Redwood National Park

A fallen Redwood tree in a forest of Redwood trees

January 8th - March 12th, 2022

Surrounded by towering giants

This was our first official destination to kick off our adventures. Our Airbnb was in Eureka, California for it’s proximity to all the national and state redwood parks to the north and south.

Being completed submersed in giant redwoods is a completely surreal experience. Redwood trees are 300-350 high with a diameter of 10 to 15 feet. The lush, green old growth forests are covered in ferns, moss and mushrooms. Some of the locations we visited were filming locations for Jurassic Park and Star Wars.

While here, we also journeyed down south to visit Mendocino, as well as east to visit Redding.

This was by far one of Trevor’s favorite national parks and destinations we’ve visited.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods is a coastal redwood park located 30 minutes north of Eureka and it's one of the best redwood parks we went to. They have an incredible hike here called Fern Canyon, which is similar to a slot canyon in Utah but with beautiful ferns and moss adorning the walls. It is where scenes from Jurassic Park 2 were filmed. We hiked the 10.3 mile James Irvine trail which ends up descending into Fern Canyon from the top down.

The main corridor in Fern Canyon with it's fern and moss covered walls.

Natalie crossing a bridge in Fern Canyon

Crossing the make shift bridges in Fern Canyon

The interesting fern canyon walls of this hike made it one of our favorite hikes we've ever been on.

Trevor in the main corridor of Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Hiking the 10.3 mile James Irvine trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.

Amazing bright colored mushrooms at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.

Impressive mushroom display on a mossy log

Hanging out at the beach at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP after completing the James Irvine trail.

The beach at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.

A moment from the Trillium Falls trail in Redwood National Park.

A grove of trees along the Cathedral Trees trail in Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.

Camping in our car at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP.

Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jedidiah Smith Redwood SP is located near Crescent City, which is situated an hour and a half north of Eureka, so we only came here a couple of times. However, it was our favorite of all the redwood state parks. It had an added measure of mossiness, big trees and amazing mushrooms. It's also where scenes from Jurassic Park and Star Wars (the Endor scenes) were filmed. We unfortunately weren't super into taking pictures at this time so we only have a few from here.

Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

The forest floor completely covered in ferns in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods SP.

The forest floor was completely covered in ferns in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods SP.

More dense covered floor at Jedidiah Smith Redwoods SP.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Humboldt Redwoods SP is located only 30 minutes south of Eureka, so we came here a few times and did all the main hikes in the park. This was the first park we came to once we arrived in Eureka, so it holds some special memories for us as the first place we were amazed by the size of the giant redwoods.

Views from the Founders Nature Trail in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Views from the Founder's Grove Nature Trail in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Natalie in front of giant Redwood tree at Jedidiah Smith Redwoods SP.

Natalie in front of a giant Redwood tree at Founder's Grove, Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Founders Grove Nature Trail, Humboldt Redwoods SP

Views from the Rockefeller Loop Trail in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

A fallen Redwood tree at the Founder's Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

It's always interesting to see a Redwood that has fallen down so you can walk around it and wrap your mind around the immense scale of the tree better.

Unfortunately Trevor hurt his knee our first week here so he had to hike with trekking poles for our entire time here.

The roots system of Redwood tree, seen here as the tree has fallen over.

The roots system of a Redwood tree at the Founder's Redwood Grove, seen here as the tree has fallen over.

Crossing a fallen tree serving as a bridge on the Bull Creek trail at Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Hiking around the Founder's Grove Nature Trail in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

The Avenue of the Giants, an amazing drive through towering redwood trees at Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Trev in front of a huge tree at the Founders Grove.

A cluster of brightly colored mushrooms on the forest floor

There were so many fun mushrooms at Humboldt Redwoods State park.

Tall, delicate mushrooms along the Bull Creek trail in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

Scenery along the Bull Creek trail.

Teeny tiny mushrooms along the Rockefeller Loop in Humboldt Redwoods SP.

The Redwood National Park is home to some amazing redwood groves and includes the tallest tree in the world, Hyperion. We did the Tall Trees trail, Lady Bird trail, and the Trillium Falls trail here.

A mossy, ferny wonderland along the Tall Trees trail in Redwood National Park.

Natalie in front of a mossy tree along the Tall Trees trail in Redwood National Park.

Tall Trees trail, Redwood National Park.

Fun mushrooms along the Tall Trees trail.

A beautiful tree covered in vegetation along the Tall Trees trail.

Turkey tail mushrooms growing up a tree.

Mushrooms along the Tall Trees trail, Redwood National Park.

Turkey tail mushrooms along the Tall Trees trail, Redwood National Park.

Trillium Falls, Redwood National Park.

A moment from the Trillium Falls trail in Redwood National Park.

Trillium Falls, Redwood National Park.

A huge heard of Elk near the parking lot for the Trillium Falls trail in Redwood National Park.

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

Another coastal redwood park, we did the Damnation Creek trail here that starts high in a beautiful grove of redwood trees and descends a 1000 feet to an amazing beach.

The bottom of the Damnation Creek hike at Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP.

Natalie hiking back up the Damnation Creek trail at Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.

Sequoia Park

This is a neighborhood park in Eureka that features a small zoo and the Redwood Sky Walk. The Sky Walk is an amazing hanging suspension bridge system high up in a grove of redwood trees. It was one of the highlights of our trip here.

A suspension bridge on the Redwood Sky Walk.

Playing on the playground at Sequoia Park near our Airbnb in Eureka.

The Sequoia Park Zoo

A red panda at the Sequoia Park Zoo.

Redding, CA

We journeyed 3 hours over to Redding, CA one weekend to visit Burney Falls, Lake Shasta, and Lake Shasta Caverns.

The view from the trail descending to the bottom of Burney Falls, which is located near Redding in northern California.

Burney Falls

The bottom of Burney Falls.

Burney Falls from a far away vantage point.

Lake Shasta near Redding, California.

A scene from inside Lake Shasta Caverns where we went on an amazing cave tour.

Trinidad State Beach

This is an amazing beach 15 minutes north of Eureka that we came to often. During our time here, Natalie's sister Jaycie and her wife Amanda came and visited us. We had a great time taking them on some hikes and visiting some great beaches.

Natalie's sister and her wife, Jaycie and Amanda came and visited us and we had a great time going to beaches.

Jaycie and Amanda at Trinidad State Beach.

The pier at Trinidad State Beach.

Enjoying the sunset at Trinidad State Beach.

Exploring Moonstone Beach County Park, near Trinidad State Park.

Sue-meg State Park

Sue-meg State Park is 30 miles north of Eureka and contains a handful of beautiful hikes and a reconstructed indigenous Sumêg Village.

An indigenous dwelling at Sue-meg State Park (near Trinidad State Beach).

A hike we did that led down to the ocean below at Sue-meg State Park.

Soaking in the sunset at Sue-meg State Park

Beautiful mushrooms at Sue-meg State Park.

Mendocino

We took a weekend trip down to Mendocino, CA one weekend, making lots of stops along the way. Some of the highlights were Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, Russian Gulch State Park, Fort Bragg, and the hikes along the Mendocino cliffs.