When we added Mendocino to our stops in California we were so excited for the coast but also for the surrounding redwood forests! I’ve seen redwoods in New Zealand and Oregon but I’ve only seen pictures and videos of the California ones and I couldn’t wait to experience them in person. If you are staying in Mendocino or around Anderson Valley you have many options for a walk through the redwoods but after doing some research and talking to locals I knew I wanted to walk through the Big Hendy Grove aka “The Gentle Giants All Access Trail.” This location was perfect for us because we drove from Mendocino, visited a few wineries, walked through the Big Hendy Grove and ended with a few more wineries!
Big Hendy Grove is located in the Hendy Woods State Park in Philo, CA just 45 minutes SE of Mendocino. When your driving towards the park there are clearly marked signs to get you to the trail. If you have a National Parks pass you can just display that on your dash, if not the cost is $8 per car. When we visited it was the end of February and we were the only two on the trail.
The trail starts to the right of this sign and you have a few options depending on how long you want to walk. We hiked the Upper Hendy Loop Trail because we wanted a longer walk in between wineries. If you just want to see the redwoods the all-access trail is sufficient. The redwoods start almost immediately and it’s absolutely incredible. You know the trees are going to be big but it starts to feel real once you are right next to them!
Does this trail have multiple names?
It’s a little confusing because there are so many names for this area. You’ll hear Hendy Woods State Park, Discovery Trail, Big Hendy Grove, Upper Hendy Loop Trail and to be honest they are all right. It’d just be a lot easier if it was consistently called one thing. Here’s the summary. You are in Hendy Woods State Park, you start on the Discovery Trail, follow signs to Upper Hendy Loop Trail and then about halfway through you go around Big Hendy Grove where the biggest and most magnificent redwoods are. Confusing I know, but so worth it!
One of my favorite parts of the trail was this fallen redwood. You can obviously tell that the trees are massive but when one is lying down it’s insane to walk next to it.
We had the most beautiful day for our hike! It was awesome to look up and see the blue skies and the treetops.
Teeny tiny me in front of the gentle giants.
When we were here the streams were all dried up but I can only imagine how beautiful it is listening to the running water and exploring this awesome trail.
My hubby in front of one of the biggest trees we saw on the trail.
How old are the trees in Big Hendy Grove?
When I was reading other blogs and hearing about this place I knew it looked beautiful but I can definitely say pictures don’t do this place justice. All I can say is if you’re in the area you have to do this hike. Since this walk, I’ve become so interested in redwoods and where you can see them in the world. We learned that many of the trees in the Big Hendy Grove are 200-800 years old. I also learned that there are some redwoods in the world that are 2,200 years old! I can’t wait to continue to explore and see more throughout California and the world!
Have you been to a redwood forest before? Where in the world were you? I want to hear all about it! Also, if you are interested in learning more about our trip to California click the link here.
