Hike Meteor Trail, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California

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Meteor Trail isn't on the way to any spectacular waterfalls, so it's a great place to wander among the giants at Big Basin Redwoods State Park without the crowds on the more popular trails. The Meteor Trail tracks Rodgers Creek up to Middle Ridge Road. In winter and early spring the creek burbles to life, making this one of the best riparian hikes at Big Basin. And on clear days, Ocean View Summit from Middle Ridge Road offers an expansive view all the way to the Pacific Ocean. One stop along the way -- Maddock Cabin Site -- offers an intriguing window on the lives of settlers who eked out a rough existence among the redwoods. The matriarch of the Maddock clan had two simple wishes for her children: that they get a good education and avoid being eaten by grizzly bears. The cabin's long gone but interpretive panels tell the Maddock family's story. At six miles with a healthy climb to Middle Ridge, it's a nice workout without being especially strenuous. Trails on this hike: Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail > Creeping Forest Trail > Dool Trail > Middle Ridge Road > Meteor Trail > Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. Best time to go: winter and spring are tops, but summer and fall are pretty good too.

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