Redwood National Park, CA
A creekside redwood mile before a steep climb through logged forest.
Overview
Lost Man Creek Trail is a roughly 10.6-mile point-to-point walk from Lost Man Creek Picnic Area to a turnout on Bald Hills Road. It starts in a creek canyon under old-growth redwoods, then climbs through second-growth forest toward Holter Ridge. The first mile is the payoff; the full route is a strenuous forest climb with few distant views after the redwoods thin. Allow about eight hours one way. Without a ride at the far end, retracing the trail makes it a little over 21 miles. For a shorter walk, go about a mile to the next redwood grove and turn back.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Redwood Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Redwood National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Redwood audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Lost Man Creek Picnic Area“Up ahead is Lost Man Creek Picnic Area, a lunch stop beside a redwood-lined creek. Bring your own picnic, and consider the gentle first mile of the hike-and-bike road, crossing bridges above pools and ferny banks.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Redwood Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
The broad gravel road follows a fork of Lost Man Creek through the lower canyon. Several bridges cross the creek and its small channels, with rock pools and fern-rich banks below. Five-finger ferns, wild ginger, deer ferns and tanoaks grow under the redwoods. The trailhead itself sits in a lush canyon beside the creek, with picnic tables near the road.
At about a mile, the trail opens into another redwood grove and crosses a steel bridge; the steep climb begins just beyond it. The old logging grade rises into second-growth forest on slopes that were extensively clearcut in the 1960s. Around 3.8 miles in, an unmarked dirt branch called B Line splits left. Stay on the main ridge road. The upper miles are quiet but offer few open views; near the end, a fir grove holds a few tall surviving redwoods.
The trail ends at an unmarked dirt turnout on Bald Hills Road. Its narrow uphill entrance is easy to confuse with a wider gated road marked for private property. Redwood Creek Overlook is about 0.3 mile up Bald Hills Road to the left, but it is a separate stop beyond the trail. Arrange a pickup if you plan to walk the full line one way.
This is a wide hike-and-bike road, not singletrack. The first mile is gentle, then the route gains steep grades and switchbacks. Parking for RVs and trailers is limited at Lost Man Creek Picnic Area; there are picnic tables and a vault toilet. Pets are not allowed on park trails, and the rough, uneven surface is not wheelchair accessible. A moderate stream crossing is noted near the Highway 101 approach; water conditions can change, so check current conditions before setting out.
Wildlife
256 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
2,389 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
62 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
60 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
216 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
13 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Redwood. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyDavison Trail3 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.4 mi awayA gentle gravel road puts the logging history in plain view.
ChallengingBerry Glen Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA steep redwood climb to Lady Bird Johnson Grove.
EasyTrillium Falls Trail2.7 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.6 mi awayThe redwoods make this loop; the waterfall is a bonus.
EasyLady Bird Johnson Grove Trail1.5 mi · 1 hr · 1.6 mi awaySee redwoods and a historic clearing on an easy 1.5 mile loop.
ChallengingRedwood Creek Trail16 mi · 7.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA long creek valley hike to Tall Trees Grove’s towering redwoods.
ModerateStreelow Creek Trail3.6 mi · 1.8 hr · 2.5 mi awayCreekside redwoods and alder link Davison Road with Davison Trail.
EasyRevelation Trail0.3 mi · 15 min · 2.5 mi awayTouch bark, hear the creek and smell California bay among redwoods.
ModerateCoastal Trail: Skunk Cabbage Section5.3 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayA creekside redwood climb opens onto grassy coastal bluffs.
Picnic area · At the trailheadLost Man Creek Picnic AreaA simple picnic stop with an easy first mile by the creek.
Picnic area · 1.6 mi awayElk Meadow Day Use AreaA picnic meadow where elk sometimes graze beside the trails.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayLady Bird Johnson GroveAn easy loop through old-growth redwoods with a conservation story.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayTrillium FallsA ferny redwood walk ends at a close-up view of the falls.
Picnic area · 2.3 mi awayElk Prairie Day Use AreaA picnic under old-growth redwoods at the prairie edge.
Campground · 2.4 mi awayElk Prairie CampgroundA leafy base near elk meadow and old-growth trails
Visitor center · 2.6 mi awayPrairie Creek Visitor CenterA CCC cabin with redwood exhibits and trail advice.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayBig Tree WaysideA 1,500-year-old redwood with a platform and short grove walksParkwolf’s Redwood ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
