Hiking and wildflower adventures
Description: Located on a bend in the Van Duzen River, Owen R. Cheatham Grove is a majestic patch of old growth redwoods spared by the founder of what would become the Georgia-Pacific Plywood and Lumber Company. The short hike loops through the grove. From the west side of the parking area two trails lead across the riverbed to the Van Duzen River. Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park offers a small network of trails on the north and south side of the Van Duzen River. A summer bridge crosses the Van Duzen to 1.5 miles of additional trails on the south side. The north side trails include a nature trail with interpretive signs, a meandering walk up and down the hillside east of Grizzly Creek, and a stretch of trail west of Grizzly Creek.
Getting there: The entrance to Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park is 4.2 miles east of Cheatham Grove on CA 36. The park entrance is on the right and provides access to day use parking, picnic tables, and a restroom.
The route: VISIT THIS POST for more on the Cheatham Grove
Grizzly Creek Redwoods
Access to the north side network of trails begins just across CA 36 from the Visitor Center. After a careful crossing of this busy highway, turn right. Stay right at the trail intersection (0.1) continuing on the Nature Trail as it climbs briefly and loops around to (0.5) an intersection with the ‘Hikers Trail’. Turn right on this trail (or continue downhill for 200 feet to a reunion with the trail from the Visitor Center). The ‘Hikers Trail’ continues to a viewpoint above Grizzly Creek (0.9) before descending and looping back toward the Visitor Center (1.2). A connecting trail and a second option takes you underneath the CA 36 bridge over Grizzly Creek to a picnic area. From this picnic area, summer bridges cross the Van Duzen River to an additional 1.5 mile loop or cross Grizzly Creek to another 0.9 miles of trails (and the alternative parking area).
Pacific Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes) 
Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) 
Andrews’ Clintonia (Clintonia andrewsiana) 
False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) 
Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla) 
Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) 
Western Star Flower (Lysimachia latifolia) 
Modesty (Whipplea modesta) 
Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) 
Dyer’s Polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii)
Are dogs allowed on these trails? I hold hiking classes for my clients and their dogs over the summer and always looking for trails where leashed dogs are allowed!
Unfortunately, dogs are generally not allowed on trails in any State Park. From the Grizzly Creek website: Dogs must be on a leash no more than six feet long and must be confined to a tent or vehicle at night. Except for service animals, pets are not allowed on trails.