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Creeping Forest Trail–Johansen Road, 5 sights is a 14.6-mile out-and-back in Big Basin Redwoods State Park near Riverside Grove, CA. It climbs 2,753 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 91/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi997 – 2,067 ft · steepest grade: 25%14.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Creeping Forest Trail 37.17668, -122.22171
Nearest town Riverside Grove, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Creeping Forest Trail–Johansen Road, 5 sights

14.6 mi · ▲ 2,753 ft · 6 hr 15 min

Elevation 998–2,065 ft

Out & Back · Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Trailhead: Creeping Forest Trail · 37.17668, -122.22171

Weather Aug 3: Partly cloudy, high 84°F / low 53° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:16 PM

Transit-accessible: Big Basin Redwoods State Park stop 505 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Creeping Forest Trail, heading N.
  2. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
  3. 100 ftBear right onto Gazos Creek Road, heading W.
  4. 0.2 miTurn left onto Dool Trail, heading SE.
  5. 150 ftBear right onto Middle Ridge Road, heading S.
  6. 2.7 miBear left onto Johansen Road, heading W.
  7. 2.6 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading W.
  8. 350 ftTurn right onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading W.
  9. 0.6 miTurn right onto Whitehouse Canyon Road, heading S.
  10. 0.7 miReach Creeping Forest Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 0.7 miTurn left, heading NE.
  12. 100 ftContinue straight onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading NE.
  13. 0.5 miTurn left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NE.
  14. 350 ftSharp right onto Johansen Road, heading NE.
  15. 2.6 miBear right onto Middle Ridge Road, heading NE.
  16. 2.7 miBear left onto Dool Trail, heading NW.
  17. 150 ftTurn right onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NW.
  18. 0.2 miBear left, heading E.
  19. 100 ftTurn right onto Creeping Forest Trail, heading E.
  20. 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

52% dirt48% unspecified

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 84°F53°
Precip0%Wind3 mphUV8Humidity54%
Hourly temperature
85°50°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:16 PM
Tue 76°54°
Wed 73°50°
Thu 83°53°
Fri 92°63°
Sat 88°58°
Sun 80°52°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.2 mi in (~45 min). Leave by 7:10 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:01 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Big Basin Redwoods State Park stop 505 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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