Experience the Healing Powers of Forest Bathing in California’s Redwoods

On California’s Redwood Coast, the art of de-stressing comes naturally. Under the canopy of California’s giant redwoods, each breath seems to restore serenity, perspective, and even lost hope. Therefore, if your scenery lacks greenery and your reserves of awe are running low, venture among the ancients while indulging in the time-honored cure for modern stress: forest bathing.

Although it may sound like a concept invented by a California hippie guru, the term was actually coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Shinrin-yoku (forest therapy) refers to the practice of wandering in the woods and breathing in essential plant oils that restore the senses and may even enhance immune system functions, according to recent research. As a Shinto-inspired practice, forest therapy has been promoted in urban centers from Tokyo to Washington, DC.

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Urbanites cautiously dipping their toes into forest bathing may start with Muir Woods, just an hour from San Francisco. In 1945, delegates from the newly-founded UN convened here to honor Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Cathedral Grove, which is accessible by wheelchair-friendly shuttles and trails. The event is captured for posterity in both English and Braille: “Here in such a ‘temple of peace,’ the delegates would gain a perspective and sense of time that could be obtained nowhere in America better than in such a forest. Muir Woods is a cathedral, the pillars of which have stood through much of recorded human history.”

For a deeper immersion experience, journey another four hours north to Humboldt County. Here, a scenic 31-mile stretch of old US Highway 101, flanked by redwoods, is better known as Avenue of the Giants. Hand-painted signs along the route beckon travelers to explore retro roadside attractions including hermit huts carved into lightning-struck trees, redwoods large enough to drive through, and life-size California grizzly bears carved from fallen timber. However, the finest destination here is unmarked, even hard to find, within Humboldt Redwoods State Park: the Women’s Grove.

This stand of old-growth redwoods was saved from commercial logging in 1923 thanks to the efforts of Humboldt women who reached out to organizations throughout California. Sixty thousand Californian women contributed a dollar each to secure this grove for the park, ensuring these magnificent giants would endure for future generations. As you walk along the dappled light of the Women’s Grove loop trail, feel the velvet humidity rising from the forest floor, along with the enduring resolve of the women who blazed these trails century ago. The trailhead is marked by a stone hearth monument from California’s first licensed woman architect, Julia Morgan, with a carved motto that embodies the spirit of forest bathing: “For lo in the forest there comes contentment, peace, and the sweet companionship of nature.”

After immersing yourself in this grove inspired by California’s history, continue your journey by exploring the grand rustic retreat Julia Morgan built in 1926, located just south of the Women’s Grove. Make sure to plan ahead for special events like Mother’s Day teas or vintner’s dinners at Julia Morgan’s Redwood Grove House. Just across Eel River, the beautifully restored Benbow Inn has acted as a Hollywood hideaway for A-list celebrities since 1926, featuring steak dinners in a cozy wood-beamed dining room, live music on the moonlit flagstone patio, and crystal decanters of sherry on bedside tables for late-night indulgence.

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West of Benbow, hikers can follow rainbows along 24.7 miles of rugged coastal trails that lead to sunsets with sea lions on the Lost Coast. However, forest bathers who prefer to stay dry should note that the Lost Coast’s King Range National Conservation Area is the wettest place in California, with limited shelter in this remote preserve. North of the King Range, the landscape transitions to grasslands surrounding the Victorian village of Ferndale.

In Ferndale, you can find all the amenities a stagecoach traveler might need, circa 1890: local beer from Eel River Brewing at The Palace Saloon, cozy guest rooms with fireplaces at the Victorian Inn, lucky horseshoes at The Blacksmith Shop, and in case of lost hats on the Lost Coast, Main Street Millinery. As California’s most picture-perfect one-horse Western town, Ferndale boasts a rich history as a Hollywood filming location while preserving its laid-back rural charm. Stop by Ferndale Meat Co. butcher shop for delicious pastrami sandwiches, or visit Mario’s Lost Coast Café for the veggie-packed “adult grilled cheese” sandwich on freshly baked bread.

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With supplies in hand, you can push onward to the UNESCO-protected Redwood National & State Parks, home to the easily accessible signature attraction: Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Savvy Californian conservationists named this grove after the First Lady to protect it from commercial logging interests, and their efforts have paid off. The park is now celebrating its 50th anniversary, and some of the tallest trees on Earth have gained over 100 feet of growth. Consequently, logging is unthinkable here, making tree-hugging an instinctive practice. Toddlers cuddle into the cradles formed by fallen logs, teens throw peace signs for tree selfies, and entire families encircle massive trunks for holiday photos.

Redwood Parks signs caution visitors to walk gently among these giants: redwood roots are surprisingly shallow, often located just beneath a soft carpet of duff and redwood sorrel. Remarkably, redwoods reach heights of up to 20 stories by intertwining at the root, forming a network of mutual support and subterranean communication that helps them withstand storms. Although drought remains a concern, despite recent rainfall, Humboldt County’s legendary marijuana crop is now legal in California, which requires significant water. Fortunately, illegal growing under forest canopies has been largely curbed, and ongoing local conservation efforts play a crucial role. Visitors can support these initiatives by choosing California-certified green businesses.

Contemplate the Ancients

Interestingly, some of the oldest redwoods were only recently discovered near the Oregon border in California’s Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Hidden in plain sight across from the visitor center is a grove of ancients, recently carbon-dated to reveal their incredible age: over 2000 years old. As you pay your respects to these elders, make sure to visit the impressive redwoods just up the road at Stout Grove. During times of distress, redwoods grow in wild spurts rather than orderly rings; thus, the fallen trees in Stout Grove reveal intricate curly patterns. As you return to reality from your forest bathing adventures, let these curly redwoods guide you: even in times of difficulty, growth can still occur in ways we cannot fully comprehend.