Towering above the green Smith River, the 44-acre Stout Grove was preserved by the Save-the-Redwoods League in 1929. Since then the grove has become the centerpiece of California’s 9600-acre Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

Both the park and the river are named for Jedediah Strong Smith, the legendary mountain man who led the first party of white men overland from St. Louis to California in 1826. Because California’s Mexican government did not welcome Americans, his crew of fur trappers trekked north through the redwood country to the mouth of Oregon’s Umpqua River. Native Americans killed 15 of the group there, but Smith and three others escaped to Fort Vancouver. Three years later, at age 33, Smith was killed by Comanches while riding to Santa Fe. By then the tales and journals of his exploits had left his name emblazoned across the West.

The redwoods here remain from Smith’s day, but the trails are better. A good orientation point is . . .

Other Options

Jedediah Smith State Park has five other short loop trails . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Oregon Coast