Come out and join the staff of EPIC for a series of spring and summer excursions in our majestic and critically-important redwood region parks and reserves, home of the tallest trees on earth. Hikes will be led by EPIC staff, and are free and open to the public. Topics to be covered will include the ecology, sociology, history, management, protection, and conservation of our public parks and reserves in the redwood region of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
All hike dates and times are subject to change, pending inclement weather, or other factors, so be aware! As always, if you come, please be prepared for our local conditions and for the conditions generally found in our forests. Please wear appropriate clothing and foot ware, bring food, and water, and anything else you may need to be comfortable and safe in the forest. Hikes are of varying lengths and difficulty levels, so please check out the descriptions below, and know your limits! All hikes will originate from our office in Arcata, CA, at 145 G Street, Suite A, at 9 a.m., unless otherwise noted. Space may be limited, so please RSVP if you plan to attend an individual hike.
Click on the hike date to join individual events on Facebook. For more information, or to RSVP for an individual hike, please call us at (707) 822-7711.
Please join EPIC staff for this fascinating hike along the Salmon Pass Trail, in the Headwaters Forest Reserve, and relive the history of the struggle to protect Headwaters, while learning about the contemporary challenges for management, conservation, and restoration, in the reserve, and elsewhere in the redwood region.
Distance: The Salmon Pass Trail, on the south end of the Headwaters Forest Reserve, is a 3-mile loop hike.
Difficulty: The difficulty of the hike on the Salmon Pass Trail is rated as “easy,” and should be accessible to most hikers of most skill and ability levels.
Anticipated Time Commitment: Plan on budgeting about 4-5 hours for this hike, inclusive of meeting, carpooling, driving, and hiking time.
Join EPIC staff for a relatively short and leisurely hike in the picturesque Lady Bird Johnson Grove, one of the crowned jewels of Redwood National Park. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove Nature Loop Trail is designed to be accessible to almost anyone, and is a perfect way to get a taste of what it’s like to be in an old-growth coastal redwood forest.
Distance: This hike is on the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Nature Loop Trail, which totals 3 miles.
Difficulty: The Lady Bird Johnson Grove Nature Loop Trail is rated as “easy,” and should be accessible to most hikers of most skill and ability levels.
Anticipated Time Commitment: Plan on budgeting about 4-5 hours for this hike, inclusive of meeting, carpooling, driving, and hiking time.
Join EPIC staff for a walk back in time, as we traverse through the spectacular scenery of Stout Grove, in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, nestled along the alluvial flats of the Wild and Scenic Smith River, in Del Norte County, CA.
Distance:
The Stout Grove loop is a very short, and easy 0.6-mile hike through giant old-growth redwoods along the spectacular alluvial flats of the Wild and Scenic Smith River. Depending on group size and inclination, this trip may also visit other trail sections in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, so this is subject to change!
Difficulty: The Stout Grove Loop hike is rated as “easy,” and should be accessible to most hikers of most skill and ability levels.
Anticipated Time Commitment:
Plan on budgeting at least 4-6 hours for this trip, as the drive to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and back, will take a minimum of 1 hour and 45 minutes, each way.
Come join EPIC staff on a hike to one of the hidden jewels of the Redwood National and State Park system, the spectacularly diverse Tall Trees Grove! The “discovery” of what is now Tall Trees Grove by unsuspecting explorers from National Geographic Magazine in the late 1960’s formed the impetus from the preservation and establishment of what is now Redwood National Park. Tall Trees is nestled away deep in the recesses of the park, and is set along the nutrient-rich alluvial flats of Redwood Creek, and contains some of the tallest trees left on earth, while offering unrivaled diversity and scenic beauty.
Distance:
The access to Tall Trees Grove is restricted to vehicular traffic. For this hike, we will access the Tall Trees Grove loop by driving the Tall Trees access road, located off the Bald Hills Road, which runs through Redwood National Park. Permission from Redwood National Park, and access to the gate combination for the Tall Trees access road will be required, and secured in advance. One we arrive at the Tall Trees Grove access road parking area, the hike is a total of approximately 4-miles, which includes 1 ½ miles each way into and out of the grove, and the 1-mile Tall Trees Grove Loop Trail.
Difficulty:
This hike to Tall Trees Grove is rated as “moderate,” although it may be “difficult,” for those without much regular hiking experience. The access trail into the Tall Trees Grove loop is located on a fairly steep grade, and is downhill on the way in, and uphill on the way out.
Anticipated Time Commitment:
Plan on budgeting 4-5 hours for this hike, inclusive of meeting, driving, and hiking time.
Contact: The number of participants in this hike may be limited due to the logistical challenges. RSVP is highly encouraged. For more information, or to RSVP, please call (707) 822-7711, or e-mail: rob@wildcalifornia.org.
For our final hike of the season, please join EPIC staff for a day-long adventure on the Bull Creek Flat Trail, located in the Rockefeller Forest, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The Bull Creek Flat Trail offers a traverse along Bull Creek, and the scenic South Fork Eel River, through some of the biggest, and most majestic coastal old-growth redwood forest stands left on earth.
Distance:
The Bull Creek Flat Loop Trail comprises a total of 9-11 miles of possible hiking. Be prepared to spend the day on the trail for this hike! Ultimate distance will depend on size and inclination of the group.
Difficulty:
The Bull Creek Flat Loop Trail is rated as, “easy,” as it is entirely located along the alluvial flats of Bull Creek. Be advised, however that this trail does involve crossing Bull Creek. Humboldt Redwoods State Park does install seasonal footbridges for the summer months in the park, but don’t presume the bridges will be there, and plan accordingly!
Anticipated Time Commitment:
Plan on allotting a minimum of 5-6 hours for this hike, inclusive of meet-up, driving time, and hiking time.
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