About
Length3.5 mi
ShapeLoop
DifficultyEasy
Elevation gain200 ft up
Typical time1 hr 30 min
TrailheadPrairie Creek Visitor Center
SurfaceLevel creekside forest path
Best seasonYear round. Summer brings fog rather than sun, which is exactly what the redwoods need; winter is the wettest.
DogsNot allowed
AccessibilityThe 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of the Prairie Creek Trail is ADA accessible with a 99-foot elevation change. Typical grade is 3%, typical width is 5-feet wide and the trail surface is compact gravel. The 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of the Foothill Trail is ADA accessible with a 77-foot elevation gain and a typical grade of 3%. The trail is made of soil/aggegate and typically is 5-feet wide. Service pets are welcome.
What you'll see 🌊 River or creek🦌 Wildlife🌲 Old growth

An Easy and Rewarding Loop Trail. Note: In late 2021, the Prairie Creek Trail was renamed the Karl Knapp Trail. Future signs, publications, and maps will show that name change. This flat 2.5 mile (4 km) trail meanders along a babbling creek and under some of the tallest redwood trees in the world. You can take a trip through history with information panels along this loop. This loop is a combination of three, connected trails: Karl Knapp Trail Foothills Trail Cathedral Trees Trail (only a few hundred feet of it) We recommend that you grab a free Prairie Creek State Park brochure before beginning this walk. There are many other trails that lead off from this loop. Free maps are available at our visitor centers. Prairie Creek Visitor Center is the closest visitor center to this trail. Want to learn more about this trailhead? Visit "Trailhead: Karl Knapp (Prairie Creek) to Foothills Trail Loop." Navigating This Loop: Karl Knapp Trail Section: The Karl Knapp Trail begins next to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. Head north on this trail. On the bridges, be sure to look down to see what might be swimming. In autumn, large Coho salmon can be seen spawning in Prairie Creek.After a mile, the Karl Knapp Trail forks east. You should follow any signs for the "Big Tree." You need to cross the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway to continue walking towards the Big Tree Wayside. Please watch for cars or bikes before crossing. Foothills Trail Section: After crossing the parkway, you will now be on the Foothills Trail. Turn right (heading south) to the "Big Tree". Once you pass the Big Tree Wayside, keep heading south on the Foothill Trail following signs for the visitor center. This part of the Foothills Trail is parallel to the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Catherdral Trees Trail Section: At the southern end of the Foothills Trail, you will continue your walk on the Cathedral Trees Trail. Head west on the Cathedral Trees Trail for a few hundred yards crossing the parkway back to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center.You should be heading right back to where you started. One final crossing over the scenic parkway is needed to finish up the loop. Please watch for cars or bikes before crossing.You can do this loop in either direction! For this recommendation, we are walking the loop clockwise starting from the trailhead at Prairie Creek Visitor Center. Trail Elevation and Grades: The 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of the Karl Knapp (Prairie Creek) Trail has a 99-foot elevation change. Typical grade is 3%, typical width is 5-feet wide and the trail surface is compact gravel. The 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of the Foothill Trail has a 77-foot elevation gain and a typical grade of 3%. The trail is made of soil/aggregate and typically is 5-feet wide.

Tips
Formerly the Prairie Creek Trail. Flat, wide and among the best forest in the parks - the ideal family walk. Links to the Big Tree Wayside.
Location

Prairie Creek Visitor Center

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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Trail data: USGS National Map / PAD-US, the National Park Service, state agencies, and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Access and conditions change — check with the managing agency before you go.