Hiking the Prairie Creek and Cathedral Trees Loop, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

CURRENT INFO

A map and trail reviews for the Prairie Creek and Cathedral Trees Loop, starting and ending at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, is available on the AllTrails website. Information about the Prairie Creek Nature Trail/Redwood Access Loop, which connects Elk Prairie Campground with the visitor center, is also available on AllTrails. We connected these two loops together to create one longer loop hike starting from our campsite. The book Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks by John Soares includes a great description of both the Prairie Creek and Cathedral Trees Loop and the Redwood Access Trail.

GOOD TO KNOW

There is no fee to park at the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. Restrooms (or port-a-potties during the 2020 pandemic) are available at the visitor center, as is a nice gift shop. Dogs are not allowed on trails in the park, except for service animals.

During the day, rangers on duty provide great trail tips and information, and kids can pick up Junior Ranger booklets and badges. Bonus: since Prairie Creek is part of the jointly operated Redwood National and State Parks system, kids can earn both their National Park and California State Park badges! There is also a “Redwoods EdVenture Quest“ for kids to follow along the Prairie Creek Trail. Pick up a brochure that includes fun facts about the trail and look for a hidden clue during your hike. On your return, you can claim your prize, an EdVentures Quest patch or sticker.

Since there are many trails in this area, I recommend hiking with a good map. Get one from the visitor center, or refer to the one included in Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. If you use a trail app, such as AllTrails, download a map ahead of time. Cell service in the Redwoods is not reliable.

HIGHLIGHTS

Do you long to see some big trees? Really big trees? That’s why you came to the Redwoods, right? Well, on this hike you’ll find more than a few big trees. One of them is even called… drum roll, please… BIG TREE. Seriously, though, this lovely loop is an excellent way to take in the grandeur of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Since many people only stop by the visitor center and Big Tree for a quick photo op, you may have much of the trail to yourself. Look for ancient hollow stumps and other truly amazing tree formations, such as the one below. Yes, those four trees are indeed growing directly from the roots of a fallen giant!

THE KIDS’ TAKE

For kids, the Redwoods are a natural playground! Hollow stumps are the perfect places to hide, fallen trailside logs are ideal for climbing, and the list goes on. Even though the route we took was around four miles, it’s easy going, and the time passed quickly. Don’t neglect to stop by the visitor center for an “EdVenture Quest” guide before you hike!

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park offers so many trails, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The most famous one is Fern Canyon (see my review here). While not far from the visitor center in miles, be prepared for a long trip down a dusty, bumpy ten-mile road to get there. We hiked the Prairie Creek and Cathedral Trees Loop in the morning and Fern Canyon in the afternoon on the same day, stopping for lunch at Edebees Snack Shack in Orick in between.

The visitor center is situated just off the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, one of the loveliest drives through the Redwoods. To give yourself more time to explore, consider camping next door at Elk Prairie Campground. As you might guess from the name, many elk make their home here. You may be fortunate enough to see some, as herds will often gather to graze in the meadows (or “prairies” – clever name, right?) the near the visitor center.

If you want to hike in the Redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a mecca of trails. Numerous hiking trails branch off from the visitor center, conveniently located near Elk Prairie Campground. Since we were staying at Elk Prairie Campground, I was determined to find a good hike starting right from our campsite. If you’ve read some of my other hiking posts, you may know that I love heading out to hike directly from the campsite – it’s such a treat not to have to step foot in the car!

When I stumbled across the Prairie Creek and Cathedral Trees Loop, it sounded perfect. This hike hits the highlights – Big Tree, Cathedral Trees, and the chance to pick up Junior Ranger supplies at the visitor center. But rather than stopping by each place for a quick photo, we could enjoy them as part of longer journey, taking us deep into the heart of the redwood forest.

Not far from our campsite, I spotted the trailhead for the Redwood Access trail. This trail meanders along the creek, and is a good option for anyone looking for a short, easy walk in the Redwoods. Further along, the Redwood Access trail intersects with the short Revelation Loop, which includes signage specifically designed for blind hikers. But we had a longer hike in mind, so before reaching the Revelation Loop, we turned left onto the Nature Trail, crossed the creek, and began a gradual uphill climb.

My kids were delighted by the hollow snags along the trail. In many cases, these snags are remnants of forest fires, some of which burned hundreds of years earlier. Redwoods are extremely fire resistant, as they contain no pitch or resin, and their thick bark protects against flames. Some trees with extensive burn marks were indeed still living, and new growth sprouted and stretched upward from the remains of others.

The Nature Trail soon connected to the Prairie Creek Trail, where we headed left. We passed more giants, and even underneath one that had fallen across the trail. Prairie Creek came into view again, surrounded by ferny banks. Wooden bridges crisscrossed over quiet streams. So far, we’d passed only a handful of others on the trail, and the feeling of having the place to ourselves was magical.

There was a break in the magic, however, when it came time to cross Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. You’re never far from the road on this hike, although far enough that traffic can seldom be heard. About midway through, the trail crosses the parkway, taking you from the banks of Prairie Creek to the popular Big Tree. Located not far from the road, it’s easy to park nearby and see Big Tree en route to other destinations. In other words, don’t expect to have this spot to yourself. Still, the open area around Big Tree, where several trails converge, made a good snack stop, and the boys were suitably impressed by the size of Big Tree.

From here, we headed onto the Cathedral Trees Trail, which turned out to be my favorite part of the hike. In fairness, it probably helped that at this point the early morning cloud cover had dispersed and sunlight was gently wafting through the forest canopy. J and T found new fallen logs to explore, including a mind-bogglingly enormous root ball that even their dad couldn’t resist climbing (see the photo above in the “Highlights” section).

Michael and T were, as usual, at the head of the pack. T and I wandered more slowly, drinking in the dappled light as it filtered through the trees. The trail opened up as we neared Boyes Creek, where redwoods gave way to maples and alders. The Cathedral Trees are a cluster of redwoods joined together to create a magnificent tower, each trunk a column rising to unseen heights. Other “octopus” or “cathedral” trees are found elsewhere in the Redwoods, including along Prairie Creek Trail, but the Cathedral Trees are certainly one of the most impressive examples.

Not long after passing Cathedral Trees, the trail along Boyes Creek took us back to the road. We crossed and continued on to the visitor center. As it turns out, we should have stopped by on our way out that morning.

“Did you do the EdVenture Quest?” a ranger asked when he heard we’d just come from the Prairie Creek Trail.

“No-o-o-o?” I faltered, wondering what I’d missed. He explained that while families really should pick up a guide before hiking, the kids could still get stickers. Phew! They also gave us both the national and state park Junior Ranger badges together with the activity booklets. During the coronavirus pandemic, this was one way they could limit in person contact. Of course, the kids still needed to complete their books to earn those badges!

We headed back to our campsite along the Revelation and Redwood Access Trails, enjoying the easy path and interpretive signs. “Hey, I’ve been here before!” T cried when he recognized some of the more unusual trees. After only a few hours, the trees were now familiar friends. And thanks to Redwood National and State Parks, they will be there to greet new friends for many generations to come.