Big Tree Wayside

Big Tree Wayside is a stop on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, centered on one coast redwood in a small clearing. The National Park Service estimates that Big Tree is more than 1,500 years old. A short, level, paved path, 4 to 5 feet wide, leads from the parking area to a wooden viewing platform. The NPS lists the approach as wheelchair accessible, making this an easy way to see an old-growth giant without taking on a hike.

The NPS suggests 10 to 30 minutes for the wayside. Vault toilets are by the parking area, and there is a tactile exhibit and interpretive information. If you want more time among the trees, the 15-minute Circle Trail and the nearby Foothills and Cathedral Trees trails branch off close to Big Tree. The wayside is popular with visitor groups and tour buses, so you may share the platform. Pets are not allowed on the trails; service animals are permitted.

The trunk flares into a broad, deeply furrowed base before rising into the canopy. The wooden platform keeps visitors from walking up to the trunk and compacting the soil around it. For a photo, include the railing and a person on the platform for scale, then try a vertical frame that follows the trunk upward.

Interpretive audio at the trailhead lets visitors hear Yurok elders talk about redwood trees and the people who have lived here since time immemorial. Take a moment with the audio and signs before heading back to the parkway; they add the human story of this forest to the close look at a single very old tree.

Coast redwoods thrive in the Pacific's cool, foggy strip. The NPS says summer fog can provide nearly 40 percent of a redwood's water uptake during the dry season. Their roots spread widely and intertwine with nearby trees, while thick bark helps mature trees resist fire.

Gold Rush-era logging cut heavily into California's redwood forests to supply San Francisco and other cities. In a 2017 overview, the NPS estimated that about 4 percent of the original old-growth redwood forest remained. Big Tree is a memorable survivor, and the platform makes it possible to stand close while protecting the ground at its base.