Prairie Creek Redwoods — James Irvine Trail
Redwood National & State Parks · near Orick / Eureka · North Coast
Trail Running
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Distance
- 12 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,000 ft
- Best season
- Year-round · lush & green always; summer driest
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit for running. California State Parks / Redwood NSP — $8 day-use at some lots. The James Irvine–Miner's Ridge loop to Fern Canyon and back is the classic.
What is here
- Features
- Running through old-growth coast redwoods · James Irvine Trail to Fern Canyon · Roosevelt elk in the meadows · Cathedral-quiet forest floor
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Trail Running detail
- Surface
- singletrack
- Intl tip
- Prairie Creek is 45 min north of Eureka off Hwy 101. The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway threads the ancient groves by car. Fern Canyon's summer vehicle access needs a reservation, but the James Irvine Trail reaches it on foot without one. Combine with the Avenue of the Giants to the south.
The guide
To run the James Irvine Trail through Prairie Creek Redwoods is to run through the tallest forest on Earth — a soft, needle-car…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Prairie Creek Redwoods — James Irvine Trail — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.362, -124.021