Every Trail Tells a Story
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Walk through the Rockefeller Forest, the most magnificent stand of redwoods on earth.
Marvel at curiosities like the Flatiron Tree and the immense Giant Tree.
Immerse yourself in a forest that redefined California conservation and still inspires awe today.
If there is a capital of redwood country, this is it. Humboldt Redwoods State Park protects nearly 53,000 acres of forest, including some 17,000 acres of old growth. That’s about one-eighth of all the coast redwoods left on earth, and much of the very best of what remains.
You get your introduction from the Avenue of the Giants, a 32-mile scenic parkway that parallels Highway 101. More than a dozen short paths dip into Avenue-side groves named for the famous, the rich and famous, and the just plain rich. But don’t stop with the windshield tour. The heart of the park lies off the Avenue, along Bull Creek, where the redwoods are as close to perfection as they get.
The fight to save Bull Creek’s ancient forest was one of the defining battles in California’s conservation history. In the early 20th century, the Pacific Lumber Company logged hard into Humboldt County, and these giants were marked for the mill. Enter the fledgling Save the Redwoods League, founded in 1918. In 1930, thanks to John D. Rockefeller, Jr.-who quietly funneled $2 million to match state funds-the League purchased some 10,000 acres of prime redwood land. The Rockefeller Forest was secured.
Walk here today and you are in what scientists and redwood aficionados consider the single most impressive redwood forest on earth. Unlike the cathedral groves along the coast, where fog is the lifeblood, here Bull Creek supplies steady moisture, nourishing the tallest of tall trees in lush abundance.
A five-mile-long road winds through the Bull Creek watershed, but the trails are where the magic happens. My favorite is the Bull Creek Flats Loop Trail-a full immersion in a living forest of giants, fern canyons, side creeks, curiosities like the Flatiron Tree, and of course the Giant Tree, champion redwood by sheer size. You’ll stretch your legs and your imagination; it’s hard not to think of these trees as elders.
If you’re short on time, you can easily do shorter forays: from the Big Trees Parking Area, walk a half-mile to Giant Tree and stroll Bull Creek’s banks. Or try the Rockefeller Forest Loop Trail, just half a mile but an unforgettable introduction. Avenue favorites like Founders Grove Trail, Drury-Chaney Trail, and Children’s Forest Loop also beckon-but it’s Bull Creek that defines Humboldt Redwoods.
This park is no secret. In summer you’ll share the trails with families, naturalists, and redwood pilgrims from around the world. Yet somehow the forest absorbs us all, and silence reigns beneath the canopy.
From the north-central part of the Avenue of the Giants, four miles north of the park visitor center and just south of Redcrest, turn west on Mattole Road and drive 1.5 miles to the parking area for the Rockefeller Forest Loop Trail. (If you want to make this a one-way hike and arrange a shuttle, you can also begin at the Big Trees Parking Area, three miles farther west along Mattole Road.)
Begin on the right branch of the Rockefeller Loop (a fine family hike in its own right) and follow it a quarter mile to a junction, where you bear right onto Bull Creek Flats Loop Trail.
The path hugs Bull Creek upstream, sometimes crowding against horsetail and rushes. A mile out, the trail opens briefly into a clearing, then crosses a tributary on a bridge. Another mile brings you to a log bench-just the place to crane your neck skyward and remind yourself these trees are taller than skyscrapers.
Soon the trail climbs to closely parallel Mattole Road, crossing a couple side creeks on wooden bridges before arriving at the Big Trees Parking Area. Cross the bridge over Bull Creek to find the Flatiron Tree and then the Giant Tree, champion by overall dimensions. It’s not the tallest, but its combination of girth, height, and crown makes it the heavyweight champ of the species.
Past Giant Tree, the trail continues through fern-filled forest and over Squaw Creek. You’ll skirt around fallen redwoods so massive that the detours themselves feel like pilgrimages. The path dives into and out of a hollow, walk-through log, then swings north and south with the creek.
In Connick Creek Canyon, ferns crowd the path, and you’ll pass twisted titans like the Giant Braid, three massive trees fused together. For most of this leg you’ll hear Bull Creek without seeing it-until, near the loop’s end, the path drops back to the banks. Cross a seasonal bridge, rejoin Rockefeller Loop Trail, and stroll back to the parking area.