Explore Fern Canyon

Magical place within redwood national park. Must do trail in the area. Hiking the loop is about a mile long and takes about 30-40 minutes. Elevation about 150ft for the loop. But one can just see the canyon without much effort of a hike. Just a 10 minute walk leads to the river and canyon with a good view. Shoes get wet if river flow is too much but wooden bridges are placed to avoid entering water during summer. Entry is by timed reservation only. Slots are released months ahead but they also release limited slots at 9AM the day before. Need to pay $12 cash at entrance station. Road is mostly gravel for about 7 miles and takes 45 minutes off of 101. Some places have flowing creeks which might be tough for low clearance vehicles. Parking is plenty and we had no issues finding a spot. Pit toilets available at parking.

Like walking through a rain forest!!! If you can, definitely take the time to walk thru Fern Canyon. You will not regret it!!!!!!!! Be careful driving the road to get here, it gets narrow with plenty of blind corners.

Hands down the best hikes in this national park. It requires reservations if you want to visit before 5pm. We ended up going at 7pm and finished the hike in an hour (well before the sunset). Our toddler absolutely loved this place and did not want to leave.

What a gem of the Redwoods. We arrived early, which is key; upon leaving droves of cars were parking. Come early, and you will quickly arrive at the loop into the Fern Canyon. You will not be disappointed in starting in either direction. The rivers have aids to get across, all while beautifully shaded by the vast array of tree types. They will allow up to 70 reservations the day before your arrival, so log in at 9 am the day before you plan to be there, and you will get in. Majestic, green, unique, and a place not to be forgotten.

Fern Canyon is a majestic place in Humboldt County. It's worth visiting but keep in mind it becomes very busy with a lot of visitors. So much so, that reservations are now required prior to heading there during the high traffic summer months, to help protect and preserve the beautiful landscape. You'll get turned around if you show up without a reservation. I visited right after the reservation period ended in early September and found that as the day went on, more and more visitors arrived making the small, narrow canyon crowded and impacted. These photos are timed perfectly and don't include the many people making it feel empty. It's still one of my favorite trails in an incredible part of Humboldt County and highly recommend it.