Worth the Detour | June 2024
The Trip at a Glance
Location: Redwood National and State Parks, California
Trip length: Four days, three nights
Distance: 13.05 miles total from my recordings, including our day hike
Elevation gain: 789 feet total from my recordings
Route: Emerald Ridge Trail to Redwood Creek, returning up Tall Trees Trail
Difficulty: Challenging for us as beginners, with repeated creek crossings and massive fallen trees
Our First Night on Redwood Creek
After exploring the redwoods, it was time to grab our backpacking gear and head down to Redwood Creek. This was our first backpacking trip, and we were about to learn a lot!
We hiked downhill on Emerald Ridge Trail, then headed south, upstream along the creek. A few creek crossings later, we found a sandy spot to set up camp for the night. My recording came out to 1.24 miles from the car to our campsite.
We didn’t find an easily accessible tributary at our first campsite, but we had enough water with us to reach the next one. When backpacking here, the park says to get your drinking water from the little streams flowing into Redwood Creek, not the main creek itself. You still need to filter or purify that water. Definitely something to keep in mind when picking a campsite! National Park Service
Once we got our packs off and our tent set up, the sand was such a nice place to relax. We spent the evening sitting around the fire, listening to the creek and enjoying our spot for the night.
Our very first night backpacking. Pretty cool!
Wednesday: Finding Our Way Downstream
The next morning, we packed up camp and headed north, downstream. We recorded 4.66 miles to our next campsite, and those miles really tested us. I’m proud of us for making it!
We knew before the trip that we needed water shoes, and I’m so grateful we brought them. Once we were down along the creek and off the trail, we realized just how thick the brush was. Between the vegetation and the thorns, following the creek meant crossing it again and again.
We zigzagged downstream, crossing more times than I can count. Some crossings were nearly waist deep, with our packs on our backs! The current was strong in places. That combination of deep water and current made us nervous at times, so we took it slow.
Figuring out how to make our way downstream was a big part of the adventure, and we enjoyed the challenge. It was also more demanding than we’d expected.
There were also plenty of fallen trees to get over. And these were redwoods! Just imagine climbing over trees that massive with a backpack on. Going around through the thorny brush wasn’t much of an option. I enjoy a challenge, but Redwood Creek was definitely giving us one.
When we reached the Tall Trees area, we were able to hop onto the trail for a while and see some pretty impressive trees. This part of the Redwood Forest is actually home to the tallest trees in the world! Seeing those massive redwoods in person was pretty cool!
We crossed a bridge and passed some people camping nearby, then continued quite a ways downstream. Eventually, with no other people in sight, we found a nice big gravel bar with a little tributary. This would be home for the next two nights.
Life Along the Creek
This campsite turned out to be the coolest place for watching creatures, both big and small.
After seeing my first banana slug at Trillium Falls, we now had a whole bunch around camp! You had to watch where you stepped. They’re so cute!
There were also large groups of tadpoles in the water. We also spent a while watching a deer that came out of the trees across the creek from camp.
There was so much to see just sitting at camp.
Thursday: A Bear Before Breakfast
Around 4:00 a.m., we woke up to something that sounded large and heavy crossing the creek and walking around our camp. We thought it had to be a bear.
Once the sun came up, there was no doubt we had a bear. I was a little nervous at first, but we managed to scare it off. Our first backpacking trip, and we had a bear walking by camp! That’s an experience I’ll never forget.
We also watched an otter playing in the creek for a little while. A small pool beside our tent had snails, little fish, and tiny creatures carrying what looked like hollowed-out sticks as their homes. Those were really cool to watch.
Later, we headed farther downstream for a day hike. We recorded four miles out and back, and the creek crossings were less strenuous with only our day packs.
The water was so blue, and it was all just beautiful.
When we got back, we relaxed at camp and caught glimpses of a black bear crossing back and forth a little ways downstream. I’m assuming it was the same one from that morning, but who knows!
We also watched a cute family of ducks swim by a couple times, a mama followed by a row of babies. They had little tufts of feathers on the backs of their heads. Between the bear, otter, ducks, deer, tadpoles, and banana slugs, this campsite gave us plenty to watch.
Friday: The Hike Out
Friday morning, we packed up camp and got ready to hike out. We headed upstream, then climbed Tall Trees Trail back to our car at the trailhead.
My recording came out to 3.15 miles with 697 feet of elevation gain. That climb with our packs was harder than I thought it would be, but we made it!
I’m really proud of us for this trip. We crossed deep water, climbed over massive fallen redwoods, and figured out our way along the creek. We also had time to relax and watch so many cool creatures around camp.
We learned a lot about what we’re capable of and what to keep in mind for future backpacking adventures. For our very first trip, this was a challenge, and it was so worth it.
A Few Things to Know
These distances are from my recordings. Our trip totaled 13.05 miles, including the four-mile day hike. Our mileage reflects the route we took and where we chose to camp.
The creek crossings were a big part of our trip. Water shoes were one thing we were very glad we brought. Some crossings were nearly waist deep during our visit in June 2024, and conditions may be different when you go.
Plan your permits and parking. Backcountry camping requires a permit. If you’re parking at Tall Trees Trailhead for your backpacking trip, the current instructions also require Tall Trees all-day parking reservations covering your stay. Check the National Park Service backcountry permit page before planning your trip.
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