Stout Memorial Grove - Redwood National and State Parks

The Stout Memorial Grove is a 44-acre tract that was donated to the Save-the-Redwoods League in 1929 by Clara Stout as a memorial to her husband, Frank D. Stout.  The grove is located along the bottom land of the Smith River just upstream of Mill Creek and across the river from Hiouchi.  Access is available by way of Howland Hill Road.  The east end of the road is paved to the parking area for the grove.  The parking is small and is not suitable for oversize vehicles.  From the parking area, a paved trail descends to the bottom land.  Here the pavement stops and the trail splits to form a loop through the grove.  The paved descent is only a few hundred feet and the loop is about one-half mile.  This trail is accessible for strollers, but wheelchair users will likely need considerable assistance going down and especially up the paved portion of the trail.

We arbitrarily chose to walk the loop in a counter-clockwise fashion.  Due to occasional flooding from the adjacent Smith River, the forest floor is free of brush and small trees.  Besides providing a great view of the trees, it also allows the ferns enough sunlight to grow to waist height or higher.  Many of the coast redwoods grow to heights of 300 feet or more and this grove is no exception.  Pictures cannot adequately convey the size of these ancient trees.  Access to the grove via Howland Hill Road is free, but access via a foot bridge across the Smith River is subject to the $8.00 day use fee in the developed area of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

The paved trail descends to the grove

The open forest allows for plenty of sunlight to filter through

Huge trees line the path

The pavement ends at the beginning of the half-mile loop

The grove has less under growth than just up the trail at the parking area

These trees are over three hundred feet tall

While many of the redwoods have straight bark, some spiral like the tree on the left

Even a fish-eye lens can't convey the size of the trees

The flaring base of this tree has been partial covered by deposits from floods

Sections from these logs had to be removed to make room for the trail

The open forest floor is carpeted with sword ferns

A fallen tree has cleared a path through the forest

These burls may sprout new growth from the existing roots once the main tree dies

The fish-eye lens distorts the level ground, but provides a better sense of the grove

This couple unknowingly provided a sense of perspective

Sometimes the "saplings" don't make it

The trail was re-routed to follow along this slowly decaying log

The view straight up

Fallen and uprooted trees become nurseries for the rest of the forest

Another couple provides more perspective

Ferns border the trail

River silt has covered the flaring base of many of these ancient trees

Entrance to Redwood National Park is free.  However, Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek Redwoods California State Parks have a day-use fee of $8 per vehicle at campground entrance stations.  All three state parks honor the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.  This pass is valid for one year for $80.  A lifetime National Park Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm.