Tall Trees Grove

Mileage: 3.3 total

Elevation Gain: 748 ft

NOTE: This is a special hike to see some of the tallest trees in the world, but if you only have time to visit one redwood grove in Redwood National & State Parks, Emily and I suggest making it Stout Grove.

This is one of the most talked about activities in Redwood National & State Parks, so Emily and I were ecstatic for this hike. We were so happy we were able to get permits, since we often do not have any luck with that process (it took us almost 5 years to get one in the Whitney Permit Lottery).

The permit for Tall Trees is unique because it includes a gate code for the Tall Trees Access Road, which allows you to park right next to the trailhead. If you didn’t have the gate code you’d have to walk about 5-7 miles down the access road to reach the trailhead, or hike almost 8 miles from the Redwood Creek trailhead (which also requires fording Redwood Creek if the seasonal footbridge is not in place).

After stopping to take-in the beautiful Redwood Creek Overlook on our drive in, we opened the gate (and yes, took photos!), drove down the dusty gravel/dirt road to the parking lot, and began our hike. The access road was very even and easily passable in a passenger vehicle – and there were even pit toilets at the trailhead!

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We should’ve read more about the trail beforehand, because we missed that the trail descends steeply to the grove… meaning you have to climb your way out of the grove at the end. That hill is steep, so be prepared to get your workout in on the way out of the grove. As we descended into the grove, it wasn’t lost on us that every step downward meant we would have longer to climb to make it out of the grove. That said, the hike down is beautiful as the redwoods and ferns quickly pop-up, turning into a quintessential redwood environment. There’s something about that environment that is rich, healthy, and full of life in a time when all sorts of trees are dying and getting ravaged by fires due to climate change. It’s a great sight to see.

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Once we got down to the grove, as expected, there were plenty of folks taking in the trees. We walked clockwise around the loop and admired the redwoods. There were plenty of big trees and the grove was nice, but there are a lot of other trees in the grove and that seems to take away from the grandeur of the redwoods. Some of these other tree varieties are beautiful in their own right, though, as we saw some beautiful mossy-covered oaks.

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We made our way around the grove and saw all sorts of trees, claiming that each one was Hyperion. While these are some of the tallest trees in the world, many of the tops of the trees are obscured by branches, so you can’t really tell how tall they are. We saw a mix of tourists in the grove (like us), and folks coming across the creek after having backpacked and camped in the area. We saw some pro-looking photographer-backpackers, so be sure to look for some of their footage on youtube – or checkout our quick sampler video. After having lunch in the grove, we made the trek back up the hill to the parking lot.

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