Repeat Redwoods Visit

Last year I went to Redwoods for about 1 week – split between Mill Creek and Elk Prairie Campgrounds (Mill Creek is emergency campground imho); this year time was split between Elk Prairie first and Jedidiah Smith second. Weather held the entire time – not warm but not raining. May 12-16 at Prairie Creek, May 16-18 at Jed Smith.

Both campgrounds had signs out saying ‘Campground Full’, but at least 1/3 of sites were unoccupied. Regardless of signs and warnings, people try to get too close to elk; this year was no exception.

< — clicking on photo opens in better resolution and larger — >

In the prairie, 2 days had elk and 1 deer … and 1 a moonset.

Jed Smith CG is on the Smith River and just a gorgeous place. Smith River is so clear – like Stone Lake.

My bottomline on the 3 Campgrounds in Redwoods: Elk Prairie for hikers (don’t have to move car); Jedidiah Smith for CG experience – such a great lay-out and setting; and finally Mill Creek if you couldn’t find another. Remember: Dogs are not allowed on trails in Redwoods.

What to expect in Redwoods

Walking in the redwoods is like walking through the best cathedrals in the world, except the saints in the redwoods are still living!

The green pig-face is a root showing up from the ground. The waterfall = Fern Falls. The wooden walkways built in 1930s – priceless!

Beach

3 different hikes went from the valley over the ridge and down to the Pacific Ocean. Quite an experience to walk

Almost every day, there was a moon of some size and that driftwood I swear was a dead dragon.

Flowers

What would the redwoods be in spring without flowers of all types? Somebody told me that Trilliums that are purple have been pollinated … ? I asked a couple of ‘big money’ photographers on Howland Hills Drive taking photos of Rhodies, if they had seen any but pink wild ones -‘nope, all pink’.

Nursery Trees

My mom asked about nursery trees the other day and no place in my experience has better nurseries than redwoods – everywhere and of all types.

2 Friends

A couple of friends had to get in the photos too … pileated woodpecker was going at it for minutes. Osprey were very busy on the Smith River, but no photos.

Data Geek Cellar

12 different hikes of different lengths, difficulty. A total of 118 miles, >11,000 ft elevation gain, and most importantly 19.65 carbon hours to bank giving an annual balance of 96 hours. Hiking in the Redwoods is as close to walking on memory foam as possible – my feet and knees hardly noticed the distances, and the elevation gains are minimal

The hikes

Flint Ridge	7 miles	n / a elevation
Elk Prairie Explore 1	8.13	485
Westridge Loop	21.3	2470
Fern Canyon	16.7	1658
Foothills and Karl	7.51	521
Miners Ridge	15.6	1896
Elk Prairie Explore 2	7.08	563
Damnation Creek	2	1114
Hatten Trail	4.52	399
Jed Smith Explore 1	5.77	269
Hiouchi to Fern Falls	20.1	1960
Jed Smith Explore 2	2.46	93

Gear

I swapped out shoes depending on the hike; boots for going to the coast (too much wet grass and gnarly roots to walk over) and mesh lowers for hiking in redwoods. Yar Gear Ultra pack and Gossamer Gear poles used for all hikes that required them.