feature is the covered back porch where you can spend hours listening to the river and the rustling of oak leaves. There are usually fresh produce, eggs and goat cheese for sale, all grown and raised on the property. The kids love exploring the extensive garden with its fruit trees, berries, veggies and flowers. They have also enjoyed helping collect eggs and milk the goats. There are lots of trails and swimming spots in the area, but we spend most of our days on the sandy little beach just below the cabins, sunning, swimming, catching toads, and watching the occasional bald eagles, ospreys, river otters and salmon.