This gentle loop through 300 acres of old-growth redwoods sits a thousand feet above the coastal fog line, where the giants grow in conditions that keep them looking greener than their sea-level cousins. The trail commemorates Lady Bird Johnson's conservation work with a dedication that feels appropriate rather than forced — a short walk among trees that were ancient when she championed the cause of protecting them.
Trail Details
- 🏃Activities
- Hiking
- 📊Difficulty
- Easy
- 🔁Trail Type
- loop
- 📏Distance
- 1.5 miles
- 📍Location
- CA
- 🐕Dogs Allowed
- No
- 💵Fee
- Free
Overview
The grove occupies a sweet spot in the park's elevation zones. At 1,200 feet above sea level, it catches more moisture than the roadside groves but stays above the persistent coastal fog that blankets the lower forests. The extra rain up here creates wetter conditions that give these redwoods a distinctly greener cast compared to the more familiar rust-red bark you'll see closer to Highway 101.
The 1.5-mile loop follows aggregate and wood-surface trail that ranges from four to ten feet wide — generous by redwood forest standards, where many trails squeeze between buttressed trunks barely wide enough for hikers to pass. This isn't backcountry hiking; it's a forest walk designed to let you focus on looking up instead of watching your feet. President Nixon dedicated the grove to Lady Bird Johnson in 1969, and her dedication plaque appears about halfway around the loop, marking what was already recognized as significant old-growth habitat worth protecting.
Getting There
The access road tells you something about how serious the park service is about preserving this grove. Bald Hills Road climbs 2.5 windy, bumpy miles from Highway 101 — narrow enough that RVs, buses, coaches, and vehicles towing trailers aren't allowed. The road is passable in regular cars but demands attention, especially on the descent when brakes get a workout.
Parking fills up from summer mornings through late afternoon, and there's nowhere legal or safe to park along the road if the lot is full. The trailhead sits 3 miles up Bald Hills Road from the highway, about 10 minutes north of Orick if you're driving up from the south.
What to Expect
The trail handles 31 minutes of easy walking for most people, though that assumes you're not stopping to crane your neck at the canopy or read interpretive information. There's one hikers' bridge along the route with a slope steep enough to make the trail non-ADA accessible, but otherwise the grade stays gentle throughout the loop.
The forest here is genuinely old and consistently dense. Unlike some redwood groves where you walk between scattered giants, this trail keeps you in continuous old-growth canopy. The higher elevation means more consistent moisture, which supports a richer understory than you'll find in drier locations.
Logistics
The trail is free and doesn't require permits or advance planning beyond showing up early enough to find parking. Summer brings daily ranger-led walks that start from the parking lot — worth timing your visit around if you want context about what you're seeing.
Physical maps are essential. Cell coverage is spotty to nonexistent in the forest, and online maps become unreliable once you're under the canopy. The park service provides maps at the trailhead information kiosk.
Stay on trail. The understory here is fragile, and the park service prohibits creating new trails or taking shortcuts. Dogs aren't allowed, and picking flowers or plants violates federal law — standard national park rules that get enforced more strictly in sensitive habitats like this one.
The grove sees heaviest use during summer, but winter hiking brings its own rewards if you don't mind dealing with wetter conditions and the possibility of downed trees across the trail.