Hiking the Grove of the Titans Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
The Grove of the Titans Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is a short but stunning day hike along a portion of the Mill Creek Trail that leads to a small cluster of Redwoods containing some of the largest and tallest trees in the park—hence the name "Grove of the Titans!"
For this reason, the Grove of the Titans Trail has inevitably become one of the most popular day hikes across both Redwood National Park and the various state parks, largely due to the impacts of social media in the years prior to the installation of the elevated boardwalk in 2021.
Following its completion, the Grove of the Titans Trail is now one of the best-maintained but also busiest trails across the Redwoods, as it allows visitors easy access to the beautiful, secluded grove while at the same time protecting the delicate forest understory from being trampled due to its ever-growing popularity.
Grove of the Titans Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Grove of the Titans Trail is located in a very small parking area directly off Howland Hill Road.
That said, these photos of the trailhead may make the hike seem uncrowded, but make no mistake! By mid-morning—especially during the beautiful summer months—the Grove of the Titans Trail sees hundreds, if not thousands, of hikers on any given day, which can make finding parking very challenging.
This is why I recommend starting early, and I would even go as far as to say: hike the Grove of the Titans first thing in the morning, followed by the Stout Grove Trail just down the road.
Google Maps Directions: Grove of the Titans Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Redwoods
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Redwood National & State Parks.
Hiking the Grove of the Titans Trail
The Grove of the Titans Trail begins on a somewhat steady uphill path for the first 0.5 miles (0.8 km), gaining just 100 ft. (30.5 m), before it starts descending to the hidden grove.
This short section of stairs is the steepest part of the entire Grove of the Titans Trail.
After the stairs, the Grove of the Titans Trail continues on a gradual uphill path as it parallels Howland Hill Road.
For those planning to visit the Coastal California Redwoods outside of the sunniest summer months, I always recommend bringing with a good rain jacket, as much of the year in the southernmost portions of the Pacific Northwest is very wet and rainy.
That said, I do not write this to discourage visiting the Redwoods during the off-season, as cool, moody, rainy hikes on the Oregon Coast and in the California Redwoods are a really fun time! However, it’s important to be prepared based more on the time of year than on what a specific forecast might say.
This is roughly the 0.5-mile (0.8 km) mark, where the trail begins its gradual descent to the Grove of the Titans below.
The nice, well-maintained bridges and boardwalks across this short portion of the newly rerouted Mill Creek Trail are all thanks to the 2021–2022 completion of the Grove of the Titans Trail Project, which was largely funded through a public-private partnership that included the California Natural Resources Agency’s Proposition 68 bond funds, major contributions from Save the Redwoods League and its donors, and support from Redwood Parks Conservancy.
When the Grove of the Titans Trail reaches this hard switchback, there is less than 0.2 miles (0.3 km) until the start of the elevated boardwalk.
In my opinion, this short section through these fallen Redwood trees is one of the most beautiful and unique parts of the short hike to the Grove of the Titans!
Mill Creek Elevated Boardwalk
With about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) to go, the Grove of the Titans Trail reaches the elevated boardwalk, which it will follow for the rest of the hike to the hidden Redwood grove.
That said, dogs and other leashed animals are not allowed on the Grove of the Titans Trail—not to mention, it would be incredibly inhumane to walk a dog on the very rough metal grates, which are designed for traction.
I can even attest to this: on my first hike to the Grove of the Titans, I saw a couple who didn’t listen to the signs at the trailhead and had to carry their large dog across all the elevated sections because the grates were too painful for the dog to walk.
Shortly before the Grove of the Titans, the trail splits with this little overlook along Mill Creek.
Mill Creek Overlook
This overlook is a great place to learn about the Salmon in Mill Creek, which can most easily be seen between November–February, with spawning activity often peaking in November and December, according to the National Park Service.
After the overlook, the next junction off the Mill Creek Trail is the path that leads to the Grove of the Titans.
Grove of the Titans-Mill Creek Junction
Shortly before the end of the elevated boardwalk, the Mill Creek Trail finally reaches the junction for the Grove of the Titans.
Once here, go left, and the Grove of the Titans will be found just a few steps ahead!
Grove of the Titans
This short loop is the Grove of the Titans, which was discovered by two botanists, Stephen Sillett and Michael Taylor, in May 1998 (Richard Preston, The Wild Trees, 2007).
Since then, social trails created over time have made the Grove of the Titans a renowned destination in the Redwoods, particularly with the explosion of social media in the mid-2010s.
This ultimately prompted the National Park Service and other agencies to step up and construct the boardwalk we have today, ultimately preserving the Grove of the Titans, including its soils and root systems, from all the heavy foot traffic the trail receives.
This is where the short loop returns to the beginning.
While the Grove of the Titans certainly contains some of the largest and tallest trees within Jedediah Smith, it does not contain the largest or tallest tree in the park.
Instead, the winner of the largest tree in Jedediah Smith State Park goes to Hail Storm, off the Boy Scout Tree Trail, and the winner of the tallest tree goes to New Hope, located in a remote area along the West Fork of Clarks Creek.
Del Norte Coast Redwoods
Jedediah Smith Redwoods
Prairie Creek Redwoods
