Stout Memorial Grove Trail

Stout Memorial Grove is a 0.6-mile loop from the small roadside lot, with a short shared approach and a circuit through old-growth redwoods. Allow about 45 minutes to walk and linger under the trees. The commonly listed 0.5-mile distance describes the grove circuit; 0.6 includes the path from the lot and back. The short Smith River branch is optional and adds a separate walk beyond that mileage.

The trail drops from the parking area, then runs mostly easy and level through the grove. The surface is wood and aggregate, and the path is about four to six feet wide. It is not ADA accessible. The return to the lot means climbing back up the initial descent.

The grove covers 44 acres and was donated by Clara Stout in 1929 in memory of her husband, Frank. The Stout Tree is the standout: a platform brings you close to its rippled trunk while keeping feet off its shallow roots and bark. Stay on the platform around its base.

A short switchback spur drops about 20 feet to a cobbled bank on the Smith River. It is a worthwhile second scene if you want to sit by the water, but it is not included in the 0.6-mile loop. The cobbles are uneven, so do not count on an easy swimming entry.

The small trailhead lot is at the eastern end of Howland Hill Road. The road is narrow, winding and mostly unpaved; RVs and trailers are not suitable, and there is no parking for them at the trailhead. A separate campground day-use approach adds about a half-mile riverside walk each way and uses a seasonal footbridge, normally installed from late June to late September; dates vary with Smith River flow.

Periodic Smith River floods lay down rich soil across the grove's alluvial flat. Ferns and redwood sorrel cover much of the ground beneath the trees. In late summer, afternoon light can slip through a canopy gap and backlight the foliage; that particular effect does not carry into winter.