Redwood National and State Parks
Circle Trail
easy FamiliesFirst-Time VisitorsPhotographers
0.2 mi Distance
Varies Estimated Time
loop Trail Type
What to Expect
This is barely a hike — it's more of a pilgrimage. The Circle Trail is a short loop through old-growth redwood forest that delivers you to the Big Tree, a behemoth coast redwood that ranks among the largest in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The path is flat, soft with duff, and shaded by a canopy so dense it feels like permanent dusk. You'll walk through ferns taller than most children and past moss-covered trunks wider than your car. The Big Tree itself stops you cold — standing at its base, you feel the scale problem that photos never quite capture. The whole loop takes about ten minutes, but most people linger far longer than they planned. This is the trail for anyone who wants to stand next to something that was alive before the Roman Empire and feel appropriately small.
Trail Details
Distance 0.2 miles round-trip
Difficulty easy
Estimated Time Varies
Trail Type loop
Pets Not allowed
Season Year-round
Trailhead Circle Trail
Pro Tips
Trail Tip
Arrive before 9 AM or after 4 PM to avoid tour bus crowds — the Big Tree parking area on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway fills fast midday in summer, but early and late visitors often get the grove nearly to themselves.
Trail Tip
Bring a wide-angle lens or plan to shoot vertically — the Big Tree is impossible to capture in a single frame at close range, and the surrounding grove photographs best when you include the fern understory for scale.
Trail Tip
Combine this with the nearby Prairie Creek Trail or the Cathedral Trees Trail for a longer outing — the Circle Trail alone is over in minutes, but it pairs perfectly as a warm-up or cooldown stop along the scenic parkway.
