California · National and State Parks trail

Davison Trail: South Access

in California

A short trail that is part of a of "Hike and Bike" hub in the southern end of the redwood parks. You will see first-hand the legacy of 20th century redwood logging practices. This 2.5 mile trail follows an old logging road from the Elk Meadow Day Use area to the Elk Prairie Campground to the north.

The trail is fairly level trail with just a few dozen feet of elevation change. Watch for elk and other wildlife along the trail. As you head north, follow the signs for Elk Prairie Campground. After two miles you will turn right and briefly follow a dirt road, go past a gate and then turn into old-growth forests near Elk Prairie.

Only the final few hundred feet of this trail has old-growth redwood trees. This is an interesting trail because it shows what two-thirds of the parks' forests look like today - and they are not ancient redwood forests! 70,000 acres the parks' forests are "second-growth".

States: California
Trail type: National and State Parks trail
Centroid nearest city: Eugene, OR · 195 mi · ~6 hr drive
Centroid coords: 41.3248°, -124.0431°

About Redwood National and State Parks

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/davisontrailsth.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

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 Davison Trail: South Access 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

31 nearby

California