Highway access → arrival
Arrival: Foothill Trail from Big Tree / Cathedral Trees walking connection.
Approach: From US-101 use the southern Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway entrance. Park at Big Tree Wayside and use the official Cathedral Trees / Foothill trail connection. No invented roadside parking at Cal-Barrel.
Observe posted parking and road restrictions. Current trail closures may limit the onward hike; the arrival record is not an all-clear for the entire trail.
Official directions & access ↗A 2.2-mile old-growth route paralleling part of Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, with connections to Cathedral Trees, South Fork, Brown Creek, and Elk Prairie trails.
Access details
- Parking
- NPS identifies a trailhead off Cal Barrel Road about a quarter mile from the scenic parkway; no unverified parking pin is supplied.
- Viewpoint
- The route stays in old-growth redwood forest near Elk Prairie.
- Trail
- NPS describes a moderate, non-steep 2.2-mile route with multiple loop choices.
- Public water access
- No public water entrance is represented from this trail.
- Water conditions
- Check current Cal Barrel Road access before planning this approach.
Plan from the official source
Redwood National and State Parks is the manager or primary source for this entry. Check its current page for changing hours, fees, reservations, road restrictions, and closures.
Open NPS trails south of the Klamath River ↗