Fodor's Expert Review Karl Knapp–Big Tree–Cathedral Trees Loop

This flat, well-maintained, 3½-mile loop starting and ending at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center passes beneath awe-inspiring redwoods. The 1-mile section along the Karl Knapp Trail (formerly the Prairie Creek Trail) fringes a babbling brook. You then cross Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, turn south onto the Cathedral Trees Trail, and detour along the 0.3-mile Big Tree Loop before meandering south and west through yet more gorgeous old-growth forest. Options for extending your hike include walking 1½ miles up Cal-Barrel Road (an old, unpaved logging route) and then looping back 2 miles on the Rhododendron Trail to rejoin Cathedral Trees. Easy–Moderate.