With our itinerary out the window, I was ready to make the most of the time we had left on this trip! And that is exactly what we did. While we weren’t able to do or see everything I had in mind, our visit was still well worth it.

We finally made it to the park on Saturday morning and spent the first portion of the day in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park hiking the Mill Creek trail. Ben and I were both in awe of the beauty of these magnificent beasts. I find it hard to describe how it feels to be around them. It’s like you can sense how old the forests are. Like your body knows the thousands of years the trees have been growing, falling, and forming the floor beneath you. Every turn I was in awe. And this was true for every section of the park that we explored.

We, of course, drove the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. This is a must if you visit the park! It’s an incredible way to witness the enormity of these breathtaking trees. While it was amazing driving this road in a car, it made me wish I was doing it on a motorcycle. It feels different in the wind. You can smell the soil, feel the breeze on your face, and notice all the subtle temperature differences as the sun dances between the canopy. Along this road, there are several pull-offs with areas to view the trees, read interpretive signs, and lots of amazing trails to hike. We didn’t hike any of the trails along the road, but instead decided to get to a campsite in the park and hike the trails there.

As I mentioned, my plan was gone with the wind, so we did not stay at the campsite we thought we would. Instead, we stayed in Prairie Creek State Park and I’m honestly glad we did! It was an incredible campsite and we had an amazing spot right along the creek. The campground also had great amenities including flush toilets and coin showers. Since it was out of season, it was really quiet with only a few other campers dispersed throughout the whole campground. We could hike for hours directly from our campsite…and that’s exactly what we did.

To me, hiking among the Redwoods is unique because it’s not like most hikes that I’m used to. I would say most of the hikes in the park are not “destination” hikes. I’m used to vistas, peaks, lakes, or some type of ending point when I go on a hike; something you’re hiking TO. The hiking here is very mellow, yet amazing at every turn. We strolled from our campsite slowly into the forest simply taking it all in. The pace of modern life can be overwhelming, and hiking under the dense canopy of ancient beasts was a nice reminder to slow down. These trees didn’t grow that tall in a rush.

One hike that was on my list that we did complete was Trillium Falls Trail. Like the rest of the forest, this hike was stunning. And we saw so many mushrooms! It blows my mind thinking about the mycelial network that connects all the life growing in these forests – an intricate web of communication woven just beneath our feet. Fruiting mushrooms are just the visible tip of this vast, hidden realm. A mere glimpse into the deep connectivity that sustains the life within these forests. These decomposers return nutrients to the soil, making way for new growth. I love the symbolism of mushrooms: with death comes rebirth. Decay is not the end, but a necessary part of life just before transformation.

I cannot imagine the amount of life these forests hold. It is simply incredible. I am just in absolute awe of this entire ecosystem. It feels like such an otherworldly, venerable place. I wish the trees could talk, to hear the stories they could tell. I can’t imagine going there and not feeling something of awe. The life there seems so ethereal; ancient and delicate yet resilient and sturdy. I find it hard to put into words. But if I had to pick one word, it would be magical.