6A ܂ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2018 ܂ APPEAL TRIBUNE
Life in the Valley
Retreats among the redwoods
Rent these cozy
cabins right
at Redwood
National Park
Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Each year in the spring, we take a
family trip just across the border to Cali-
fornia’s Redwood National and State
Park system.
There is nothing that quite compares
with the redwoods — the skyscrapers of
the dinosaurs — and I was particularly
excited this year to have our 1- and 3-
year old girls in tow.
The problem, though, is that camp-
ing can be a challenge with such young
children. They love sleeping in a tent,
but our youngest often cries loudly, for
extended periods, during the night.
The idea of being the person who
wakes up the entire campground was
not appealing.
That’s why we were so excited to test
out a new development at Jedediah
Smith Redwoods State Park, near Cres-
cent City, Calif., our favorite of the four
parks in the system.
Jed Smith recently installed four new
cabins in its iconic campground, a place
where you can spend the night among
the giants.
The cabins cost $100 per night, which
is pretty high, and anyone traveling
there during the height of summer will
need to make reservations in advance.
But as you’ll see below, it’s easily
worth the extra money, especially if you
have young children. Trust me on this
one.
The cabins have bunks, heat and
electricity, but don’t have mattresses,
stoves and you’re not allowed to cook
inside. There’s a picnic table and fire
ring outside.
The new cabins were also installed at
Patrick's Point State Park, and Prairie
Creek Redwoods State Park, about 50
miles north of Eureka.
Escape the rain
There’s a couple of reasons to consid-
er the cabin experience in the redwoods.
The first is that my favorite time to
visit the redwoods is during the off-sea-
son — spring and the depths of winter.
Summer crowds have exploded in the
redwood parks, to the point that I won’t
even visit in July and August.
The problem with the off-season, of
course, is that it often rains. A lot.
A cabin solves that problem by allow-
ing you to read a book or play games
when the rain arrives. Then, once it
passes (which it does quite quickly) you
can head back into the forest.
Happy sleeping children
The best thing about the cabins, at
least for me, is being able to put my kids
to bed in a mostly soundproof structure.
It goes like this:
At 6:30 p.m., I get our 1-year-old
ready for bed and around 7 p.m., we lay
her down inside the cabin. She will usu-
ally cry for a while, but because it’s nice
and dark and secluded inside — and be-
cause she can’t hear us just outside —
she falls asleep much quicker.
OR-SAL0008877-03
Newly installed cabins can be rented at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. PHOTOS BY ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Then, we enjoy the campfire and play
games with our 3-year-old until around
7:30 or 8 p.m. and put her into bed.
Again, because it’s dark, she can’t hear
us, and is usually tired, she falls asleep
quickly.
After that, my wife and I can actually
talk to each other and enjoy the fire, go-
ing to sleep when we feel like it.
In a tent, this bedtime routine is just
much more difficult. One kid will usually
wake up, wake up their sibling, and ev-
eryone gets less sleep, which makes the
trip less enjoyable.
The cabin, despite the high price,
made our trip at least 30 to 40 percent
better. That’s why I paid for it.
Fun stuff to do at Jed Smith
Another reason to consider the cab-
ins, as opposed to a hotel in a nearby
town, is that you can enjoy the best of
the redwoods right outside your door-
step.
Here’s a few of my favorite adven-
tures at Jed Smith. See below stories for
good ideas in the redwoods as a whole.
Drive Howland Hills Road
One of the most beautiful drives in
the world takes you on a gravel road
through the heart of the park. The road
is rough, but it’s a great way to get to
know the redwoods.
You can stop at numerous pullouts,
take a selfie with a giant tree, and con-
tinue on your way. There’s numerous
hikes and places to explore along the
way.
The new cabins in the Redwood National and State Park system can sleep around
6 people. They also offer bunks, heat and electricity.
Float the Smith River
The Smith River is one of the most
beautiful in the world — it’s water is so
clear it seems like a stream of liquid
glass bright with rich blue and turquoise
green.
And, it just so happens to float right
through the redwoods. One of the best
ways to combine the two is with a red-
wood float through the park.
There are no very few rapids on the
float, and it’s quite scenic, especially on
a sunny day. Few people do it, so you’re
unlikely to be crowded.
You can rent and get a shuttle — or
take a guided float — with Redwood
Rides (redwoodrides.com).
Stout Grove
Sandy beach
The best easy hike at Jed Smith is
Stout Grove, which features the most
impressive redwood grove in one place.
The best thing about coming here
with kids is that the hike is very easy —
just 1 mile with options for longer adven-
tures — and you can have fun along the
way.
It’s one of the best places in the world
to play hide and go seek, because kids
can actually fit inside cavities in the
trees.
In summer, there’s a walking bridge
across the Smith River from the camp-
ground to Stout Grove.
Speaking of the Smith River, some of
the most beautiful sand beaches I’ve
come across can be found with a short
hike from the campground.
Just following the Riverside Trail at
the campground, and pointers will drop
you down to a place along the emerald
river, below the redwoods, and in the
sunshine.
The river is pretty chilly, but it’s still
great for swimming on hot days.
Boy Scout Tree Trail
If you're looking for a longer hike —
and the best overall trek at Jed Smith —
tackle Boy Scout Tree Trail. The 5.6-
mile trek takes you deep into the forest,
away from the sound of roads and
among the largest across-the-board col-
lection of trees on a trail.
The trail is named for Boy Scout Tree,
a redwood where two trees have joined
in one massive, 40-foot diameter trunk.
The tree splits off as it rises, as though
giving the two-finger Boy Scout salute.
The path ends at Fern Falls, a small
trickling waterfall.
Grove of Titans
This grove of massive trees has a
complicated situation — currently, park
officials are asking people to view it
from a distance. Soon, however, they’re
planning to create a new boardwalk trail
through a grove of the world’s move
massive trees.
More stuff
There are many more things to do at
Jed Smith. But it all starts with having a
good base camp, and you can’t do better
than the cabins inside the park.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors
writer, photographer and videographer
in Oregon for 10 years. He is the author of
the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and
can be reached at zurness@Statesman-
Journal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find
him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.