California · Hiking · Near Hoopa

Trillium Falls Trail

Trillium Falls TrailPhoto: Photo / John Chao
Loop
route
Mar–Nov
best months

Is Trillium Falls Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Redwood National Park. It doesn't name Trillium Falls Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

  • Closure: Lady Bird Johnson Grove Parking Lot

    Park closure covering Redwood National Park · NPS · Redwood National Park

  • Delays along Highway 101

    Park alert covering Redwood National Park · NPS · Redwood National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Redwood National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

A Highly Recommended Walk 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 the falls. Trailhead parking is located at the Elk Meadow Day Use Area - just off Davison Road, three miles north of Orick. There is drinking water, information kiosks, flush toilets, picnic tables and it has plenty of parking for vehicles of any size (busses, RV's, and trailers included). Because of the trail's beauty, and the good parking and picnic options, many rangers recommend this as the best little hike in Redwood National and State Parks. At the parking area, there is a good chance of seeing one of the Roosevelt elk herds that live in the park. Trillium Falls is 1/2 mile from the trailhead and is a great photo stop and turn-around point. To protect the vegetation at the waterfall please stay on the hikers' bridge. If you want to see more of the 2.7 mile (4.3 km) loop, then continue past the falls. The trail will climb a few hundred feet again and lead you through more old-growth redwoods, past massive "chimney-trees" and you eventually will cross an old logging road. At this overgrown road, you can cut short your hike half a mile by following the grassy road downhill back to the parking lot. If you continue ahead on the trail, you will see more redwoods as you eventually drop down to in elevation. The trail will lead you north along the edge of Prairie Creek back to the Elk Meadow Day Use parking area. Safety Tips • We recommend you purchase and use a good map and trail guide for your adventures in Redwood National and State Parks. Don’t rely on online maps when you are here. • 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. • To protect the wildlife (and you and other visitors), pets are not allowed on park trails. • 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.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Hike and Bike Campsites

    Campground

    Campground · 2.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Palm Cafe

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rains

    Patrick's Point Visitor Center

    Museum

    Museum · 14 mi from Hoopa

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Hoopa
  • Best time to go · Mar–Nov

    Best time to visit Trillium Falls Trail

    Best months: March–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      52° / 36°

    2. Feb

      54° / 37°

    3. Mar

      56° / 37°

    4. Apr

      58° / 39°

    5. May

      61° / 43°

    6. Jun

      64° / 46°

    7. Jul

      67° / 49°

    8. Aug

      69° / 49°

    9. Sep

      69° / 45°

    10. Oct

      65° / 42°

    11. Nov

      56° / 39°

    12. Dec

      51° / 36°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA, 3 mi away at 160 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

HIKE

Elk Meadow Day Use Area

Next door

This is a great hub for some hiking, biking, wildlife viewing AND it has plenty of parking! This combination is rare in the redwoods. Walkers and hikers love this place because it leads to the gentle Trillium Falls Trail with its old-growth redwoods, and also to the steep…

Davidson TrailPhoto: Aleksandr Zykov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Davidson Trail

Next door

4.02-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,219 ft elevation gain/loss.

Berry Glen TrailPhoto: Aleksandr Zykov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Berry Glen Trail

Next door

4.54-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,506 ft elevation gain/loss.

HIKE

Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #8

~2 min drive

Redwood Resurrection 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 the distance stands…

HIKE

West Ridge Trail

~5 min drive

13.16-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,754 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Davison Trail: South Access

Next door

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. This 2.5 mile trail follows an old logging road from the Elk Meadow Day Use area to the Elk Prairie…

HIKE

Coastal Trail: Skunk Cabbage (South)

~2 min drive

Located off HWY 101 on Robinson Road, this is the southern trailhead for the 7.5 long Skunk Cabbage Trail. The northern trailhead is on Gold Bluffs Beach - just north of the entrance kiosk. The Skunk Cabbage Trail is part of the California Coastal Trail system. The Skunk…

Ridge LoopPhoto: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ridge Loop

~3 min drive

8.06-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,853 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #9

~2 min drive

Life after Death 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 than not, wind…

HIKE

Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #11

~3 min drive

Lifeblood 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 region under 60-70…