I've always wanted to visit the Redwood forests in California. When I planned the swing through the West, I knew I'd stop there.I didn't know I'd bite off an 11.6-mile hike through them. That's a long distance to hike by yourself, but I'm very glad I did it.
Many experts note that the Miner's Ridge-James Irvin Trail hike is the most essential in the Redwoods. It starts at the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park south of Klamath, Calif., stretches about 5 miles to the Pacific Ocean along Miner's Trail. It then jogs along the ocean for 2 miles before cutting through a dense fern growth -- Fern Canyon -- and heading back to the visitor center along the Irvin trail for about 4.6 miles.
The hike isn't too bad in terms of difficulty. It's fairly level with only a few steep parts. But over nearly 12 miles, those steep parts add up.What it lacks in technical difficulty, the trail makes up for in diverse scenery. The beginning features towering, old-growth Redwoods. The ocean offers exactly what you'd expect from the Northern California coast -- violent waves smashing into gnarly rocks. The Irvine Trail is all about ferns. They cling to walls, fill every valley and grow almost waist high.
I didn't start to get tired until the last three miles or so. But the key is to keep the feet moving.With the beautiful scenery, that's not too hard to do. I just worry I'll wreck my neck staring up at those 300-foot trees.
The details:
Trail name: Miner's Ridge Trail and James Irvine Trail
Location: Prairie Creek Redwood State Park, 15 miles south of Klamath, Calif.
Length: 11.6 miles
Beginning elevation: 100 feet
Peak elevation: 750 feet
Difficulty (out of 5): 2
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