Parking is available inside of the forest and outside of the main gate. I'd highly recommend parking inside as the 1 mile trip to the parking lot is a beautiful drive with Redwood trees on both sides of the road. Once inside, you'll also have the opportunity to park and have lunch at the tables next to the Redwood trees.

For those of you who have always wanted to hike in a Redwood forest, Armstrong State Park is a fantastic choice as it is less crowded compared to Muir Woods. While hiking there around 3:00pm in the afternoon there were times where I found myself alone from other hikers. This allowed me to enjoy many of the sights, sounds, and smells of the park alone and without disturbance from other visitors.

The Coastal Redwoods are an absolute treasure that seem to have a profound impact on those who visit them. It seems as if everyone leaves with a newfound respect for how incredible these trees are. As an old-growth forest, the size and scale of these trees make it difficult to take pictures of them and capture how beautiful they are.

While the Redwood trees themselves are absolutely beautiful, the forest floor that they produce is a biodiversity hotspot that is absolutely amazing. As the sun cuts through the canopy, it produces magical streams of light that produce a spotlight showcasing the forest. When you focus your attention to the forest floor, you'll find an abundance of ferns, mushrooms, and Redwood-Sorrel. If you're lucky you'll be able to spot deer, squirrels, and other animals foraging in the forest.