Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Lady Bird Johnson Grove is an upland coast-redwood grove above Orick, reached by an easy 1.5-mile loop. It’s a good choice if you want a manageable walk among old-growth trees. The tradeoff is scale: these ridge-top redwoods are smaller than the lowland giants, and dense shrubs close in around much of the trail. If the biggest trees are your priority, choose a lowland grove instead.

The walk begins with a footbridge over Bald Hills Road and a slight climb along an old roadbed. Around the parking area, second-growth Douglas-firs were planted after redwoods were logged here in the 1960s; beyond the bridge, the route enters old-growth redwoods that have never been logged. The trail rises and falls gently, passes the Berry Glen Trail junction, then follows the ridge back to the lot.

About half a mile in, a natural opening holds the dedication plaque and a few benches. The clearing was used for Redwood National Park’s 1968 dedication ceremony. The next year, President Richard Nixon dedicated the grove to Lady Bird Johnson for her conservation work. Logging once reached the park’s boundary beside the grove; today, Redwood National and State Parks protect about 40,000 acres of old-growth redwood forest, nearly half of what remains worldwide.

After the Berry Glen junction, look for signpost 9, where the understory opens around a cluster of large redwoods and fern-covered ground. It’s the best place to stop and take in the grove, and the clearest composition for a photo. Elsewhere, huckleberry, salal, and rhododendron crowd the trail; rhododendrons bloom in early June.

The loop crosses a sloped footbridge, so it isn’t officially wheelchair accessible, and dogs aren’t allowed on park trails. Cell coverage is very limited; download the park tour and maps before heading up.