California – Scenic Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
The Stout Grove features a groundcover of ferns contrasted with absolutely massive redwood trees without an understory. The contrast is unbelievably scenic, especially when the light filters the treetops. I can see why they chose to film Star Wars in this location because it feels otherworldly and yet peacefully quiet with the gigantic trees. You can walk a short loop trail through the trees and check out the Smith River.
If you can’t tell, this was one of my favorite trails during my first visit to Redwoods National and State Parks. Even though it’s less than a mile in length, I loved the ferns being able to see more of the Redwoods from a distance. With the ferns and open feeling, it was fun to see a difference between the Redwood groves we visited.
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Redwoods National and State Parks – An Introduction
I’ve lived in California my entire life but only recently learned that Redwoods National Park is a combination of the national park and three other state parks! The National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation have long worked together to protect the redwoods. They decided to jointly manage the parks in 1994. Once you know, you’ll see “Redwood National and State Parks” everywhere. Although a tad confusing, the area is so massive that it’s helpful that the state parks kept their names. Here are the different zones, from south to north:
- Redwoods National Park
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (This is where the Stout Grove is located!)
Stout Grove is located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the closest park to the Oregon border. After the Stout Grove, we dipped into the Boy Scout Trail, and I’d love to return and do the trail entirely to write about it!
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars; I would go again in a heartbeat!
- Intensity: Casual clothes with hiking or tennis shoes
- Location: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
- Cost: Free! However, some state parks have day-use fees, which are waived if you have the National Park Annual Pass (you can buy your America the Beautiful Pass at REI!)
- Restrooms: There are non-flushing toilets in the parking area
- Timing: 30 mins – 1 hour
- Distance: .7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 32 ft
Highlights:
- A beautiful small grove of redwood trees and low ferns, so you can see all the massive trees.
- Short, even trail is excellent for families or anyone with mobility issues.
- Howland Hill drive meanders through redwoods on a dirt road – it’s a gorgeous adventure just to get there.
Lowlights:
- This gorgeous trail attracts many people. It wasn’t bustling when we visited, but it wasn’t empty.
- I wish it was longer…? I don’t know if that counts as a true lowlight.
Stout Grove Loop Trail
The Stout Memorial Grove Trail is a short loop, less than one mile in length. There is a gentle downhill section of the trail from the parking area. Once you reach the bottom of the hill, you are in the flat Stout Grove with the option to make the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise. We went clockwise, but I genuinely don’t think it matters this time. At the far end of the loop, you can detour from the trail to glimpse the Smith River.
Immediately upon entering the grove, it seems like there should be a hushed silence due to the cathedral nature of the grove. Giant trees are visible with a lush layer of ferns at the base. The ferns themselves are not small and look to reach about three or four feet tall. However, compared to the Redwoods, they look like a green carpet.
Be sure to look at the fallen trees for a different sense of scale, appreciate the large tree with a platform, and capture any moment when the sun is shining through the trees. If I had to choose a favorite part of the trail, I would say the first section after the fork while going clockwise (left) has the most densely packed large trees. However, I enjoyed the trail immensely and even made a few detours to walk down to the Smith River.
What makes Stout Grove so scenic?
The Stout Memorial Grove is not very large and doesn’t even have the most enormous redwood trees, but the lack of understory sets it apart from the other groves. By understory, I mean other species of trees that typically fill in the space between the ground and the redwood’s lower branches. Without this layer, you can see the entirety of the redwoods and all of their majesty.
I would also argue that the ferns that create the ground cover also make the grove particularly scenic. And the Jurassic-looking plants are low contrast to the height of the trees and create an other-worldly environment.
Smith River
While making the loop trail, we accidentally took a detour and saw the Smith River, but I’m glad we did. To get to the Stout Grove, you would have had to cross two bridges over the Smith River and get a glimpse; however, it was nice to stand at the bank and appreciate the scenery. The Smith River is a gorgeous redwood-line river. When we visited, there were passing clouds, and we saw the vibrant blue sky reflected in the water. I also took a moment to see where the clouds were located to capture the light filtering through the trees.
Star Wars in the Redwoods
If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll likely know that Return of the Jedi was partially filmed in the Redwoods! I know little to nothing about the films but could absolutely see why they chose the redwoods in northern California to depict the forested moon of Endor. According to this article on Save the Redwoods, filming was primarily done on private land. But that doesn’t mean you cannot imagine stumbling across an Ewok in the Stout Memorial Grove!
Howland Hill Road
The road to the Stout Grove starts out paved but quickly switches to dirt/gravel road. Luckily it’s not very far to get to the Stout Grove Parking area because it’s slow going with potholes and narrow sections through the redwood trees. It’s also super beautiful! We opted to check out the Boy Scout Trail after the Stout Grove and ultimately followed Howland Hill Road back to the 101 rather than backtrack. I couldn’t believe the trees we saw on this drive! It’s slow-going, bumpy, and muddy… but truly gorgeous.
Due to the dirt and potholes, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to do this drive. Instead, for scenic drives through Redwoods, I recommend:
- The Avenue of Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park (which is not part of Redwoods National and State Park). We dipped in on our drive back home, and it’s absolutely magnificent. I cannot wait to go back to write an entire blog post about the Avenue of Giants.
- Newton B. Drury Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park – it’s a wide road and doesn’t bend around the trees like at the Avenue of Giants or the Howland Hill Road, but is surrounded by old-growth forest and very beautiful. I wrote about it in this blog post!
Taking Photos in the Stout Grove
I read everywhere how going during summer at 4 pm on a sunny day will give you a chance to photograph the light rays through the Redwoods. Since I was there in early March at 11 am, or noon, I knew I wouldn’t get that exact moment. Luckily it’s a gorgeous grove that you can get great photos of in any weather. However, I did notice when the sun filtered through the trees, it created more dynamic lighting and pictures. Here are some ideas to capture the Stout Grove:
- Sunrays or sunbeams! If you have a sunny day, see if you can capture the sunbeams that come through the trees. I think the ones where I am standing in the light are extra cute!
- From a distance! Try a few photos where the camera person is far away since you can see a good distance over the ferns. Although the subject might be tiny, you’ll get a sense of scale for the trees!
- With fallen giants. Again, for scale.
- Amongst the ferns. The ferns are central to the Stout Grove, so be sure to get a photo of them too! Bonus points if there is a giant redwood behind you.
By the way, all the photos in this blog post are taken on my iPhone 12 Pro. I don’t yet own a DSLR, so if you like these photos, you can likely replicate them!
Getting to the Trailhead
The trailhead is on GoogleMaps and is located closest to Crescent City. From Highway 101, you’ll take Highway 199 to head east for less than 10 minutes. After passing the Hiouchi Visitor Center, you’ll make a right across a bridge and another bridge to Howland Hill Road. As I mentioned earlier, Howland Hill starts out paved and becomes a dirt road. My Prius could handle the dirt road without any issues by taking it slow to maneuver the potholes. The Stout Grove Parking area will be on the right and is paved.
Stout Grove – What to Bring with You
Although the Stout Grove Loop is super short and not difficult, I still recommend bringing water and other essentials in a small backpack, such as:
- Download the Alltrails Map
- Day Pack – I used a small 16L backpack from Amazon. Consider the Gregory May 16 or small Osprey pack.
- Water bottle – You cannot go wrong with a handy dandy Nalgene
- Light layers depending on the season, I needed my beanie and rain jacket!
- Sunscreen – I use this sunscreen for my face, and this one for my body
- Snack to keep you going!
Other Hikes: Redwood National and State Parks
There is so much to discover in Redwoods National and State Parks. Seriously, so much. Since this was my first visit, I opted to do shorter hikes in each of the areas instead of doing longer hikes. Here’s the other hikes I did during our visit:
- Lady Bird Johnson, Redwoods National Park
- Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
- The Big Tree and Newton B. Drury Parkway Drive, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Overall Thoughts: Stout Grove
After exploring the other Redwood groves, you might think I would get Redwood fatigue. That is not the case with Stout Grove! Even though it was a short trail, I loved every minute. Without the understory, I could really see how large the trees work, and it felt like I was walking amongst giants. The large ferns covering the ground make the Stout Grove particularly scenic and unique.
We visited late morning on a Friday in early March, which meant it was tranquil in the Stout Grove. According to other sites, it has gotten busier over the years, so expect crowds during the summer, especially at midday and the coveted 4 pm.
I cannot wait to go back to Redwood National and State Parks. Now that I have a better understanding of the area and different parks, I am looking forward to doing a few longer trails. Do you have a favorite hiking trail in Redwoods National and State Parks that I should check out? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
