Giant Tree - 19th Largest Coast Redwood
Height: 354.30+ ft (107.99+ m) Elevation: 250 ft (76 m) GPS Latitude: 40.34975
Volume: 27,800 ft3 (787 m3) Creek: Bull Creek GPS Longitude: -123.99136
Width: 16.90 ft (5.15 m) Grove: Upper Bull Creek Flat Discovery Date:
Age: Park: Humboldt Redwoods SP Discovered By:

Notes: Giant Tree, also known as Big Tree (not to be confused with Big Tree in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park) and Bull Creek Tree, is the 19th largest coast redwood, the 2nd largest tree in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and the largest tree on Upper Bull Creek Flat.

Although a nearby sign indicates that Giant Tree (1,017 AF points) was the American Forests national champion coast redwood in November 1991, other trees, including Iluvatar (1,084 AF points), Terex Titan (1,087 AF points), Howland Hill Giant (1,092 AF points), El Viejo del Norte (1,177 AF points), Bull Creek Giant (1,190 AF points), Sir Isaac Newton (1,203 AF points), ARCo Giant (1,211 AF points), Melkor (1,216 AF points), Del Norte Titan (1,222 AF points), Lost Monarch (1,290 AF points), Godwood Creek Giant (1,295 AF points), and Juggernaut (1,359 AF points) have since surpassed it. Giant Tree is 8.7 ft (2.7 m) shorter than the sign indicates: 363 ft (111 m) in 1991.

Drive: Giant Tree is 197 mi (317 km) north of San Francisco near the community of Weott.

Northbound: From U.S. Highway 101 just north of Weott, take exit 663 South Fork Honeydew and turn left onto California State Route 254 (Avenue of the Giants). Drive north 0.2 mi (0.3 km) on California State Route 254 (Avenue of the Giants) and turn left, under the bridge, onto Mattole Road.

Southbound: From U.S. Highway 101 just north of Weott, take exit 663 South Fork Honeydew and turn right onto Mattole Road.

Drive west 4.4 mi (7.1 km) on Mattole Road to the entrance for the Big Trees Day Use Area. Turn left here and continue to the Big Trees Day Use Area parking lot.

Hike: Hike from the parking lot toward Bull Creek and cross the seasonal footbridge, if available. The trail veers left/east just after you cross the footbridge. Hike east 400 ft (122 m), past the Giant Tree/Flat Iron Tree sign, and turn right/south toward Giant Tree.

Creek Warning: Giant Tree is not accessible from the Big Trees Day Use Area parking lot when Bull Creek has high water levels and the seasonal footbridge is not installed. It is best to visit Giant Tree from July through October when Bull Creek is low enough to wade across. To visit Giant Tree whenever Bull Creek is impassable, use the 1.0 mi (1.6 km) longer alternate route via Grasshopper Road instead.

Rating: Easy One-Way Distance: 0.1 (0.2 km) Ascent: 20 ft (6 m)
Time: 4 min Off-Trail: 0 ft (0 m) Descent: 6 ft (2 m)
Giant Tree Hike Map

View Giant Tree location in Google Maps

Panorama: Click panorama to take a virtual tour of Giant Tree

Giant Tree

Photos: Pictures of Giant Tree taken from different sides

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