Coastal Trail: Skunk Cabbage (South)
in California
Located off HWY 101 on Robinson Road, this is the southern trailhead for the 7.5 long Skunk Cabbage Trail. The northern trailhead is on Gold Bluffs Beach - just north of the entrance kiosk. The Skunk Cabbage Trail is part of the California Coastal Trail system.
The Skunk Cabbage Trail climbs and descends about five hundred feet as it crosses sandy beaches, coastal brush and sitka spruce forests. There are very few redwood trees on this trail, and some large redwood stumps will be passed. The main attraction of this trail is to wander under huge Douglas fir and spruce trees, past ferns, and of course see (and smell) the Skunk Cabbage.
This large plant thrives in riparian areas and it's broad leaves are unmistakable. For many visitors, the inland parts of this trail is like hiking in Washington state's Olympic National Park - just with a lot fewer people. Much of the old-growth redwood forests around this trail were logged before Redwood National Park was established in 1968.
- States
- California
- Trail type
- National and State Parks trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Eugene, OR · 196 mi · ~6 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.3075°, -124.0571°
About Redwood National and State Parks
This trail is inside Redwood National and State Parks, a national and state parks managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/skunkcabbsth.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Coastal Trail: Skunk Cabbage (South) and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Trillium Falls Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Redwood Creek Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Davison Trail: South Access
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #8
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #9
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #7
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.