Revelation & Prairie Creek Trails

Hike along a creek where salmon spawn in winter and early spring, and up hillsides covered with ancient redwoods rising like giants from a sea of ferns via the Revelation and Prairie Creek Trails in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which is home to the second oldest redwood grove in the world.

The Revelation Trail is a lovely 0.3 mile (0.48 km), wheelchair-accessible loop trail on easy terrain. And the Prairie Creek Trail is a 2.8 mile (4.5 km), roundtrip, trail that will take you to ‘Big Tree,’ the fifteenth largest redwood in the world, standing 286 feet (87 m) tall.

The trailheads for both are located by the Visitors Center, where you can often spy Roosevelt elk grazing in a meadow nearby.

Roosevelt elk are stately creatures that are native only to the coasts of northern California thru to Vancouver, B.C. At the turn of the 20th century, they were hunted to the brink of extinction; but thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationists in California and beyond, we can still see them—wild, alive and free!

Rustic cabin $80-$100, reservable online 7 months in advance.

Tent/RV camping $35 at Elk Prairie Campground. Tent-only camping $35 at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. Advanced reservations are required for both campgrounds mid May-September. In the off-season, camping is first-come, first-served.

(707) 488-2039

Keep a wide and safe distance from the Roosevelt elk that call Prairie Creek home. They are fast-moving animals and deadly when they or their calves feel threatened.