Thursday, July 4
Redwood National State Park
Unceded land of the Yurok Tribe
11.63 miles
2,000′ ascent
2,067′ descent
In an effort to beat the holiday masses, we depart from the Elk Meadow/Davison Road trailhead just after 9 am. There are only a few cars in the parking lot and the trail is quiet. We fork off of the Davison trail towards Trillium Falls, climbing gradually through redwood forest. It’s a short hike to reach the falls which are a beautiful cascade.
We follow the trail up and away from Trillium Falls through old growth forest. The trail loops around before reaching a junction with Davison Trail. We cross over Prairie Creek before checking for Roosevelt Elk in Elk Meadow.
We frogger across Hwy 101 before starting the long, hot ascent to Lady Bird Johnson Grove. I guess three miles isn’t that long but it seems to drag on forever. On the plus side, no one is out here and we have the forest to ourselves. We take several breaks during the hour+, 1,400 ft. climb. When we hit the junction with the trail around the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, there are people everywhere. We loop around and use the restrooms at the trailhead parking lot. It’s grand central as people jockey for parking spots and don all their “gear” for the Lady Bird stroll.
We do the full loop and return to the trail junction to Elk Meadow. With all the hard work behind us, we bounce down the trail making quick miles. Just after a break, we find a super cool epiphytic Western Hemlock whose roots have grown laterally and are holding up the disintegrating overhead log. We arrive back at the parking lot just after 1:30 pm and it’s full of cars and teeming with people. We make a quick escape and dodge the already questionable drivers along the way home.
Journey Return 