Change in Bald Hills County Road Parking Regulations in Vicinity of Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trailhead

Date: November 8, 2011
Contact: Park Information, 707-465-7335

Visitors to the Lady Bird Johnson (LBJ) Grove trailhead will no longer be able to park along the sides of Bald Hills Road if the trailhead parking lot is full. Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) and the Humboldt County Public Works Department are working together to improve public safety along the road. General traffic often travels at high speed on the road, which also sees frequent use by large logging and utility trucks, and there is very limited sight distance adjacent to the trailhead pullout. This is a potential safety hazard for pedestrians and for vehicles parked along both the uphill and downhill sides of the road. Drivers may be ticketed or towed for parking along the roadside in the signed area. 

The Lady Bird Johnson Trail and the Berry Glen Trail, both accessible from the trailhead parking lot, are still open to the public and delightful places in which to explore the beauty of the redwoods. However, the parking lot is small and the combination of the steepness of the terrain and the surrounding old-growth redwood forest make it difficult, if not impossible, to expand. If the lot is full, there are many other nearby areas which also provide outstanding recreational opportunities and scenery within the old-growth forest, including: the many trails along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the Tall Trees Trail in Redwood National Park off Bald Hills Road (accessible via a free permit from the Redwood National and State Park visitor centers in Crescent City or just south of Orick), and many others. Rangers at the visitor centers are happy to help visitors find a trail that matches their interests and time, and also provide maps and guides for the entire Redwood National and State Park system. Trail information is also available at the park website. 

In addition to the new roadside parking restrictions, visitors to the park should also be aware that there is no space for recreational vehicle parking at the LBJ trailhead parking lot and no space to safely turn one around; therefore, RVs should turn around at the Redwood Creek Trailhead located at the western base of Bald Hills Road near Hwy 101.

For more information, maps, and suggestions for exploring your parks, stop by the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center located on Highway 101 just south of Orick, California, or the Redwood National and State Parks Visitor Center at 1111 Second Street in Crescent City, California. Both visitor centers are open seven days a week. Information can also be obtained by calling [phone] (M-F) or visiting the RNSP website at: www.nps.gov/redw.

This News Release can also be viewed, downloaded, and/or printed here (PDF, 54 KB).