The Trillium Falls Loop leads through ancient redwood groves highlighted by a bridge across Trillium Falls and wildlife viewing in Elk Meadow. This family-friendly trail showcases a range of forest constituents in a relatively short space. The Lady Bird Johnson Nature Loop tours an upland forest where old growth redwoods mix with large fir and hemlock. 

Trillium Falls drops about 10' across two tiers that reach peak volume during winter rains

Redwoods transport hundreds of gallons of water each day from their roots to crown; diffusion of water through needles and the polarity of water molecules drags water upward

Pacific Rhododendron differs from the California variety in its preference for drier locations

Trillium Falls forms from springs and runoff in the hills above and flows into Prairie Creek

Redwoods are joined by bigleaf maple, vine maple, alder and sitka along the falls' creek corridor

Redwoods' high tannin levels resist disease, and thick bark resists fire

For thousand of years Native Americans set fires to natural clearings to increase their productivity and attract game for hunting

Redwoods grow best in moist, sheltered corridors along streams and flood plains

Redwoods covered nearly 2M acres along the Pacific Coast before logging began in the 1800s; today only ~5% remains - about 120,000 acres

Redwood National Park receives over 100 inches of rain per year

Water stress and harsher winds limit the height of redwoods to about 200' in the upland forests of Lady Bird Johnson Grove

A combination of longitude, climate and elevation limit redwoods to a narrow 30 mile wide and 400 mile long strip along the California and southern Oregon coast

Redwoods have exceptional fire resistance due to thick bark (up to 12") and foliage that's usually out of the reach of flames

Redwoods are one of the world's fastest growing conifers, with seedlings sometimes growing more than a foot per year

Fire-scored trunks on the Lady Bird Johnson Trail