State Park (Humboldt Redwoods)

Rockefeller Forest / Bull Creek Flats

Weott, Humboldt CountyManaged by Humboldt Redwoods State Park · California State Parks, North Coast Redwoods District

40.3557, -123.9670

Nearest town: Weott
Map status: Verified pin
Visit conditions: Check before travel
Research reviewed: Aug 17, 2026

Field guide

Know before you go

Size: About 10,000 acres in the Bull Creek tract; the park as a whole is 53,000 acres (State Parks also publishes 52,000, and Save the Redwoods League counts 50,961)
Old growth: More than 17,000 acres park-wide
Rockefeller Loop: 0.7 miles, 30 minutes, 20 ft gain (the accessibility survey says 0.62 miles)
Bull Creek Trail North: 3.7 miles each way, 200 ft gain — State Parks says both "about 2 hours each way" and "5 hours" round trip
Bull Creek Trail Loop: 7.5 miles, about 4 hours, 500 ft gain — requires the summer footbridges
Grasshopper Peak: 13.4 miles, 3,100 ft, 8 hours, strenuous
Giant Tree: 363 ft tall, 53.2 ft circumference, 62 ft average crown spread; on the Big Trees Loop Trail
Hours: Day-use areas 8am to sunset
Fee: Free at the Mattole Road day-use areas. The $8 vehicle fee applies at Williams Grove, on the Avenue of the Giants
Dogs: On a leash no longer than six feet, and not on any trail. Service animals excepted
Accessibility: Rockefeller Loop is compacted soil, generally under 5% slope, 4.5 ft average width, with accessible parking. Restroom accessibility at the trailhead isn't published
Restrooms: Chemical toilets at the Big Trees day-use area
Facilities: Picnic tables and wading access at Big Trees; picnic tables and Bull Creek views at Blue Slide, 3.5 miles west of the Avenue
Camping: Albee Creek (seasonal) and Cuneo Creek Horse Camp are in the Bull Creek drainage; Burlington is open year-round
Road: Mattole Road, west from Highway 101. Storms close it — it was shut in January 2023 for buckling and landslide risk
Rainfall: 7 to 10 feet a year
Park phone: (707) 946-2409

The place

About Rockefeller Forest / Bull Creek Flats

363 feet tall, 53.2 feet around, 62-foot average crown spread. Those are the numbers on the park's own marker for the Giant Tree, recognized by the American Forestry Association as National Champion Coast Redwood in November 1991. No diameter is published anywhere, so ignore anyone who quotes you one.

Find it on the Big Trees Loop Trail, off the Big Trees Day Use Area on Mattole Road, 4.3 miles west of Highway 101. That's worth writing down, because Save the Redwoods League's own blog places the tree on the Rockefeller Loop, which is a different spot on a different part of the road. Trust the marker.

Around it is the Bull Creek tract: 10,000 acres that Save the Redwoods League calls generally the largest contiguous old-growth redwood forest in the world. It was the Bull Creek-Dyerville Forest until 1951. John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s money bought it, though the accounts differ — the park's history describes two $1 million gifts in 1927 and 1929, while the League describes a single $1 million match in 1931.

Rockefeller Loop is the easy way in: 0.7 miles, 20 feet of gain, half an hour, compacted soil under 5% grade with accessible parking at the trailhead. State Parks publishes 0.62 miles for the same loop in its accessibility survey.

Longer routes depend on the seasonal footbridges, and the agency contradicts itself on when they go in. Call (707) 946-2409 rather than trusting a page.

Grasshopper Peak leaves from the same flats: 13.4 miles, 3,100 feet, eight hours. State Parks calls it the toughest hike in the park.

Same area

Explore nearby

Open the map

Tourist AttractionFounders Grove Weott · 2 mi State ParkHumboldt Redwoods State Park Weott · 3 mi State Natural ReserveJohn B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve Weott · 5 mi Scenic CorridorAvenue of the Giants Weott · 5 mi

Local planning questions

Frequently asked

Where is the Giant Tree?

On the Big Trees Loop Trail, reached from the Big Trees Day Use Area on Mattole Road, 4.3 miles west of Highway 101. The on-site park marker gives that location. Save the Redwoods League's blog places it on the Rockefeller Loop instead, which is a separate day-use area — the marker is the better authority.

Is Rockefeller Loop wheelchair accessible?

Yes. State Parks surveyed it as a 0.62-mile accessible loop of compacted soil, generally flat at under 5% slope, averaging 4.5 feet wide with a 3-foot minimum, and there's accessible parking at the trailhead. The park doesn't publish restroom accessibility there.

Are dogs allowed in Rockefeller Forest?

Not on trails — that's a park-wide rule with no exception for Rockefeller Loop. Dogs must be attended at all times on a leash no more than six feet long, and confined to a tent or vehicle at night. Service animals are excepted, so with a pet this is a drive-and-picnic destination.

Do you have to pay to visit Rockefeller Forest?

No. The Mattole Road day-use areas carry no stated fee. The park's $8 per-vehicle day-use charge applies at Williams Grove on the Avenue of the Giants, a different location, and the California State Library Parks Pass is accepted.

When are the Bull Creek footbridges installed?

State Parks publishes two different windows on its own pages: mid-May through early October on the hiking page, mid-June through September on the Park Adventures page and both recent info sheets. Late or early rains shift them either way. The 7.5-mile Bull Creek Trail Loop is impassable without them, so call (707) 946-2409 before you count on it.

Official and supporting sources

Research reconciled 2026-08-17. Closures, fees, permits and hours can change.