Highway access → arrival
Arrival: Marked Mill Creek Horse Trail entrance on Bertsch Avenue.
Approach: From US-101 one mile south of Crescent City take Elk Valley Road east about one mile, then turn right onto Howland Hill Road. At the west end of Howland Hill Road take Bertsch Avenue to the marked horse-trail entrance.
Howland Hill is narrow/unpaved: motorhomes, RVs and trailers do not fit. Follow current trail notices; seasonal river bridges are not a driving approach.
Official directions & access ↗A strenuous 7.75-mile multi-use route from Bertsch Avenue over a recovering forest ridge, with views toward Crescent City and the coast. A winter segment closes to protect salmon spawning habitat.
Access details
- Parking
- Use the marked Bertsch Avenue trailhead and current park map; no standalone directions pin is supplied without a reconciled lot entrance.
- Viewpoint
- Higher sections look toward Crescent City and Crescent Beach.
- Trail
- NPS lists numerous steep grades and switchbacks; observe the seasonal Mill Creek closure and alternate route.
- Public water access
- Stream crossings are habitat, not visitor swimming access.
- Water conditions
- The map point is derived from OpenStreetMap trail geometry.
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 north of the Klamath River ↗