The Boy Scout Tree Trail

Length 5.3 mi · Climbing 750 ft

California > Redwood National and State Parks > Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Background

The extraordinary Boy Scout Tree Trail has an abundance of huge trees set in an interesting progression of different environments. The trail feels wonderfully remote and is one of the most pristine old-growth trails in existence. There are only about three other trails in the world where you can walk through old-growth redwoods for five miles or more without hearing traffic noise or seeing any sign of development. This is an out-and-back hike, and I always find the return trip to be a lot more enjoyable than the outbound trip, since the redwoods get gradually more impressive on the return.

An essential part of the Boy Scout Tree experience is the drive to the trailhead. For two miles you'll bump and wind through truly top-notch old growth along the unpaved Howland Hill Road. At the trailhead, located in a spectacular redwood grove, there's a little pullout that can accommodate about six cars. You'll usually find a few other people there, perhaps one or two cars in the winter, which is the best time of year to take this hike. In the summer there might be twenty cars lining the road and tour groups sometimes show up.

Click map to enlarge; click again to show all trails and roads

Hike description

Starting at Howland Hill Road, the trail passes through a magestic, jungle-like lowland redwood forest. The trees, which grow out of a plush carpet of ferns, are gigantic and most of them have very light, almost white bark. Lichens drip from the branches of the smaller trees.

The trail crosses a stream and immediately after begins to climb, meandering pleasantly up a gently-sloped hillside. You'll have to duck under a few fallen logs. The forest quickly opens up, becoming less overgrown, and from your vantage point on the hillside you'll get superb views of the huge trees all around. A solid carpet of ferns covers the ground, unbroken except for the redwoods. There are few other plants around, giving the area a manicured, garden-like appearance. If it's not windy or raining, it can be incredibly still and quiet here - it almost feels like being indoors. If it's a sunny morning, with the sun at your back you'll notice that each tree has its own color and texture. In the afternoon or on a cloudy day the trees will look more uniform. The trail reaches a ridge and levels out. Almost immediately you'll notice that the redwoods are smaller and further apart. Huckleberry bushes appear, adding to the typical redwood upland look of the area.

The Boy Scout Tree Trail

The trail begins to descend through a dense but very open grove. These trees are relatively small (although by normal standards they're still pretty big), and they have a uniform and somewhat drab brown color. At the right time in the afternoon this grove, with its similarly-sized trees and open character, starts to take on a cathedral-like appearance.

As the trail descends, it soon leaves this grove and enters a more diverse and interesting woodland. Although the forest is dominated by redwoods, many of them large, it seems to have a smaller, more intimate scale than the preceding woodlands. The sparse canopy lets a lot of sunlight in, giving the forest a uniquely brilliant and colorful look. This is the prettiest part of the hike, and it's even better on the return trip, when the sun backlights the foliage. On foggy days you'll hear the distant hooting of a foghorn coming from Crescent City.

After the trail crosses a creek, the nearly-pure redwood forest gives way to mixed-species woodland. There are still redwoods here and there, but you're no longer surrounded by them. Surprisingly, the largest trees of the hike are found in this area. The trail passes by a series of monster redwoods, some alone, some in clusters. These trees are all the more impressive because in places it's possible to look up and actually see how tall they are. Normally in a redwood forest, the treetops are hidden by a dense canopy. In the distance, across the creek, more huge trees are visible.

Finally, the trail emerges from the redwood forest completely. Skirting the forest, it passes through streamside scrub for a stretch before re-entering the forest. A short, unmarked side trail leads to the Boy Scout Tree, a giant double tree resembling the two-fingered Boy Scout salute.

The trail ends, somewhat anticlimictically, at Fern Falls, a small cascade at the edge of the redwoods.

The Boy Scout Tree Trail