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Lost Man in Tall Trees

Development Route / NorCal (Coast), California (North) / Published: Apr 2020 / Directions
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Davison trail single track on gravel cycling ride
The Davison trail. Wide single track!
Elk in distance on gravel cycling ride, california, redwoods
The meadow, with elk (in the distance).
Trail / road on gravel cycling route in california
Lost Man trail / road.
Tall trees grove on gravel cycling route
The gate limiting access to the Tall Trees grove.
Tall trees grove on gravel cycling ride
Tall Trees grove.
Prairie Creek redwoods state park
The visitor center at Prairie Creek Redwoods state park.
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Route:
Tootsie Roll | 43 mi
*
Gain:
5,100 ft
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Surface:
60% gravel, 15% single track, 25% paved
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Technical Difficulty:
Moderate
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Navigation:
Straightforward
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Locale:
Urban Backcountry
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Tire Suggestion:
40 mm
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Options:
---

This is a hike and bike route. Not hike-a-bike! But rather…bike-hike-bike. What??!!!!

Yep, ride your bike to a hard to access hiking trailhead. Do the hike. Hop back on your bike, and ride back to the start.

The Tall Trees Grove hike – a commonly featured hike in travel magazines and blogs – within Redwood National park is not easy to access. To get to the trailhead by car, you need to get a permit, unlock & then re-lock the gate, descend a narrow, winding gravel road, do the hike and then drive the road out and open & lock the gate (again!!).

With a bike, a lock, hiking shoes and some fortitude you can do the whole thing with a lot less hassle.

The hike is ~ 4 miles in length with an elevation gain and loss of 800 feet.

The grove itself, located on a thin strip of flat land alongside Redwood Creek, is rather small and narrow. In fact, there’s only about a quarter-mile of big-tree scenery, and the grove’s edge is always in sight. It’s an exceptionally beautiful place, though, with its own unique look: a reserved magnificence, with dark-trunked monster redwoods set among 5-foot-tall ferns and a dense understory of hazelnut and other small trees. A large break in the canopy over the nearby creek makes the grove unusually bright and cheerful. It’s much different from the extravagant lushness of Prairie Creek or the expansive brilliance of Jedediah Smith.[Redwood Hikes]

Caution, this is a Development Route. It has not been fully vetted or ridden by the Dirty Freehub Team. Go prepared and expect a bit more adventure. Any feedback you have would be much appreciated. You can leave it below in the comments block.

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Map
Brown = gravel / dirt road
Blue = single track
Red = paved road
Purple = paved bike path
GPX Download   Version 0.1

Credits & Acknowledgements

Photo credit to Stuart Perillo. (Thanks!!)

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

Our preference, is outside of the tourist season on a sunny day. Spring can be particularly beautiful.

Terrain & Riding

The bike portion of the route is an extended version of the Lost Man route. The out & back dogleg to the hiking trailhead is at about the halfway point. You can find all the details of the loop section of the bike route in the Lost Man route description.

The biking dogleg is a gated gravel road descending to the hiking trailhead. It is steep, winding, with a loot of tree canopy. We found the down and up to be a lot of fun …. and a bit of a challenge.

There are no water stops along the way.

The Start

Lat / Long: 41.363377, -124.023773

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park visitor center.

Food & Water

  • None.
Notes & Options

Route Notes

  1. We also recommend the use of a red blinky light for both Bald Hills road and Highway 101.

Route Options

An alternative start is the Lost Man Creek picnic area. This deletes about 9 miles and 450 feet of gain.
Lat / Long: 41.327335, -124.015588

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Help Make This Guide Better!

At Dirty Freehub, we believe the best routes are organic and driven by the riding community. This route and guide are a work in progress, and we need your help to make it great!.

Provide us with route feedback, both good and bad.

  • Let us know about points of interest and viewpoints,
  • Submit pictures and videos,
  • Suggest a best time to ride,
  • Let us know about a better or alternative option,
  • And tell us about your favorite place to go after the ride for a burger and beer.

Submit your feedback via the comments block (tab just above map).

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Big Trees

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