The Upper Bull Creek route traverses miles of seldom-visited terrain in the southwest corner of the park. Most of it is dense, second-growth, mixed-evergreen forest with patches of prairie; scattered redwood groves; and some impressive, old Douglas-firs along the way. It drops 2000 feet to Bull Creek over the first few miles, then follows the creek upstream before climbing back out of the valley; over half the elevation is regained between miles 5 and 8 but it’s mostly shaded and surprisingly easy. The last leg includes some spectacular views of the King Range. The downside of this hike is that the last few miles are on a road, and there can be quite a bit of speedy traffic associated with local pot farms.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park: info@parks.ca.gov, 707-946-2409
I recently received a report from someone who did this hike that he and his companion were accosted on the Perimeter Trail by armed men who said they were trespassing and escorted them out of the area. This trail does cross some private property, but park law enforcement assures me that the park has an easement across it and that the entire trail is open to the public. I was told to advise people to call 911 if they encounter any trouble. I have no idea what cell service is like there, but at least the trail is on a ridge, which improves the odds.