The McArthur Creek Loop

Length 14.1 mi · Climbing 2600 ft

California > Redwood National and State Parks > Redwood National Park

A red alder grove on the one short doubletrack stretch of the McArthur Loop Trail

Background

Although this trail was built for horseback riding, it also makes a pretty good walk, especially if you feel like a long hike. Within the Redwood Creek Horse Trail system, this loop and its abbreviated version, the Ridge Loop, is the least affected by logging and the most enjoyable. The entire loop is in lush forest, with a lot of sunny groves of white-barked red alders and even a few patches of old-growth redwoods. Although the trail is a bit overgrown, it's actually a fairly easy hike since there aren't any especially steep or difficult sections.

The 7-mile Ridge Loop has most of the old growth of the McArthur Creek Loop. It's still mostly second growth, though.

The trail was originally called the Six Hour Loop. In fact, all the Orick horse trails used to be named for their expected riding times but have now been renamed. At the moment, though, all the trail signs still have the old names. At a brisk pace it actually takes about seven hours to hike this trail.

A company called Redwood Outfitters conducts popular horseback rides, mostly through the old growth along the Ridge Loop, so you may encounter large groups of slow-moving riders in this area. Otherwise, the trail is little-used; in fact, I've never seen another hiker on any of the Orick Horse Trails.

Click map to show all roads and trails
Part of the Trail Map of Redwood National and State Parks (Redwood Hikes Press, 2009)

Hike description

Click here to see the trailhead location in Google Maps or in Google Street View.

The trail begins at the Orick Rodeo Grounds. Park in the grassy field just past a gate labeled with a "private property" sign. Put $5 in the little wooden box attached to the informational sign.

The trail starts as a dirt road that runs along a levee above Redwood Creek. There are nice views of the Orick valley, with its green cow pastures surrounded by redwood-covered hills.

The dirt road along the levee turns into a wide, well-maintained trail as it enters the woods and begins to climb. This part of the trail is in very good condition because of the horseback tours. There are some pretty impressive old-growth redwoods, but there are also a lot of large open areas between the redwoods. The result is an unusually open redwood forest. Similar open areas sometimes appear on hillsides in Prairie Creek, so it's unclear whether these areas are natural or the result of logging. No stumps are visible, and ferns and redwood sorrel cover the ground.

Red alders just above McArthur Creek

When the trail splits after 1.7 miles, go right (the right branch is not marked). The trail immediately becomes much narrower and somewhat overgrown, and stays like that for the rest of the hike. Nonetheless, the trail seems to be fairly well-used and is not at all difficult to follow.

The redwoods end at the point where the trail splits; the trail proceeds through typical Humboldt County woodlands, with an attractive mix of small trees among lush groundcover. This part of the trail actually skirts the edge of some old growth, but you can't really see any of it. The National Park Service likes to build trails along the edge of old growth; I guess they think it lets you see the old growth without damaging it. The result, though, at best only reminds you of how great it would be to be hiking through old growth, and more often looks just like a non-old-growth trail.

After several miles the trail descends to an intersection with a dirt road. Turn right. When you see the outhouse to your left, turn left onto a trail. The trail crosses tiny McArthur Creek on a culvert and begins to climb. The trail increasingly begins to look like a dirt road.

When you come to a T intersection with another dirt road (the Elam Creek Loop), turn left. After a short distance, turn right onto a singletrack trail. This is the only section of trail to pass through a heavily-logged area, and there's a collection of large stumps at one point.

Old-growth redwoods on the Ridge Loop

As you approach the trail to Elam Camp, you begin to enter more pleasant, old-growth redwood forest. The trail descends through old growth until it reaches McArthur Creek. After you cross the creek on a footbridge, the redwoods disappear. The trail climbs through alders. Apparently, the trail used to be a dirt road, and as the trail climbs it zig-zags back and forth many times across the width of the former roadbed. These micro-switchbacks are kind of annoying although they do look attractive, a little like San Francisco's Lombard Street but on a much smaller scale.

After cresting at the cutoff trail, the trail begins to descend, soon entering a ridgetop grove of old-growth redwoods. Unusually, the groundcover is a dense and tall layer of salal.