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California
206 ft
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Why you'll love it
Trailhead: Karl Knapp (Prairie Creek) to Foothills Trail Loop
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No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
<strong>Note: In late 2021 the Prairie Creek Trail was renamed the Karl Knapp Trail.</strong> Future publications, maps, and signs will show the new name.<br /> <br /> The Karl Knapp Trailhead is next to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. This is a loop trail that can be completed in either direction. <br /> <br /> This loop is a combination of three, connected trails: <ol> <li><strong>Karl Knapp Trail</strong></li> <li><strong> Foothills Trail </strong></li> <li><strong>Cathedral Trees Trail (only a few hundred feet of it)</strong></li> </ol> Want to learn more about navigating the Karl Knapp (Prairie Creek) to Foothill Trail Loop? Visit our <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/knapp_foothill-trail.htm">"Walk the Karl Knapp (Prairie Creek) to Foothill Trail Loop" page.</a><br /> <hr /> <h3><u>Parking:</u></h3> Parking close to this trailhead can be hard to find in summer. There is <strong>plenty of parking for RVs and trailers along the Elk Meadow section of Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.</strong> <h3><u>Map Tips:</u></h3> <ul> <li>Use the zoom feature to explore trails and other digital map features in greater detail.</li> <li>Don’t solely rely on online maps when you are here.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We recommend you use a physical map or trail guide for your adventures in Redwood National and State Parks.</li> <li>Staff are available at visitor centers to help with additional trip planning needs.</li> </ul> <h3><u>Safety Tips:</u></h3> <ul> <li>To protect the habitats, leave no trace also means staying on the developed trail. Please don’t go off-trail and make any new trails. These forests grow by the inch, and will die by your foot.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>To protect the wildlife (and you and other visitors), pets are not allowed on park trails. <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/safety.htm">Roosevelt elk </a>can be blocking the trail and it's important not to approach these large and wild animals. If you need to turn back - then that is the smartest decision to make.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Cell coverage is very limited and cannot be relied on in an emergency. Have a plan for checking in and checking out with a friend when you are here.</li> </ul> <br /> <br />
Revelation Trail
~0 min drive
<strong>A short but meaningful walk thru the redwoods.</strong><br /> <br /> This 1/4 mile long loop-trail is flat and is through some of the most beautiful, and easily accessible old-growth redwoods. Interpretive signs encourage the use of different senses to learn about and…
Lost Man Creek: Hike and Bike Trail
~4 min drive
An Opportunity To Ride (Or Stroll) Through A Landscape In Recovery.<br /> <br /> Lost Man Creek flows through a landscape greatly changed from the 1960s when much of this area was clearcut logged. What used to be a logging road has been converted into a hike and bike trail. Lo…
Davison Trail: South Access
~5 min drive
A short trail that is part of a of "Hike and Bike" hub in the southern end of the redwood parks. You will see first-hand the legacy of 20th century redwood logging practices.<br /> <br /> This 2.5 mile trail follows an old logging road from the Elk Meadow Day Use area to the E…
Elk Meadow Day Use Area
~5 min drive
This is a great hub for some hiking, biking, wildlife viewing AND it has plenty of parking! This combination is rare in the redwoods.<br /> <br /> Walkers and hikers love this place because it leads to the gentle Trillium Falls Trail with its old-growth redwoods, and also to t…
Trillium Falls Trail
~5 min drive
<strong>A Highly Recommended Walk </strong><br /> <br /> This is a family-friendly, short hike passing old-growth redwoods, maples, trillium flowers, ferns, and huge fir trees... with a small waterfall too! There are some switchbacks and an elevation gain of 200-feet to reach…
Fern Canyon Loop Trail
~6 min drive
<strong>A Popular Walk That Comes With Stream Crossings and Walls of Greenery.<br /> <br /> <br /> If you plan to drive to Fern Canyon from May 15 - Sept 15, you will need to apply for online - and have been issued - a free </strong><a href="https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvi…
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #10
~7 min drive
<b>Forest from Ferns</b><br /> <br /> Many years ago, fire swept through this corner of the forest, opening large areas under the canopy to colonization by small, yet beneficial plants. Ferns, like the dominant sword fern, thrive in the all-pervading damp of the redwood unders…
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #11
~7 min drive
<b>Lifeblood</b><br /> <br /> Colonial seafarers and early American adventurers cursed the omnipresent rain and fog of northern California. A discomfort to some perhaps, but the mild, wet climate of the North Coast ensures the survival of redwood forests. Wet winters soak the…
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #8
~7 min drive
<b>Redwood Resurrection</b><br /> <br /> Commercial logging of redwoods reached into northern Humboldt and Del Norte Counties by the early 1870s. The logging industry dominated the economy of this region for three decades following World War II. The absence of tall trees in th…
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #9
~7 min drive
<b>Life after Death</b><br /> <br /> Redwoods do not die easily. The dense heartwood of a living tree resists most forms of insect damage and fungal growth, thus its value in commercial uses. The ability of a redwood to regenerate from burls ensures its longevity. More often t…
