California State of Nature Forests for Life

Forest for the Trees

See the World's Tallest Treest in Humboldt County at Redwood National Park

The world’s tallest trees can be seen in only one place: California. Specifically, Humboldt County in the far reaches of northern California. The county is a boon of rugged coastal beauty, wildlife like Roosevelt elk, canyons frilled by dewy ferns and trickling waterfalls, and yes—the tallest trees on the planet.

The marquee hike for seeing the trees is at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (located within Redwood National and State Parks). There’s an 11-mile semi-loop hike that’s got all the greatest hits, and though it’s a long hike (there are shorter options) it’s not super strenuous. But it is magical!

Start and finish on the James Irvine Trail, with an amphitheater of mighty coastal redwoods nearly the entire time as you wander beside Godwood Creek and Home Creek. The trees bathe in both sun and coastal mist as you crane your neck to look wayyy up at them.

Halfway through the hike you can get to Fern Canyon, popularly known as the “Jurassic Park hike” because some scenes from Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World were filmed here. Hulking canyon walls are draped in green ferns so lush they appear almost neon, while tiny oases spill into the riverbed.

Return from this detour on the James Irvine Trail.

TIP: Back at the trailhead, take some time to visit nearby meadows to see if you can spot the resident Roosevelt elk. Please keep your distance to give these magnificent creatures space in their home and freedom to roam.

BONUS: 2024 is the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear” thanks to a recent state resolution. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the last known sighting of a grizzly bear in California’s Sequoia National Park. At the Academy of Sciences’ new exhibition, California: State of Nature, you can now see Monarch, “California’s last grizzly bear” in public view. This magnificent mounted specimen is a symbol of a significant story in California’s history and offers a unique opportunity to understand the grizzly bear’s importance to Indigenous populations, and how ecosystems were impacted by the mass extinction of the grizzlies.

ENTER for a complimentary 2-Night Stay at beautiful Mar Vista Farm + Cottages on the Mendocino Coast, plus 4 tickets to the California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View