Parking
Use the marked River Trail access on Howland Hill Road, across from the Little Bald Hills Trail access road. Parking is limited; RVs and trailers are not advised.
Overview
About River Trail
Why go
- A short point-to-point pairs Smith River scenery with old-growth redwoods.
- The river and redwood setting give this brief walk a clear sense of place.
Heads up
- Point-to-point logistics take planning; walking back roughly doubles the distance.
- Parking at the Howland Hill Road access is limited.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Redwood map
Full mapElevation81–166 ft
TrailheadMarked River Trail trailhead on Howland Hill Road, across from Little Bald Hills Trail access road41.78912, -124.07255
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Redwood alerts
- CautionU.S. 101 construction traffic controlsExpect construction-related traffic stops and one-way controlled traffic on U.S. 101; allow extra time and drive cautiously. - NPS reports multiple stops between Orick and Crescent City; delays vary.Official details
- CautionU.S. 199 construction traffic controlsExpect 24/7 one-way controlled traffic on three U.S. 199 segments because of construction. - 6–6.2 miles north of Gasquet: through 6:00 p.m. December 15, 2026; delays up to 10 minutes. - 9.6–9.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Redwood Tour Guide
Your drive to River Trail, narrated.
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
River Trail0:00 / 0:23
“Ahead on Howland Hill Road is the River Trail access, for a walk beside the Smith River under old-growth redwoods. Allow about an hour and a half for the roughly two-mile return, with moderate, uneven grades.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Redwood Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Stout Memorial Grove
- Hiouchi Visitor Center
- The Partnership on the Bark
- Jedediah Smith Campground
- 85 audio storiesacross Redwood’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, California Condor, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 83 trails, 48 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
Hiking River Trail
A mile beside the riverRiver Trail is a one-mile, point-to-point walk from the marked Howland Hill Road access to…
River Trail is a one-mile, point-to-point walk from the marked Howland Hill Road access to Stout Grove, following the Smith River beneath old-growth redwoods. The mapped line is about 0.9 mile, close to the park's rounded one-mile figure. Allow about 45 minutes one way for the moderate grades and time at the river. Walking back to your car makes it roughly a two-mile outing.
The river is the drawThe trail stays with the Smith River, California's last major undammed river system.
The trail stays with the Smith River, California's last major undammed river system. Chinook salmon and steelhead use this stretch, though fish sightings are never guaranteed. The experience is mostly river, redwoods, and a little uneven climbing rather than a named overlook.
Plan the far endThis route connects the Howland Hill Road trailhead with Stout Grove.
This route connects the Howland Hill Road trailhead with Stout Grove. Set up a pickup or plan to retrace the same path. The westward connection uses seasonal footbridges, so check current access before relying on a through-hike.
Start on Howland Hill RoadUse the marked River Trail access across from the Little Bald Hills Trail access road.
Use the marked River Trail access across from the Little Bald Hills Trail access road. Parking is limited, and RVs or trailers are not advised on Howland Hill Road. Dogs are not allowed on park trails except service animals. The park rates this walk moderate, with some non-level grades.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Redwood
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.
