California’s candelabra redwoods are a magnificent form of redwood tree found up the Lost Coast in northern Mendocino County, known for their unmistakable tangled shape. While classic redwood trees shoot straight up, the candelabra redwoods have numerous massive branches that shoot out horizontally and curve upward like a candelabra.
The candelabra redwoods are found only on a remote part of California’s Lost Coast, a 75-mile stretch of the state’s most isolated and untamed coastline.
Would you hike the Lost Coast Trail to see these beauties?
Visiting the candelabra redwoods
The candelabra redwoods were formed by centuries of harsh coastal winds and salty sea air, which caused the trees to fracture and regrow in complex multi-trunked shapes that you won’t find anywhere else. The trees’ twisted forms allowed them to survive logging, and the region’s microclimates have continued to preserve them for centuries with the help of the Save the Redwoods League.
The Save the Redwoods League manages the remote Shady Dell forest, where you can find the candelabra redwoods. You can see the redwoods on the 2.3-mile Peter Douglas Trail, an extension of the Lost Coast Trail that was just added in 2016. There is a viewing platform built for visitors to avoid walking on the candelabra redwoods’ roots.
If you’re not hiking the entire Lost Coast Trail, you can also reach the trailhead via a bumpy road that is only accessible with a 4×4 vehicle.
Hiking the Lost Coast Trail
California’s 75-mile Lost Coast is situated between Rockport and Ferndale in Northern California, and it remains almost entirely untouched by human development due to the area’s complex geography. While only a few remote roads reach this section of the coast, dedicated hikers and backpackers are known to take on the 25-mile Lost Coast Trail to catch a glimpse of California’s purest coastline.
The hike explores a variety of landscapes, including black sand beaches, coastal redwood forests, bluff-top prairies, and seaside mountains. From the abandoned Punta Gorda Lighthouse to the magnificent candelabra redwoods, the bucket-list hiking route showcases some of the most underrated coastal treasures in California.