Redwood National Park Adventure Trip

Today we will get our first glimpse of the vast Pacific Ocean. We will bike straight from camp to a section of trail that links up with Davison Road.
This morning’s ride will take us through the forest to the dramatic bluffs above the ocean. Our destination for the day will be Gold Bluffs Beach and the beautiful Fern Canyon.
We will spend time on the beach, swimming and spotting sea life. Seals and pelicans are just a few of the animals we are likely to see.
Afterwards, we will hike Fern Canyon, a beautiful oasis with ferns growing all the way up the bluffs—imagine a tunnel of green following a beautiful stream.
We will return to our camp for the night at Elk Prairie, giving us a lot of chances to see the elk herd that frequents this area.

This morning we will make our way to the Coastal Trail. This trail runs 70 miles north and south, connecting all the sections of the Redwoods National Park.
Our bike ride for today starts along an old-growth forest road before narrowing down to a singletrack that runs on top of the bluffs above the sea.
Biking this section through giant redwoods will take us to an overlook with a great view of the vast Pacific Ocean. Keep your eyes peeled for the banana slugs that make their homes amongst these giants.
After enjoying the view, we will retrace our steps before shuttling to our campsite at Jedediah Smith Campground on the Smith River. Jedediah Smith was an early American pioneer, frontiersman, and mountain man. He explored the mountain west and made his way to California in 1826.

Float day!! After a great breakfast, we will head over to the put-in for our river trip.
Today we will float the Smith River, which was designated as a Wild and Scenic River in 1981. It is the only major river system in California that has never been damned. It runs free from its headwaters in the Klamath Mountains all the way to the Pacific.
Its crystal-clear waters will take us to the Stout Grove, home to the largest surviving trees, some of which stand over 325 ft tall.
We will finish our float with a few exciting stretches of Class I rapids, followed by some great swimming opportunities.

On our final day of the trip, we will explore the amazing Howland Hill Road by bike.
We will pass the upper part of the Stout Grove and continue to the Grove of the Titans. Along the way, we will see the upturned stump of one of these fallen giants and get yet another perspective on just how big these trees really are.
This short morning ride will take us to a very special section of the Coastal Trail for a downhill walk with great views all the way to Hidden Beach.
Here we will be surrounded by giant boulders, tidal pools, soft sand, and giant piles of driftwood—creating the perfect opportunity to encounter all kinds of ocean creatures, including anemones, sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and chitons.
Next, we will make our way to Lagoon Creek for lunch before we head back to Brookings.