Richardson Grove State Park

This is another beautiful area of redwoods. We stopped by the visitor's center and it was really nice. It used to be a lodge and has that look and feel. There's a shop inside one area and some displays in other areas. It is a really neat historical location.

This place is awesome! I can't believe it's not getting enough bookings to open the Oak Flat campground. This campground is right on 101 with great Eel River swimming spots. More than half of their sites have been closed since covid due to lack of bookings. Let's get this place filled so we can get Oak Flats reopened!

I have been stopping here for 45 years. There is good camping, a few good walks and great day use facilities. The river is wide and full if rocks with a nice swimming hole. Overall, the park is relatively small with old growth redwoods that are impressive. For me it is a meditation just to walk among the trees surrounding the visitor center. There are educational signs along the interpretive trails. The visitor center is a nice former lodge with exhibits that the kids are allowed to touch. At times they have "junior ranger" activities for them. Both of my boys have spent time there back when they were small enough to pick up and put on a fallen tree to run along it. I wrote that 6 years ago. Same opinion. I would like to add a recommendation for the Durphy Creek Trail. It is an intermediate to advanced effort to do the whole 6 mile loop that is worth the effort. Be warned , the park is at 700' and the trail goes up to 1,500'. It took me 3 hours. If you want a more mellow hike, the first mile in from the Durphy Creek trailhead runs along the creek without a lot of up and down. Just before the trail starts to go uphill in switchbacks there is a picnic area with no services, but with some benches. Note that this part of the trail has zero road noise. It is as nice a redwood hike as you will find. There are great trees, undergrowth of brush, sorrel, lots of ferns, moss, lichen, fungus etc along two creek beds. That includes some older redwoods (including an old growth chandelier right on the path) and up the hill there is a mix of pine, the odd madrone and some things that look leftover from farming days. It is steeper on the Durphy Creek side. For a more spread out climb, go up the lookout trailhead near campsite #59. The top is wooded, so there are no panorama views up there, but there are such views on the way up, especially on the Durphy Creek side. The whole thing offers stunning glimpses of nearby hills and steep ravines with tall redwoods coming up from them. There is some wildlife in there, but I saw little other than birds.

It's like being in an enchanted forest.... Surreal, ethereal and unique experience. We went here during low tourist traffic season and it's the time to visit as a Californian. It's an escape from the hustle bustle of city life and was quite and peaceful. You could hear your rushing thoughts in the beautiful silence surrounded by giant redwoods... Gorgeous day spent!!!!

Ended up at this Campground because there are no other campgrounds that were open at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Campground sites were okay but they're not level making it nearly impossible to put a tent in a level place.