Hike the Boy Scout Tree Trail

The Boy Scout Tree Trail drops you into a cathedral of old-growth redwoods so dense that midday feels like dusk. Starting from the trailhead off Howland Hill Road, the path immediately plunges into a world of sword ferns, sorrel-carpeted forest floor, and trees wide enough to park a car inside. The trail rolls through gentle ups and downs with a few sections steep enough to get your attention, weaving along creek drainages where the air smells like wet earth and centuries of decomposition. Your reward at the turnaround is Fern Falls — a delicate cascade tumbling over a mossy rock face into a grotto that feels like it belongs in a fairy tale, minus the fairies. The route is well-shaded the entire way, which means the trail stays damp and the roots stay slick. This is the hike for anyone who wants to feel genuinely small — not from exposure or altitude, but from standing next to living things that were ancient before Columbus sailed.