Jurassic Redwoods

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has all the fixings for world-class hiking. Hit the trail starting from the visitor center and go on a 6-mile loop hike where mighty coastal redwoods surround you nearly the entire time. You simply can’t escape the redwoods here, and you won’t want to! These behemoth trees soak in sunshine and mist with equal enthusiasm, creating a magical setting.

Gold & Green

Take a hike at Gold Bluffs Beach, where a 1.5-mile wander leads to Fern Canyon, a 50-foot-tall gorge coated in seven kinds of ferns. This canyon is so dramatic that Steven Spielberg used it as a film location for Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World. Fifty-foot walls of bright green ferns hang like emerald silk, glistening in tiny waterfalls trickling into the canyon’s riverbed.

Groovy Grove

It’s easy to hop out of your car and hike among the giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The Avenue of the Giants goes through this park for nearly 32 miles, with multiple places to pull off for hikes and redwood grove explorations. Do not miss Founder’s Grove, where a 0.5-mile walk takes you around to some of the most impressive trees on earth, including the Dyerville Giant, a fallen behemoth that’s 362 feet in length and weighs about 1,000,000 pounds!

STAY: Set up base in charming Eureka, with their walkable downtowns and varieties of restaurants. There’s a huge range of lodging options all across Humboldt County, including lodges and cabins, B&Bs, hotels, and motels.