Orick Area
The world's tallest living tree, "Hyperion" (more than 379 feet high), is in Redwood National Park. The coast redwoods grow more than 300 feet high, taller than the Statue of Liberty. Many of the old growth redwoods are 500-700 years old, some are 2,000 years old.
Kuchel Visitor Center - Stop into the visitor center for trail maps and information about this area of Redwood National Park. Visitor Center has good 3-D map to get oriented, restrooms, picnic tables, beach overlook.
Lady Bird Johnson Grove - Walking through the redwoods is always a magical experience, and especially so in this grove. It's a one mile loop trail through towering coast redwoods, moss covered trees, prehistoric-looking fern meadows, bunches of salmonberry and thimbleberry bushes, and in season, the glorious rhododendron "rose trees." Look down at the iris blooming at your feet, then look up, to the tops of the redwoods hundreds of feet above, where the branches touch the sky.
Best of all, there are hollow redwood trees (still living) to hide in and run through! Pick up the brochure for the self guided nature trail. It may be drippy and misty (the redwoods love the moisture), interspersed with pale daylight filtering through the redwoods. This trail is good for kids of all ages.
Hike along Redwood Creek Trail - Take a picnic and stroll down the Redwood Creek Trail for as long as you like (the first mile or so is okay for strollers.) It's an easy, level trail that goes along Redwood Creek. When the water is low, Redwood Creek is perfect for wading in the gravely stream bed.
Elk Meadow and Trillium Falls - From the parking lot in Elk Meadow, take a hike through the redwoods to Trillium Falls, less than a mile round trip to the falls. When you cross the creek on a metal bridge, you've arrived at Trillium Falls, a delightful cascade over moss-covered stones.
This trail is easy for even small ones. The trail continues on past the falls, a 2.5 mile loop trail (if you have bigger kids who'd like to get out and stretch their legs). Look for bright yellow banana slugs on the trail.
Elk Meadow has picnic tables and elk viewing platform.Horseback rides - In Orick, Redwood Creek Buckarettes offers
rides in the redwoods. Kids have to be 6 years and up for the regular horseback
rides (1.5 or two hour tours).
