Redwood Grove Loop Trail

Redwood Grove Loop Trail is a 0.9 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Felton, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.

Length0.9 miElevation gain45 ftRoute typeLoop

Description

Waypoints (26)

Facilities

Contact

Tips

Getting There

The Redwood Grove Loop Trail showcases the tallest measured tree in the park and the two trees with the widest circumferences. Known as the Mother, Father, and Santa Clara Trees, these famous redwoods are among the most photographed trees in Big Basin. The easy accessibility of this half-mile, level trail allows park visitors an unobstructed view of the Mother and Father Tree, a wonderful view of the Santa Clara Tree (measuring in at 17 feet in diameter!), as well as many other interesting sites featured along the way. This short loop walk highlights the old growth Henry Cowell Redwood Grove. It's a compact, yet densely featured stand that competes with the best of the old growth groves, conveniently located near populated areas and on touring routes. In addition to the groves, Henry Cowell Redwood SP offers so much more. The park has over 15 miles of trails through a variety of mountain and canyon forests and meadow lands along the San Lorenzo River. Trails are available for equestrian use, biking, walking, and hiking. Fishing is available seasonally; picnicking and camping opportunities can be accommodated too. Adjacent to Henry Cowell is the Roaring Camp Tourist railroad. Combined, these two attractions make for a very full day or casual weekend outing. They work well together, highlighting both local history and nature. Accessibility: The trail is packed dirt, typically at least four feet wide, and gentle with an estimated grade of 3%.

Park Entrance

The day use entrance address is: 101 North Big Trees Park Road Felton, CA 95018. The road sweeps through trees then across a meadow area and to the entrance kiosk. The meadow can be spectacular, especially in the late winter and spring with blooming wildflowers that include California poppy, mustard, and vetch. The field is home to a number of animals that include a variety of bird species, rodents, jackrabbit, and deer. Day-use picnicking is along the wooded area on the southern and western line of the forest. Trails are also located through the meadow area.

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Park Entrance Station

Park Entrance Station location.

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Environmental Education Center and Book Shop

The Nature Center is open from 10am - 4pm on weekends, holidays and in the summer, and 11am to 3pm on weekdays in the winter. The Gift Shop opens every day at 10am and closes at either 6pm or sunset, whichever comes first. I found the volunteers who run the Nature Center to be some of the best I've ever encountered: personable, informative, and very helpful! Mountain Parks Foundation is the non-profit group that runs the Nature Center and who support and help staff Henry Cowell, Big Basin, and the nearby Fall Creek State Parks.

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Parking Area

A paved, all weather parking area suitable for trailers, RV's, and buses.

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Redwood log Cross-Section

Head toward the Trail Head and redwood log cross-section. If you haven't seen one of these logs, they are tagged with key dates in human history and log the tree's growth at that moment in time. This particular tree was harvested in 1924. It began life more than 2,200 years ago in Humboldt County up north, around the time when much of the antiquities we see in museums were being made. It was a time when Ancient Greece and Egypt were fading, Rome was growing, the Mayans and Olmec were well developed in the Americas, and the Han and Ci'in Dynasties controlled China. Follow the nearby path toward the trail head.

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State Park Visitor's Center

The park's Nature Center is located just inside the grove near the trail head. It contains both live and prepared exhibits covering geology, natural history, the Ohlone Indians, and logging impact to the region.

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Trailhead - A large three-way intersection

A large three-way intersection. Follow the path in a counterclockwise direction.Located in a dispenser near the trail head are handy flyers describing points of interest along the Nature Trail. The trail itself is designed with ADA access and strollers in mind. Most of its length is fenced to protect the surroundings from harm. One will find very rapidly that an Old Growth forest is a vertically oriented world - Henry Cowell packs a lot in a small area. It's a world where one expects to see gnomes, elves and the like. Immediately we'll be confronted with a lush, green world; massive gnarled and fire-scarred living trunks of redwoods thrust a couple hundred feet into the sky, disappearing into the tree's foliage, their tops hidden from view. Few northern hemisphere forests have the soft, lush, and spectacular greens such as the ones displayed here in this redwood forest. Kids and adults alike will get a kick out of the tree caves scattered along the trail's length. Nature Trail Point 1 is between here and the next way point. 1. Close to the Coast. The large trees are original growth coast redwoods. They are adapted to temperate, foggy moist conditions. Never more than 20 to 40 miles from the ocean, they grow along a narrow band of coastline from central California to the Oregon border.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point -Why are Redwood Trees red?

Why are Redwood Trees red? Redwood bark and wood are rich in tannic acid which gives the trees their red color. The bark's thickness and acidity repel insects, disease, fungus, and to some extent fire. These problems frequently kill other trees.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Tree Caves

Tree caves abound in any redwood forest that's seen fire through its long history. If it's not fenced, feel free to explore. Bring your flashlight if you have one - it can be really helpful. Periodic fires are part of the redwood forest life-cycle and the vegetation is so well adapted to these disasters that many plant species actually benefit from it. Clearing of the undergrowth and exposing of soils can provide opportunities for seeds to begin growing. Tree caves represent points where fire broke through the tough, protective bark and began smoldering or burning the tree's heartwood. It's common for the fire to burn out, allowing the living tissue to continue delivering nutrients and the tree to slowly recover.

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Nature Trail Poin - It has been over 100 years since the last fire burned through this grove.

Redwood and Fire It has been over 100 years since the last fire burned through this grove. Most fires cannot penetrate redwood bark which is 7 to 12 inches thick, fibrous, and heat resistant. An intense fire may burn through the bark and hollow out a tree. If sufficient living tissue remains undamaged, the tree will continue to live and slowly heal the fire scar.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - Another Redwood Tree?

Another Redwood Tree? This is a Douglas-fir, often found in the company of redwoods. The bark is gray and furrowed. Douglas-fir needles resemble a bottle brush while redwood leaflets lie flat in opposite rows. Cones of a Douglas-fir are about two inches long and have paper-like scales.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - Cathedral Groups and Fairy Rings

Cathedral Groups and Fairy Rings Circular groups of trees are a common sight in the coast redwood forest. A redwood can sprout new trees from its roots on all sides. The young trees eventually mature encircling the parent tree.* Some of the rings can get quite large, representing generations of parent trees long gone. * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Bench

Along this trail you will periodically find benches, most of which have been placed with something very compelling within sight. If it's a quiet day, do stop, sit, and explore, using all your senses.

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Nature Trail Point- New Life from Dead Trees

New Life from Dead Trees When trees fall they take on a new role in the life of a forest. They provide homes for insects which are food for birds and small mammals. Fallen trees also provide a nutrient rich garden for new plants. Can you find three different types of trees growing out of the fallen tree? * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - One of the Tallest Trees in the Park

One of the Tallest Trees in the Park This tree is about 270 feet (82.3m) tall and over 17 feet (5.2m) wide. That is almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Imagine, a tree this large can grow from a seed about the size of an oatmeal flake. Redwood seeds come from cones which are about an inch long and contain about 50 seeds. Most of the ground in the redwood forest is thickly covered with leaves, so seeds rarely find their way to the soil except after a fire or flood. * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Junction - Pipeline Road

This junction has a gated road that will connect to Pipeline Road, a major feeder for the rest of the park. Restroom available. Picnic benches available.

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Nature Trail Point - A Great Story

A Great Story Pioneer John C. Fremont explored this part of California from 1843 to '46. It was said that he and his group camped here. When Fremont re-visited in 1888, he was asked if he ever slept in this tree. He said, "it makes a great story, let it stand." Today you can stand inside the Fremont tree and (with a light) look high into the hollow center.* A handy picnic bench in this little grove, a great place to stop and explore. * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - Tan Oak and Bay Trees

Tan Oak and Bay Trees - a Common Sight Two trees here have long slender leaves. The California Bay tree has a flexible leaf with a pungent odor. The Tan Oak leaf is stiff and has thick veins on the underside. Although not a true oak, this tree has acorns which are a valuable food source for many animals. The bark was used to tan leather hides so the tree became known as the Tanbark Oak.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Railroad Grade

Just up the hill is the grade for the Roaring Camp Railroad. Keep an eye out for glimpses of the train working its way up the hill. Of real interest are the Shay and Heisler locomotives. They have a fast-puffing steam exhaust, working very hard and going nowhere slowly. The locomotive types were optimized for hauling lumber on cheaply built roadbeds through woods just like this one. Fascinating equipment and an important component of both coastal lumber history and the move to preserve places like this. Roaring Camp Railroads http://www.roaringcamp.com/

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Nature Trail Point - Burls

Burls These bumpy growths are masses of dormant buds which are natural and do not harm the tree. If a tree is damaged or growth conditions change, burls can sprout new foliage. Some burls appear to be growing out of the ground, but they are actually growing on roots just underneath your feet.* The wood from burls is cherished by artistic woodworkers for its spectacular grain structure. Also, keep an eye up the sides of trunks; while not common, don't be surprised to see burls growing well up the sides of trees. They can get huge. * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - Shade Lovers

Shade Lovers The low growing clover-like plant is the Redwood Sorrel. It covers much of the ground and thrives in shady, cool conditions. When sunlight hits the leaves they fold down, resembling a closed umbrella. This helps keep the plant cool and moist.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - Ever-Living Trees

Ever-Living Trees The scientific name for the Coast Redwood is Sequoia sempervirens. Sempervirens means ever-living. The trees are aptly named because redwoods reproduce by sprouting new trees from their roots, the only conifer (cone bearing tree) to do so. Roots of individual trees spread out, mingle and fuse, which helps them withstand strong winds.* Also in this area, the forest becomes transitional. The redwood forest thins, making way for Bays, Tan Oaks, Maples, and other sun-loving trees. * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - A White Redwood?

A White Redwood? Albino redwood leaves and stems lack chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color and enables them to make food. These white redwoods survive by sharing a root system with a green-leafed tree.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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Nature Trail Point - A Odd Redwood

A glen with a large redwood with mammoth "sucker" redwood trees growing from its side 50-60 feet above the ground. The trunks look to be around 4 feet in diameter. Possible cause for the growth? It's not uncommon for the tops of redwoods to snap off during heavy wind storms, earth quakes, or lightning strikes. Frequently a branch growing near the top can grow upward, forming new vertical growth for the tree and help it compete for sun with its neighbors.

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Bench

A convenient bench to study the tree on the last way point.

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Nature Trail Point - Redwood Relatives

Redwood Relatives This Dawn redwood is deciduous. It was thought to be extinct until 1944 when it was rediscovered in a remote valley in China. A larger example is growing near the park entrance station by another relative of the redwood, a Giant Sequoia from the Sierra Nevada range in California.* * For your convenience and to save paper the Mountain Parks Foundation Flier text is included here.

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The parking area is at the Main Entrance to the Henry Cowell Redwood State Park. There is a visitor center and restrooms by the parking lot. There are also picnic benches and a restroom about halfway along the trail by the intersection with Pipeline Road.

Henry Cowell Redwoods SP http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546 Mountain Parks Foundation: Henry Cowell Redwoods SP http://mountainparks.org/home/camping-in-our-parks/henry-cowell/ Day Use Entrance Address: 101 North Big Trees Park Road Felton, CA 95018 Campground Address: 2591 Graham Hill Road Scotts Valley, CA 95060 Operating Hours: Day Use Area Sunrise to Sunset Telephone: Campground Kiosk 831-438-2396 Day Use Kiosk 831-335-4598 Nature Center 831-335-7077 Gift Shop 831-335-3174

Nature Center is open from 10:00am to 4:00pm weekends, holidays and summer, and 11:00am to 3:00pm winter weekdays. The Gift Shop opens every day at 10:00 am and closes at either 6:00 pm or sunset, whichever comes first Seasons and Recommended clothing: The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended. Dogs: Are welcome in the park but must be on a leash at all times, and kept in your car or tent at night. They may not be left unattended. Dogs are allowed in the picnic area, the campground, and on Pipeline Road, Graham Hill Trail, and Meadow Trail. They are not allowed on any other trails or interior roads. Bicycles: Are allowed only on Pipeline Road, Rincon Fire Road, Ridge Fire Road, and Powder Mill Fire Road. Bicyclists under 18 must wear a helmet. Horses: Are NOT allowed on the following trails: Redwood Grove Trail Meadow Trail Ox Trail Pipeline Road south of Rincon Fire Road Motorcycles, cars, etc. are not permitted on any trail or interior road. Fishing: Is permitted in the San Lorenzo River during the Steelhead and Salmon season with the appropriate license. No other fishing is permitted. The rules are enforced by both Park rangers and DFG wardens. ADA Accessibility: Camping: Five sites are designated accessible. Most sites have accessibly designed tables and fire rings. Restrooms: The restroom located next to campsite #22 is generally accessible. Toilets are accessible. The showers are generally accessible. Routes of Travel: Routes to restroom are generally accessible. Trails Meadow Trail is accessible for at least 0.50 mile. Trailhead, designated accessible parking and gift shop are located in the main parking lot. Accessible restroom is in the campground near site #22. River Trail, a popular hiking and horse trail, leads through the redwoods to the river and is accessible for the first 4,000 feet. Access begins off the Meadow Trail at about 1,000 accessible feet (0.2 mile) in from its trailhead. Redwood Loop Interpretive Trail is accessible for about 0.70 mile. The trailhead is located in the day use parking lot near nature center. Wi-Fi Service: Park visitors will be able to gain Wi-Fi access when they use a wireless device within about 150 to 200 feet of the Park Store located in the park.

Trail head location Parking lot across from park headquarters at the large marker for the Redwood Trail .

Weather

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Daylight

Reviews (516)

Photos (530)

Recordings (486)

Completed (1,402)

Chris Duarte

February 27, 2021

WalkingGreat!

A family favorite! Great nature trail with lots of interesting facts. Short and flat but easily connects to the larger park. Can stroller.

Tony Francisco

February 14, 2021

Hiking

great route, several different environments, and a fun little adventure

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Satyajit Mohapatra

February 10, 2021

Nature trips

Is this open now ?

Matthew W

February 7, 2021

Hiking

So nice I did it twice! Grove is now open again after closure from windstorm. Make sure to look up the trailguide on the park website, or you'll miss things like the albino redwood!

Anna Park

February 6, 2021

Hiking

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CharlAurie Yowell

January 31, 2021

Hiking

Gorgeous! The grove is still closed but everything surrounding is spectacular

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Cassie User

January 17, 2021

Great!

Marc Free

January 11, 2021

Hiking

We’ve done the loop many many times. Always amazing.

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Romil Chandarana

January 10, 2021

HikingGreat!

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Bobbie I

January 10, 2021

Hiking

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Demi Nguyen

December 30, 2020

Hiking

Ran it, tired

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Yu-Chi Lin

December 27, 2020

Hiking

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Sara Hanley

December 25, 2020

Hiking

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Jason Giese

December 24, 2020

Great!

This was unreal. These trees are massive. We chained this with the observation deck loop. That trail is also listed. I highly recommend doing both!

Richard Robinson

December 14, 2020

HikingFeeGreat!

Hiked yesterday, Sat, 12/12. Very Beautiful and Peaceful Trail. it was not very crowded and so able to hike it in a very enjoyable and safe manner in light of the Covid concerns. The Trail is gorgeous and well maintained. A true Hidden Gem in the area. Trees are very beautiful and majestic. Make time to also visit the beutiful picturesque towns of Felton, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek. Nice little shops and foods with very friendly townspeople

Anshika Srivastava

December 11, 2020

Hiking

Beautiful small trail in the redwoods. We went on a Friday and it was pretty empty and quiet. Loved the quietness and serenity in this tiny trail. Wished it was longer :) Worth every bit!

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