Tall Trees Grove Trailhead Parking

It’s a 4.5-mile lollypop hike. Tall Trees Trail is a permitted hike. Only 65 permits are available each day. A hike filled with stunning views and scenery. Highlighted trees: The Paul Zahl Tree (2nd tallest tree in the grove and 17th tallest in the world). The Melkor Tree, the largest tree in Redwood National Forest by volume, as well as the 8th tallest along this hike. The Redwood Creek Giant is the 2nd largest and 4th tallest in the grove, this tree is truly unique in that it has 148 reiterated trunks. The Nugget Tree. Named after the acronym NGT (National Geographic Tree), this 643 year old giant is over 373 feet tall, making it the tallest in the grove, the 3rd tallest in the world, and the 5th fastest growing redwood on record.

Nice but narrow road in. I wouldn't recommend anything bigger than a Sprinter size van. Go slow. Trail was great. Started early in the morning and we're the only ones on the outbound hike. Some ups and downs, might be hard for anyone not able to handle a flights of stairs easily, but there's plenty to look at. The Groves you're looking for are about a mile in although mill trail keeps going beyond that. Great signage, no worries about getting lost. No services other than a pit toilet at Trailhead.

Getting here is a bit of a hike, pun intended. But all joke aside this is a marvelous experience for a day trip. You have to drive out of the highway and upper road for about 8 miles and make sure to register online as there is a closed gate that you need a number that changes every day to access. Once you are in, it is a gorgeous hike, but be warned. It will be steep decent and then a steep return to the car so you need to be in decent physical shape probably no young children. You’ll have to see some of the tallest trees in the world and at the bottom there is a loop with a fern forest ferns are more than 7 feet tall. It is incredible. You feel like a tiny insect. Lots of wildlife got to see some elk at the bottom Very much recommend.

Great off the beaten path trail to check out an incredible grove of giant redwoods! **You must sign up for the permit (it is free though) and check your email in the morning before going up the road (no service) if you don’t have code, go to the visitor center first!

So, let me get a couple of things out of the way upfront. The bathrooms at the trailhead were great. I mean, for a bathroom, they were decently clean and well stocked with paper. Bring your own hand sanitizer if you’re worried. Also, for those that complain about having to get a permit and/or too many people on the trail, I come from a very touristy town and I wish the town did more crowd control at special places. We had a morning permit and we saw quite a few people on the trail, both coming and going, but mostly we were by ourselves. Several groups were coming up the trail after overnight camping. Most of them had kids and it was cool to see little ones out in the woods. We walked out to the beach after the loop and sat by the river. The trees are almost beyond description. Majestic in all their stages of growth and death, they provide an opportunity to think big thoughts about our own lives and purpose. There are lots of places to see the coastal redwoods, but few where you can spend quality time in their presence. Well worth the hassle of a permit and a code. A side note: myrtle wood grows abundantly amongst the redwoods here. Fragrant and symbiotic, they were such an added joy to this exquisite landscape.

Great hike in the redwoods. As others mention you need to make a reservation ahead of time. It was easy to do online and they send you a gate code the day before your hike. The road to the trailhead was too narrow for passing in places but was in good condition. No problems with parking at the trailhead. Well marked trail. The start is all downhill making the return all uphill but honestly it wasn't bad. Lots of benches along the way if you want to rest or just take in the view. The loop portion at the bottom was flat. Lots of big trees and fresh air. No noise from cars. Well worth the extra time of getting a permit and driving to the trailhead.

Great start to our redwood adventures. We applied for the permit a week out and received it 2 days later. Arrived at the gate at 8am. The whole trail.took us 3 hours to hike. Pretty decent haul back up the hill but the bottom is well worth it. Definitely shouldn't pass this up. But you'll need at least** 4 hours with the drive in and out.

The parking area is clean, easy to get to, and offers what you need to and from the grove. The grove itself is spectacular and worth the hike. Seeing so many giant trees in a secluded valley is awe inspiring. I went during a rainstorm and still found the trail easy to hike on.