Rhododendrons on the Rhododendron Trail (with CREA Excursion)

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

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The Rhododendron macrophyllum looked spectacular as we drove through Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park the week before. It is a little far for a day hike, but a group headed out to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, another bit of the Redwood National and State Parks, for a hike. No actual trail was planned at the point of arrival, but once when I hiked a loop climbing both west and east trails, I found only three Rhododendrons on the west side of the creek. Either Hope Creek/Ten Taypo or the Rhododendron Trail are better options than anything on the west. If you want the Rhododendron Trail for Rhododendrons, you really should be on the higher (more northern) end of it. So that's where we went, eventually, via Karl Knapp Trail, and a return along Brown Creek Trail. This last just happens to be a super nice area of trees. We parked across from it to start, then headed the other way on a short connector to Karl Knapp Trail.

We are in a proper forest! This one takes a lot of looking up at the trees of all sizes.

Prairie Creek was running low as one would expect in summer.

Plenty of flow still to watch the interplay of water, light, and shadow.

More flow among the often deciduous things.

A mystery flower along the way.

Inside-out flowers have bloomed.

A tiny slender salamander was under a bit of wood, then returned there.

There were some rather large trees along the way, too. We found ourselves directed back to the road again, ready to cross over and see what the Rhododendron Trail would bring us. We didn't have long to wait, but it did take a short climb, to find some big displays of pink flowers.

But first some western lily of the valley rapidly going to seed.

A few of a big patch of Douglas Iris.

A thick patch of Columbian windflowers.

Pacific Rhododendrons, and their leaves are very big indeed.

It can be hard to get a good look at the high flowers.

And yet more Rhododendrons.

A couple sections of trail were lined thickly with Andrews' Clintonia.

And all the time the great old forest full of trees of all sizes.

Layered in layers of Rhododendrons.

More Clintonia along the trail.

The Irises vary greatly.

Rattan's beardtongue showing why Penstemon gets this common name.

I know the CREA Trail can have some good Rhododendron displays and asked if folks would want to go up that way. One did not, but the rest were game. Up we went leaving one to rest on the bench near the junction. The initial switchbacks showed off some nice Rhododendrons and there were plenty after that, but the hillsides to look down never quite got a good display.

Trail and Rhododendrons both wrap around a redwood.

A grand multiplicity.

The Rhododendrons go all the way up.

A common garter snake was spooked from sunning on the trail.

The downhill view to some tall, flowering Rhododendrons.

Yet more Rhododendrons.

The other two didn't get tired of the Rhododendrons and we kept on climbing until we found ourselves in the Peasant Memories Grove right at the top. We kept going until traffic noises from the freeway came our way starting down the far side. Since we were there, I decided to show the ghost pipes even though they weren't anywhere near ready to be shown. All the same, they delighted in noticing that there's even some big patches right on the trail that will erupt into the stark white stalks.

Ghost pipes looking like so much mystery boiling just under the surface, but a couple old seed pods remain from last year.

Walking through the high grove.

Rhododendrons against a redwood.

And so many more.

The Clintonia flowers are nice, but the leaf deserves some admiration too.

We were gone far too long to leave someone just sitting on a bench, and then paused ever so briefly longer by the bench as we picked up our lonely companion. Then once more continuing toward Brown Creek.

The Rhododendrons don't stop.

The Columbia lilies, the leopard lilies found at this elevation, were mostly in bud, but there was this one in full glory.

Rhododendrons both starting and finishing.

We turned the corner for Brown Creek and that was the end of our Rhododendron viewing. It is a gentle and easy trail beside a small flow.

Just a few tall trees.

A slope of trees that has caught my eye on other trips too.

Just a glance upward.

Brown Creek Trail is much wider and more constructed.

It can be hard to comprehend the scale of these trees, even with little ones nearby.

Giant sword ferns on a giant root.

The late light shines through a crack in one giant trunk.

Many a tree has a great amount of personality.

We crossed the bridge with South Fork and found the area getting louder. A number of children were screaming up ahead, a sure sign the road is not much further. Just past them, we found the car. It was a good day for Rhododendron, and for the rest of the forest too.

*photo album*




©2025 Valerie Norton
Written 2 Sep 2025