This was by far the most popular spot we visited in Redwood National Park. If you feel like you’re in a scene of Jurrasic Park while walking through Fern Canyon, that’s because you are. They filmed scenes from The Lost World here.
The roughly one-mile trail follows Home Creek through the forest. You walk through modest streams while the vertical walls are covered in a variety of ferns (there are five different kinds) and other moisture-loving plants and mosses.
You can hike as little as 0.5 miles to see the pretty parts or up to 5 miles through the whole canyon. There are other trails you can continue on that take you out of the canyon to see it from above too.
Getting to the easiest trailhead is straightforward, but you have to drive on a dirt road for about 6.5 miles. There are a few spots where you have to navigate over streams and holes, one of which looked sketchy. Our sedan was able to make it through but only after following the example of another smaller car.
Other people got out of their cars trying to suss out if they could make it. If it recently rained, the streams may be deeper and unpassable. Check out driving directions here and road/trail conditions here.
