★★★

Founders’ Grove

Length 1.3 mi · Climbing 20 ft
California > Humboldt Redwoods and Vicinity > Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Founders’ Grove

The Founders’ Grove is the most-visited grove in Humboldt Redwoods and a major North Coast redwood attraction. It’s popular because it’s conveniently (maybe too conveniently) located right next to a Highway 101 offramp on the Avenue of the Giants, and it’s also truly an exceptional sight.

The grove is perhaps most notable for its sheer size. From most locations on the loop trail, the big redwoods extend as far as you can see in every direction. No other lowland grove feels quite so expansive.

Located on an exceptionally large alluvial flat at the intersection of two rivers, the grove is shielded from storms by 3000-foot-tall mountains to the west, yet is still immersed in the summer fog that flows up the Eel River Valley. As a result the grove has a lot of huge trees, which combined with its large area and openness make it one of the most impressive there is; it’s really the quintessential redwood grove.

The Mahan Loop Trail

The downside of the Founders’ Grove is that a major four-lane highway runs right next to it, so a constant roar of high-speed traffic fills the forest. The Avenue of the Giants, which cuts through the middle of the grove, adds its own traffic noise. So if you only have time to visit one grove, consider visiting Rockefeller Grove instead. It’s only a five-minute drive away and although it’s not as big, the quieter, more contemplative atmosphere makes it more rewarding.

Nonetheless, the Founders’ Grove is one of the most iconic of all redwood groves, and if you’re spending a day or more in Humboldt Redwoods it’s certainly worth a visit. If possible, go before about 8 am or in winter, when the traffic is more subdued, to really appreciate the remarkable beauty of this place.

Founders’ Grove

The grove is at its best in winter, when the redwoods grow out of an attractive and unusually dense layer of redwood sorrel that looks a lot like a plush carpet; the sorrel is in turn covered with a sparse layer of ferns. Despite the fog, summers are unusually hot and dry for a north coast redwood forest, and the grove can become somewhat dry and dull-looking by late summer.

The grove is difficult to photograph because most of the tree trunks have a drab brown color and little late-afternoon sunlight reaches the forest floor. There seem to be an unusually large number of really big fallen redwoods here, most notably the immense Dyerville Giant.

Three loop trails run through the Founders’ Grove. Closest to the parking lot is the Founders’ Grove loop, a half-mile-long trail with the Founders’ Tree at the near end and the fallen Dyerville Giant at the far end. This is by far the most popular loop; due to the heavy foot traffic the trail is now about 10 feet wide.

A connecting trail leads from the Founders’ Loop to the much less-visited but equally impressive Mahan Loop. The connecting trail is actually the best part of the Founders’ Grove, with a cluster of large redwoods alongside the trail and views of immense trees in the distance rising through the dense foliage.

Mahan Loop connector trail

The Mahan Plaque itself marks the location where several exceptionally large trees were cut in the start of a logging operation that would have destroyed the entire grove, had two hikers not seen the damage and taken action to preserve the grove. A short stretch of the Mahan Loop runs along the base of a hill that defines the edge of the alluvial flat; the redwoods are noticably smaller here.

A lot of side trails have been worn into the groundcover, so it’s easy to get lost. The southernmost side trail begins at a short triangular post and connects the Founders’ Grove to the rest of Humboldt Redwoods’ trail network. The redwoods end almost immediately on this unexceptional side trail as it climbs to a cut above Highway 101. Two other trails lead to the Avenue of the Giants.

Founders’ Grove

The third loop trail is across the Avenue of the Giants from the Founders’ and Mahan Loops. Although it’s unmarked, it’s an official trail and is called the Goosepen Loop on the official park map. The trail is narrow, little-used, and easy to lose, and the trees are much less impressive in this area. Highway 101 runs immediately adjacent to the trail on a high berm. This loop is not included in the recommended hike.

Founders’ Grove

Links

 

© 2007, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2022 David Baselt