Redwood Grove Hike Guide (Carbon Canyon – Brea)

In This Guide	Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions to the Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove How to Get to the Carbon Canyon Regional Park Insider Tips and Recommendations for the Hike
Total Distance (?)	1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Hike Time	1 Hour (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Easy
Total Ascent (?)	50 feet (15m)
Highest Elevation	430 feet (131m)
Fees & Permits	Entry Fee
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	Carbon Canyon Regional Park
Park Phone	714-973-3160
Weather & Forecast	Latest Conditions
Stay Safe	Copy this webpage link to the clipobard and share with a friend before you hike. Let them know when to expect you back.
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It’s an easy hike to visit Southern California’s largest Redwood Grove, located in Carbon Canyon Regional Park. The Redwood grove, while not as majestic as those in Northern California, is still impressive. You’ll be able to wander in the shade of over 200 Redwoods, which would not survive in the hot, dry Southern California climate without the loving attention of OC Parks. It’s a great hike that’s easy for families and beginners.

This is a popular hike. Come as early as possible for the best experience.

Where is the Orange County Redwood Grove?

The Redwood Grove is tucked away in a corner of Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Use this address for the park:
Carbon Canyon Regional Park, 4442 Carbon Canyon Rd, Brea, CA 92823

There is a fee to enter the park.

Redwood Grove Carbon Canyon Parking — When you enter the park, drive down to the large south parking lot.

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 3 — There’s a massive dirt parking lot for the Redwood Grove hike. On nice days it can get full.

There are bathrooms and water fountains throughout the park. There’s also a water fountain at the Redwood grove.

Gear For the Hike

This hike is short and flat. Wear comfortable shoes and casual fitness clothes. It can get very hot and dusty on the way to the grove. If you get thirsty, there is a water fountain at the start of the grove.

Joby GripTight Smartphone Flexible Tripod
Take your selfie stick game to the next level. Part of the fun of a hike is taking pictures, and a flexible JOBY smartphone tripod takes it to the next level. You can use it as a selfie stick, as a regular tripod, but more importantly, as a flexible tripod that can attach to tree branches and other objects. It’s not expensive, and it’s something you can use when not hiking too.
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Black Diamond Cosmo 300 Headlamp
If something goes wrong and you get lost, sprain your ankle, or get delayed, you might be caught out after dark. And one of the top items that search and rescue departments recommend you carry is a light. Smartphones can work as flashlights, but that drains the battery quickly. It’s better to invest in a reasonably priced and high-quality headlamp like this Black Diamond. It takes AAA batteries, can last 200 hours, and has an emergency strobe. Carry it with you off the trail to use in emergencies as well.
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Have you shopped at REI before? They have all kinds of active clothes and gear, from fitness, to hiking, to snow sports, to casual wear. It’s an overall great place to shop (here’s why) and they offer a $30 membership that gets you 10% back on everything for life, along with frequent coupons, free shipping, discounts, and member-only sales. It’s a no-brainer.
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REI Membership – REI

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated May 2022.

My May 2022 Top Gear Picks

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an a link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps keep the website ad and promotion free. There is no cost to you.

Redwood Grove Trail Maps

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 2 — The trail is well marked with these posts leading you to the Redwood Grove.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

If you try to download the GPX file and your browser adds a “.txt” or “.xml” extension to it, simply rename it as a “.gpx” file.

How Are You Going to Navigate This Hike?
Here’s what I use. If you are a hardcore hiker and/or hike in extreme conditions, I recommend getting a dedicated GPS like a GPSMAP 66sr or 66i, or a wrist-based GPS with maps like the Garmin Fenix 7 or Epix. If you only hike in fair weather and a touchscreen is fine, or just want a solid tool, I highly recommend downloading the smartphone app, Gaia GPS. It’s a piece of cake to use and very powerful, just make sure your phone is in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get a big discount here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

To access this guide when out of cell phone range on the trail, simply save the webpage on your phone ( iPhone – Android ).

The Redwood Grove Story

Redwood Grove Olinda Historic — Today there is a scenic and serene Redwood grove. In 1890, the area of the park was a booming oil town named “Olinda,” seen here in 1900. So, unlike most of Orange County, which went from scenic lands to development, the area at Carbon Canyon Regional Park did the opposite, from oil town to parkland. There is hope… Photo SoCa Digitization Project

When the oil ran dry in Olinda, the area was cleaned up and Carbon Canyon Regional Park was created in 1975.
When the park first opened, 100 Redwood seeds were planted at the grove. The seeds were left over from a bank promotion giving them out to customers opening accounts.
The trees, usually found in the wet and nutrient-rich soils of Northern California, won’t normally grow this far south. The grove area was selected because it’s low and attracts the most moisture and fog. The grove has a man-made irrigation system that waters the trees five days a week.
When the trees were originally planted, it was thought that they would grow to their normal height of about 350 feet (higher than the Statue of Liberty). However, the challenging Southern California climate has kept the trees under 100 feet. They’re still impressive and majestic.

Orange County Redwood Grove Hike Directions

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Video Directions

Turn by Turn Directions

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 4 — The trail starts at the end of the big parking lot on the right.

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 5 — The trailhead is well marked. Read any posted notices at the trailhead.

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 7 — At the first big intersection, hike left into Coyote Pass.

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Hike 8 — Here’s the sign at that junction. Head through Coyote Pass, which sounds more epic than it really is.

In the distance is Carbon Canyon Dam, opened in 1961, which handles overflow and flooding from the Santa Ana River drainage system. The dam is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which also leases the Redwood Grove area to OC Parks.