While there’s plenty of do-it-yourself ways to explore the redwoods, doing it with a guide can be a real treat. Redwood Adventures, based out of Orick, offers guided hikes, mountain bike rides, river-fishing excursions, kayak trips, horseback rides, and more—all exploring well-known treasures and secret stands of big trees, plus other worthwhile destinations along the Humboldt Coast.
"The company also offers more exotic trips, like its zipline adventure through the redwood canopy."
Choose from group or private half- or full-day tours to a variety of national and state park sites, including Fern Canyon and the Tall Trees Grove. Ocean kayaking tours explore the region’s rocky shores. Mountain biking tours take beginners on wide dirt roads, while more advanced riders venture out on single-track trails. The company also offers more exotic trips, like its zipline adventure through the redwood canopy, a beginning rock climbing and rappelling class, and year-round birding tours. It also has a handful of well-appointed housekeeping cabins available for rent at Elk Meadow; don’t be surprised if you wake up to Roosevelt elk grazing outside your front door.
In summer, time your visit to join a park guide to paddle down the Smith River, a designated Wild & Scenic river and the state’s largest free-flowing river system. The easy, 3.5-mile/5.6-kilometer paddle is free (including kayak, paddles, and other gear) and doesn’t require any experience, though a few foamy bits of gentle (Class I and II) rapids should elicit a “woohoo!” or two. Along the way your guide will explain the region’s unique geology, and how it contributes to the immense size of the region’s coast redwoods.
The trip ends at the Jedediah Smith River Day-Use area, and from there you simply walk back to your car in Hiouchi, about one-half mile away. It’s an adventure you’ll never forget.
Insider's Tip: Sign up in person at the Hiouchi Information Center up to two days beforehand. Tours are usually held on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 11:30 a.m. All participants must be at least 10 years old and able to swim in moving water.
