When the word "redwood" is bandied about in conversation, people's minds usually venture to the giant, otherworldly trees found in Northern California's Redwood National Forest. These trees, which are the world's largest, define the landscape of this part of North America. However, not many people may know that just over the border in neighboring Oregon is another majestic redwood forest that soars along an iconic misty coastline.
The types of redwoods that grow here are known as coast redwoods. The range of this tree is around 450 miles within the fabled summer fog belt of California and Oregon. The fog belt creates the ideal habitat for these trees, which prefer shady and moist environments. Coast redwoods not only grow tall, but they're also strong and tough. Most have bark that measures 12 inches thick, and they can easily grow upwards of 300 feet tall and 10 feet wide and can live for over 1,000 years.
While the majority of these trees exist in places like California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park, there is a small pocket of redwood forest located about 10 miles into southern Oregon. This tiny footprint makes the coast redwood the rarest forest type in the state, which means it's well worth exploring. What's more, being farther away from the ever-popular California redwoods means that visiting these mystical forests can be done with far smaller crowds.
Getting to the Oregon redwoods
When establishing a base for your Oregon redwoods adventure, your best bet is to set up shop in the border town of Brookings, a rugged and charming beach city that's filled with plenty of outdoor recreation options of its own. Located only two and a half hours from the Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford — which offers connections with 6 major airlines — it's an area from which you can easily access the coast redwoods.
There are three trails that we'll focus on here: the Oregon Redwoods Trail 1106 and 1107 and the Redwoods Nature Trail. The Oregon Redwoods Trails are found within the confines of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. To get there from downtown Brookings, take Highway 101 for 5 miles to Winchuck River Road. Drive another 1.6 miles and turn left onto Peavine Ridge Road — which is not paved — for another 3.9 miles until you reach the trailhead. The total time from Brookings typically takes less than half an hour.
From downtown Brookings to the Redwood Nature Trailhead, take 101 until it connects with North Bank Chetco River Road and follow for another 8.2 miles until you see signage for the trail. This drive takes about 15 minutes and passes the popular Alfred A. Loeb State Park.
Hiking through the Oregon coast redwoods
Owing to their propensity to be covered in fog and hang onto water, it's wise to bring rain gear when exploring Oregon's coast redwoods. That way, you can get the most out of your experience even if things get a little wet.
Our first stop is the Oregon Redwood Trails 1106 and 1107. The two trails are connected, making for a total trail length of a little under 2 miles. The 1106 trail is an interpretive one that consists of a three-quarter-mile loop through a protected botanical area. Here, the towering redwoods mix with moss-covered firs, huckleberry bushes, and enormous patches of rhododendron. The 1107 trail climbs along a steep grade, which allows you to see exactly how enormous these trees are. You can view the trees alongside a running brook, which adds an additional scenic touch to the already impressive sight.
The Redwood Nature Trail is a 1.1-mile loop with around 400 feet of elevation. Owing to its proximity to Alfred A. Loeb State Park, it tends to see a greater number of visitors than the Oregon Redwood Trails. The patch of redwoods here is nearly as striking, as they rise high above the surrounding fir trees. These redwoods were protected when the rest of the area was logged decades ago; therefore, these trees have grown far taller than the rest of the forest, including the younger redwoods that have since sprung up. This loop takes you through a landscape that can look almost purple in the right light, filled with coast redwoods, waterfalls, running creeks, fields of ferns, and beautiful huckleberry shrubs.