Every Trail Tells a Story
West Ridge & Prairie Creek
Hike a grand loop that combines lofty ridgeline redwoods with lush creekside groves.
Cross Prairie Creek on handsome footbridges and visit memorable landmarks like the Tunnel Log and Corkscrew Tree.
Enjoy one of the most varied half-day hikes in Prairie Creek, a Trailmaster favorite for showing off the park’s full character.
This hike delivers grand scenery thanks to West Ridge Trail and Prairie Creek Trail, two of the premiere paths in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Connecting the two is a series of tight switchbacks known as Zig Zag #1 Trail.
West Ridge lives up to its name and its reputation. A high, rolling ridge shaded by redwoods and carpeted with ferns, the trail lets you feel you’re walking on the spine of the forest itself. Views spill down both sides, with the trees leaning in like an audience watching your passage. This ridgeline section is a classic: quiet, lofty, and full of the kind of grandeur that makes Prairie Creek so beloved.
Prairie Creek Trail could hardly be more different, but that’s the delight. Down in the canyon you wander beside the namesake creek, crossing it again and again on handsome footbridges, each one perfectly placed for a pause and a photo. Here, the forest is not just redwoods but a symphony: maple trees glowing green in summer and gold in autumn, mosses clinging to the trunks, sword ferns unfurling like green fireworks across the forest floor.
And then there are the trees. Cathedral-like stands rise skyward, punctuated by memorable individuals such as the Corkscrew Tree, a marvel of intertwined trunks that seem more like a sculpture than an accident of nature. Elsewhere, logs fallen across the forest floor serve as nurse trees, sprouting new life from their decaying bulk – a reminder of the endless cycle in this forest.
Taken together, this loop has a little of everything: ridgeline drama, canyon calm, bridges and creekside meanders, even a sense of humor courtesy of Zig Zag #1. If you only have half a day to sample Prairie Creek, this one may be the Trailmaster’s pick.
From Highway 101 about 4 miles north of Orick, exit onto the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Drive 0.5 mile to the signed entrance for Prairie Creek State Park. Turn west and drive 0.1 mile to the campground entry/kiosk and to the Elk Prairie Visitor Center. Park in one of the two lots.
From the signed trailhead behind the visitor center, cross the bridge over Prairie Creek. In 0.1 mile, pass Prairie Creek Trail (your return route) and stay left to join West Ridge Trail. Switchbacks climb steadily to the ridge, where redwoods dominate both sides of the trail. About 2.4 miles out, meet Zig Zag #1 Trail. Continue a short distance farther to a bench with a plaque that reads simply: “Forever,” then return to descend Zig Zag’s steep switchbacks.
At the bottom, turn right on Prairie Creek Trail, heading past the Tunnel Log, the Corkscrew Tree, and through multiple creek crossings. Follow the trail another 1.6 miles upstream to close the loop and return to the visitor center.