Photo: timkelley

1. Don’t… ride a camel at the Pyramids

Those gaudy pompoms and tassels look rather fetching on the camel, and you couldn’t ask for a more magnificent backdrop for your showoff photos than the Pyramids. The owner will even tell you his camel is free to get on.

It is. It’s just getting off that’ll cost you whatever cash you’ve got. Leaping off an eight-foot-tall camel is no easy feat, and sand ain’t so soft when you land nose first.

Do… ride a camel into the desert behind the Pyramids

There are loads of stables near the Sphinx that arrange trips into the desert. Shop around — prices and the condition of the animals vary greatly.

The best time to go is for sunset. You get a wonderful view of the Pyramids, combined with the mournful call to prayer that echoes through the desert from mosques all over Cairo.

Word of warning: For every leg-splayed hour astride a camel, you’ll spend a day walking like John Wayne.

2. Don’t… take a guided tour of the West Bank of Luxor

There’s a good chance you’ll spend more time touring the alabaster factories than the sights. And even some of the best guides will bludgeon you into indifference with an endless succession of pharaonic “facts.”

Also, don’t bother paying extra to enter Tutankhamen’s tomb at the Valley of the Kings. It’s tiny, incomplete, and entirely underwhelming.

Sure, you can see his shriveled head and feet poking out each end of a grotty blanket. But the portion covering his body is suspiciously flat.

Photo: Mossaiq

Do… hire bicycles and go your own way

Ride through dusty villages and bright fields of sugarcane, visiting the sights you want, at the pace you want.

At the Valley of the Kings, visit the tomb of Ramesses V instead of King Tut. Tremendous colours in there.

3. Don’t… climb Mount Sinai for sunrise

Everybody does this, but it turns what should be a pleasant ascent into a nightmare. You have to get up before you’ve even gone to bed and stumble up a bumpy track in the pitch black while trying to dodge pilgrims and camel farts.

By the time you reach the top, in desperate need of some sort of salvation, there probably won’t be any room for you.

Do… climb for sunset instead

That way you can avoid the crowds and enjoy views of a desolate landscape.

If you arrange it in advance, you can have the local Bedouin cook you dinner and spend the night on the mountain. You’ll wake up refreshed and in prime position to watch sunrise from the smug comfort of your own blanket.

4. Don’t… visit Philae Temple by day

This temple is on an island south of Aswan, and is far too hot and exposed to visit comfortably during the day.

More importantly, flooding caused by the building of the Aswan Dam and the High Dam has washed all the colours away. It’s hard to pick out any details in the harsh sunlight.

Fun fact: After the High Dam was built, Philae Temple was completely submerged. While still under water, it was chopped up and moved to another island.

Do… visit at night for the sound and light show

See the temple blaze against the ink-black sky. The melodramatic story is narrated by “ancient gods and goddesses,” and is simultaneously fascinating, inspiring, and unintentionally hilarious.

Photo: prilfish

5. Don’t… tell your cab driver you’re an atheist

He won’t understand how that’s possible.

There’s a time and a place for enlightened religious discussion, but it’s not when you’re jammed into a Cairo taxi, sweating fumes, and battered by car horns.

You’re already in Hell.

Do… tell him you’re a Christian/Muslim/Jew

It just makes life easier. Anything else will open up a can of holy worms.

When giving directions, end each sentence with “insha’Allah” (God willing). As in, “Turn left, insha’Allah.” You’ll get an automatic 2 LE reduction on your fare.

6. Don’t… smoke Cleopatra cigarettes

There’s a reason why these sexy-sounding little sticks cost only 50 cents a pack. And it’s not, as some would have you believe, because they’re fortified with Vitamin C.

Photo: DavidDennisPhotos.com

Do… mellow out with a shisha pipe

These water-pipes are used to smoke a sticky, fragrant tobacco that comes in loads of different flavours. Apple is a classic. Unflavoured maasel will blow your head off.

Shisha pipes are best enjoyed in a local coffeeshop over a game of backgammon and a cup of grainy Turkish coffee.

Stroking your beard while exhaling a cloud of smoke makes you look philosophical. Gesticulating wildly with the hose makes you look like a prick.

7. Don’t… try molokhiya (Jew’s mallow)

Unless you really like slurping on a gelatinous green soup the consistency of snot mixed with semen. With added stringy bits.

No, really.

Do… try koshary

This is a carbohydrate bomb made out of pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, fried onions, and tomato salsa, topped off with a potent chili sauce. Sounds gross; tastes great; costs next to nothing.

Also try pigeon, although with extreme caution. Not only is it booby-trapped with hundreds of fine bones, the Egyptian word for pigeon is very similar to that for toilet.

8. Don’t… buy the tourist tat from Khan al-Khalili

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Galabayas embroidered with pictures of Egyptian gods and goddesses.
• Genuine fake papyrus.
• Those offensively cheesy t-shirts which say something like, “A camel can go for 14 days without a drink; I can’t!”

Photo: Andrew Currie

And just for the record, if a vendor wants 140 LE for an “onyx” cat statue, and you pay 120 LE, it doesn’t mean you got a good deal. Or even haggled.

Do… seek out genuine, practical souvenirs

You can pick up decent, wearable galabayas at any local market, and good quality shisha pipes from just north of Khan al-Khalili.

Spices, scarves, perfume, and silver are all good buys (though the silver isn’t that pure).

If you must buy pharaonic kitsch, go for a sandstorm-in-a-pyramid paperweight. Now that’s a classy souvenir!

Community Connection

Photo: Ernst Vikne / Feature: wwarby

“Um, hi. I’m from Canada and I’ve never seen snow.” Oh, how I wish that were true. The state of Colorado is holding a worldwide contest in search of three people who have never experienced snow.

The contest is appropriately called Snow At First Sight.

Winners will be brought to Colorado this winter to experience their legendary winter season from January to March, 2010.

You will learn how to ski, snowboard, and snowshoe, and also enjoy exciting après ski nightlife, pampering, spas, and more.

You will write about your experiences and take pictures and video to share with the world via social networks: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and the rest.

So if you’ve never had the pleasure of being “face-washed” or had snow shoved down the back of your shirt, this is for you.

How Do I Enter?

1. Create a 60 second video (deadline is December 4) and show them why you want to experience snow for the first time in Colorado. Be creative!

2. Post your video to www.SnowAtFirstSight.com.

3. Share the video with everyone you know. Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube — and get fans, friends, and family to VOTE for you. Voting deadline is December 11.

The top five most voted for videos will receive a four-day “audition” in Colorado in January (January 5-8). In addition, the Colorado Tourism Office will choose five videos judged on creativity, entertainment value, and more.

Based on the audition, three winners will be chosen to spend up to three months in Colorado!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Apologies Matador readers for the late notice, but better late than never, right? If you enter, make sure to let us know so we can vote for you!

Photo: *wanderings*

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

The Matador Photography group at Flickr keeps bringin’ ‘em, so we’ll keep posting them.

Join now and share your shots!

1. Outside Topkapi Palace.

2. Grape leaves stuffed with rice, resting in a bed of salt.

3. Turkish yentas converse outside a local restaurant.

4. The Spice Bazaar.

5. In awe at the Blue Mosque.

6. Feet must be washed before entering the mosque to pray.

7. Praying solo in the Blue Mosque.

8. Husband and wife shop together.

9. Colors of light in a random lamp store.

10. These columns were erected by the Ottoman Empire.

11. A Turkish woman rushes to her daughter, hiding behind a column.

12. A fisherman en route between “Asia” and “Europe.”

Community Connection

Check out these notes from An English Teacher in Istanbul.

Photo: muha…

Your Matador Trips editors believe a thoughtful photograph can rival a well-crafted travel tale. This was reconfirmed for me recently when I found The Boston Globe’s photo site: The Big Picture. Seriously, check these out:

On the shoreline: A celebration of those narrow lines where water meets earth.
Watching the H1Ni flu pandemic: Surgical masks, syringes, and wet wipes from around the world.
Pushkar Mela: Shots from an annual camel fair in Rajasthan, India (and some of the best photos I’ve ever seen).

We’ve brought you some pretty sweet photo essays ourselves in recent months. In fact, one of them, The Most Alien Landscapes on Earth, just surpassed half a million pageviews. Here are some other classics:

12 Lesser-Known Ruins of the World
GIANT Redwoods, the Tallest Living Things on Our Planet
Berlin 20/20: A Photo Tour of a Reunited City
13 Places to Get Close to the EDGE

Photo: meaduva

We’ve also invited everyone from the Matador Community to join in the photo fun. If you haven’t already, make sure to visit the Matador Photography Flickr group and sign up.

Carlo’s taken the initiative there, putting out calls for shots that we can use for our Wordless Wanderlust series, as well as submissions for an upcoming wildlife photo essay.

But most importantly, Matador Network has been active on this topic from the beginning, publishing some truly valuable content designed to help you step up your photog game. Have you read these?

The A-B-C-D-E of Travel Photography
What makes a photo tell a story?
Studies in Travel Photography: Perspective, Timing, and Themes

It only gets better from here. Just a couple weeks ago the news came out that MatadorU, fired up from the success of its 12-week Travel Writing Program, will be offering a travel photography course in 2010.

Here’s to more photo essays on Matador Trips, and more kick-ass photographers in the Matador tribe.

Hal Amen, Co-editor

Community Connection

Again, you’re invited to join Matador Photography over at Flickr. We’ve already got more than 100 members and hundreds of travel photos.

Photo: Giustino

The Swahili Coast is an ancient place where cultures have met and blended during ten centuries of trade. Lamu Town, on Lamu Island off the north Kenya coast, is the purest expression of Swahili culture remaining.

Getting there

Lamu Island is one of the larger islands of the archipelago by the same name that lie scattered along the Kenyan coast just south of the border with Somalia.

The easiest and safest way to reach Lamu is by air, since the roads are poor and sometimes impassable, and the infamous Somali pirates operate offshore. Several of Kenya’s reliable small airline companies fly daily from Nairobi to Lamu, including Air Kenya and Safarilink (out of Wilson Airport), and Fly 540 (from Jomo Kenyatta International).

Photo: Cessna 206

Be prepared for sticker shock — a roundtrip is over $300 per person.

The flight carries you out to the rustic landing strip on nearby Manda Island in about two hours. Collect your bag, walk down to the new jetty, and board a dhow to cross the channel to Lamu Town, visible in the distance. It’s only a 15-minute boat ride.

Shortly after taking to the water, Lamu Town will come into focus. Sure, modern amenities like satellite dishes and telephone poles are present, but overall the town retains the image of an old Swahili port with mosques overlooking the dockside go-downs and tall houses of once-wealthy merchants.

The waterfront is full of fishmongers and wholesalers, idlers and laborers, men in kanzu and kofia (caftan and traditional embroidered cap), women shrouded in black bui bui, and uncountable donkeys, dogs, cats, chickens, and children taking it easy.

Getting around

The narrow alleyways of the old town hardly permit the passage of two people side-by-side. There’s only one automobile on the island, and almost everyone gets around on foot, or on donkey-back.

Photo: Sand Paper

Water taxis are available for a few hundred bob (local slang for Kenyan shillings). Bargain hard. The price will come down.

Even on the hottest days of the year, the alleyways of Lamu Town are cool and shady. Bougainvillea and frangipani line the walls and the passages are animated by the billowing veils of Muslim women in their bui bui.

With more than 30 mosques and a population of just over 5,000, Islam is ever-present, beginning with the first call to prayer before sunrise.

Harambee Avenue, the main street parallel to the wharf just 50 meters from the waterfront, is good for a wander. Other than the occasional tourist and a few modern boutiques, there’s little to indicate the town has changed much in the last few decades.

Lamu Fort Square / Photo: Author

Locals will ignore you as they go about their business or chat in the doorways of the many little dukas that line the street.

In the town square in front of the old Fort, built by the Omani Arabs in 1808, an ancient almond tree with broad, dark green leaves creates an atmosphere of calm and a shady place for people to gather.

The fort is interesting to explore, and the National Museum nearby is supposed to be one of the best in Kenya.

Where to eat

It’s easy to eat well for very little in Lamu. Whispers Cafe on Harambee, behind the old waterfront mosque (now abandoned), has a cool courtyard filled with palms and flowering vines.

Shela Village / Photo: Author

A couple miles east along the waterfront is Shela Village, where you’ll find the Peponi Hotel.

A local institution since the 1960s, and still operated by the founding family, the hotel is worth a visit, and the restaurant is excellent.

If nothing else, try a dawa (a popular Kenyan drink made of limes, honey, and vodka) on the veranda, where you can sit and watch the boats sail by.

Where to stay

Near the Peponi in Shela Village is Kijani House, a complex of a dozen rooms built around a labyrinth of little gardens with small dipping pools for cooling down on a hot day. Rates are very reasonable.

There are other small boutique hotels in Shela, and many hotels and rooming houses in Lamu Town. If you prefer peace and quiet, and easy access to a wonderful beach, Shela is the better option. The southern shore of Lamu Island has a 13km sandy beach, and you’ll rarely see 10 people at a time on it.

Manda Beach / Photo: un punto in movimento

You can also hire a dhow to take you to Manda Island to walk the beach opposite Shela.

There are B&Bs and a bar there, and at the eastern end, just before you reach the wild and rocky Indian Ocean coastline at Ras Kitau, there’s a camping area for backpackers.

Ras Kitau seems to go on forever, with craggy promontories, wide sandy beaches, and big tidal pools — the Swahili Coast as the Portuguese saw it in the 16th century.

Community Connection

Matador’s got you covered if you’re heading over to Africa’s west coast as well. Check out Five Reasons to Go to Angola in 2009 (And Beyond).

A los capos les gusta Matador. / Photo: ‘J’

Tom Gates, Matador Nights

Arguably the best Japanese food in Buenos Aires is at Comedor Nikkai, which is, not surprisingly, located in the Japanese Cultural Center (Av. Independencia 732, San Telmo).

The spinach appetizer still makes me drool while daydreaming. Sushi plates are fresh and generous. The chirashi is among the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve housed a lot of raw fish. Great sake and a very friendly staff. Rivals the best sushi I’ve had in New York or Japan.

Photo: Tokyo Tanenhaus

Another favorite: the Federal Police Museum. Strange and borderline terrifying.

I’ve gone twice and have never witnessed another customer, which wouldn’t be a big deal were the place not filled with creepy mannequins that could come to life at any moment.

The drug section is bizarre, especially the heroin display with a needle sticking out of a fake arm. It’s all here — re-creations of exhumed bodies, the bones of a police dog, and even confiscated gambling equipment.

An absolute must if you’re a little freaky. I wrote a post about it (with photos) called Creeped Out at Museo de la Policia Federal, Buenos Aires.

Adam Roy, Matador Sports

I’d have to go with one of three things:

* Cafe San Bernardo — a neighborhood dive in Villa Crespo, got character comin’ out the ears, complete with poem dedicated to the cafe posted on the wall, a giant, yellowing picture of Carlitos hanging above the bar, and about 20 pool tables. Also, open 24-7 (Avenida Corrientes 5434).

* El Ateneo — the friggin’ gigantic bookstore in an old theater (Avenida Santa Fe 1860).

* Bendita/Maldita Milonga — crazy, semi-spooky milonga in San Telmo, right next to Club Museum.

David Miller, Matador Senior Editor

Note: originally published as a Matador blog, 8/10/07

Street scene, San Telmo/Photo: saumilshah

Lau’s dad, Adalberto, came over yesterday and we had lunch in San Telmo, a great place called territorio at the corner of Estados Unidos and Bolivar.

Dark, high-ceilinged, and with several cervezas artesanales or microbrews on tap, it felt almost like an Irish pub except for the Brazilian breakbeats and other electronic music playing on the stereo.

Both Adalberto and I had guiso surreño, a classic meat stew, topped with rosemary potatoes, and cerveza rubio, or pilsner. Lau had an omelet with basil, tomato, and cheese that looked wonderful.

The place had an immaculate bathroom, which, as Anthony Bourdain points out, is a pretty solid indicator of how a restaurant keeps their kitchen. I also noted a special paragraph on the menu stating that territorio doesn’t serve cokes or soft drinks as the hyper-sweetened beverages take away from the food. I couldn’t agree more.

After lunch we had pear tarts and apple crumbles for dessert, plus tea and espressos. This would’ve been a $60 lunch back in the U.S. but with the exchange rate being more than 3 pesos to a dollar, it ended up costing less than twenty bucks.

A highly recommendable spot for lunch or dinner here in San Telmo. (011 4300-9756)

Kate Sedgwick, Matador Nights

I hear El Boliche de Darío has two locations, though I’ve only ever been to the one in Vélez Sarsfield (Av. Miguel Canonigo del Corro 399). But I’ve been there more times than I can count on my fingers, which almost becomes necessary after the food coma I put myself into each time I go.

For just over 30 pesos, you’ll receive an overwhelming amount of food, starting with fries, empanadas, and salads (of two varieties), grilled provoleta (a whole chunk of provolone cheese grilled like a chunk of beef), morcilla (blood sausage), and chori (or chorizo – sausage) before the meat starts coming out.

Photo: Luis Fabres

Do yourself a favor and ask for the provenzal (a salsa made of parsley and garlic) to eat with your fries, but don’t eat too much of what comes out first or you’ll regret it.

Once the meat starts appearing on stainless steel trays, your first course will be organ meat. Try it. You might surprise yourself. I’m a big fan of the molleja (sweetbreads) — tender and tasty.

Check out Asado Argentina to see what the different cuts of meat are called. Some aren’t sold or prepared this way where you come from, so be adventurous. You can make special requests and get as much as you want of what’s on offer.

Personally, I recommend the matambre, the bondiola, and the chicken.

Hal Amen, Matador Trips

I’ve got two faves, but they’re a package deal, both part of my wife’s and my Saturday morning tradition.

We start out at Palermo’s Plaza Holanda (the one with the pond in the middle). During the week, we come here to run on the cement track that circles the water, but Saturdays we move more slowly.

Dodging the joggers, cyclists, and novice rollerbladers who always seem to swerve dangerously close to the speed-walking (and speed-talking) abuelitas (¡O! ¡Dios mío!), we stroll through the rows of meticulously manicured flowers, find a pond-side bench, and break out the mate paraphernalia.

Photo: flaken

Thermos emptied, it’s off to Belgrano’s Barrio Chino (Chinatown). We like to walk (takes ~45 min.), but the barrio is serviced by tons of collectivos, including the 15, 29, 60, and 64. The subte is also close by (Juramento, line D).

Less of a China-town and more of a China-street, Barrio Chino is basically the first two blocks of Arribeños north of the Belgrano C train station. Our ritual goes like this:

* Walk up to the second block where two Chinese girls and their griddle serve up dumplings, spice balls, gelatinous goodies, and various things on sticks. Ah, street food — I’ve missed you. Or, across the street at 2212 is a shop called simply “Productos de Soja” (Soy Products), which also sells takeaway treats.

* Stomachs prepped, choose a spot for lunch. Our favorites are a veggie joint at 2127 (“Siempre Verde”), an “authentic”-tasting, grubby-looking restaurant at 2152 (uncreatively labeled “Comida China”), and a swankier option with decent pad thai at 2265 (“Lotus Neo Thai”).

* Our love of Asian tastes is such that we have to take it home, and Barrio Chino has almost as many Chinese supermarkets as restaurants. Top of the list is “Casa China,” with two locations. The one at 2173 has a huge selection of bulk dried mushrooms, while at 2257 they really do it up in sauce selection.

You can find a lot more than Asian ingredients in these places — nostalgic American favorites like salad dressing and peanut butter, not to mention bottles of precious picante to spice up the typically bland Argentine cuisine (they even carry Mexican-made salsas!).

Tag Team

San Telmo’s Parrilla 1880 has been haunted by several Matador staffers.

David loved it because he could call ahead and order a filet de merluza con papas noisette, plus a salad of beets, carrots, radicheta at 11:30 at night.

Tom Gates thinks their meat is the best in the city and misses shooting the shit with Claudio, who hovers around the tables in the back (and sneaks patrons lemoncello shots).

I first learned here that bife de chorizo can be served in a rectangular block the size of a foot and still be juicy and tender. Oh, and that tongue and sweetbreads are delicious.

And Kate, who makes a career of denying herself things, was thoroughly spoiled by Tom here with a juicy steak cooked bloody as ordered, and plans to return the favor when he makes it back Buenos Aires way.

Community Connection

Team Matador has also shared our Favorite Restaurants In The World. And by some accounts (um, ours), Matador Editors Have the Best Blogs.

Photo: partie traumatic

I’ll just say it. I hate shopping malls. They’re bland and sterile and full of scary looking teenagers. But I grudgingly accept that not everyone shares my point of view, and fair enough. Lots of people love shopping and shopping malls, and I will admit when I’m impressed by the architecture. Plus, I do enjoy the air conditioning when it’s 38 degrees Celsius outside.

The website GotSaga has published what they think are the world’s most incredible malls. Here are some details on the more interesting of the lot:

Photo: lrargerich

Galerías Pacífico

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Originally built in 1889, Galerías Pacífico was remodeled in 1945 and the famous 12 frescos on the central cupola were done in ‘46.

For history buffs, part of the mall was used as a torture center by the military junta who ruled Argentina from ‘76 to ‘83.

Author Naomi Klein in The Shock Doctrine:

In 1987, a film crew was shooting in the basement of the Galerias Pacifico, one of Buenos Aires’ plushest downtown malls, and to their horror they stumbled on an abandoned torture center.

It turned out that during the dictatorship, the First Army Corp hid some of its disappeared in the bowels of the mall; the dungeon walls still bore the desperate markings made by its long-dead prisoners: names, dates, pleas for help.

Photo: flashfonic

Toronto Eaton Centre

Location: Toronto, Canada

Timothy Eaton started it all by setting up a dry goods shop on the original site. This eventually became the Eaton’s brand that swept across Canada and changed the way people shopped. The company went bankrupt in 1999, but the mall retains the name.

I was shocked to read that the Toronto Eaton Centre is the top tourist draw in Toronto, pulling in about one million people per week.

That’s almost 100 people entering those doors per minute. What does this say about the city and/or the tourists? I don’t know myself, but it might be worth asking.

Interesting tidbit: a gaggle of fibreglass geese — a sculpture by artist Michael Snow called Flight Stop — is one of the main attractions in the mall and was the center of a controversy when the mall decided to dress them up in red ribbon for Christmas.

They didn’t bother to ask the artist, and predictably he was pissed. Eventually, a court ordered the ribbons removed.

Photo: Nick Mathew

Villagio Mall

Location: Doha, Qatar

I was intrigued by the picture of a “faux” Venice in the Villagio Mall, but the article didn’t have much info.

Neither did Wikipedia. So I found this first-hand account at Travelpod:

…it’s like the Truman show. The mall is a model of Venice, complete with a canal and gondolas and a ceiling designed to look like the sky.

Above every store are mock balconies as if you are really in a city…If you follow the canal through the mall you arrive at…you guessed it…an Ice Rink!

Photo: Leigh Shulman

Special Mention

This mall wasn’t on the list, but I feel compelled to include it. Matador Life editor Leigh Shulman passed this to me when she heard I was going to write about malls.

Allbrook Mall

Location: Panama City, Panama

Here is what Leigh had to say about the mall:

We spent a day there while waiting for a bus. It’s got everything from a merry go round, movie theatre, kids play space etc etc.

But what struck me the most is the store mannequins that had the biggest breasts of anything I’ve ever seen in my life.

I’m speechless.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

At Matador, we try not to leave anyone out, including shoppers. Veil Shopping in Cairo has exemplary tips for, well, veil shopping in Cairo. Tom Gates’ hilarious piece Bangkok Binge Eating 101 profiles a slightly different type of shopping, but shopping nonetheless.

 Loading ...

Photo: mason bryant

When people talk about the tallest trees on the planet, Sequoia sempervirens is what they’re referring to.

Commonly called coast redwoods, these giants are known to reach 379 feet tall (115.5 meters; in theory, they could grow as tall as 425′), with trunk diameters of up to 26 feet (8 meters). Some standing today sprouted before the birth of Christ.

Though once occupying a much larger range, they’re now confined to a narrow strip of America’s Pacific Northwest. Lucky for amateur tree-lovers, a large selection of serious coast redwoods is easily accessible to hikers (and, in some cases, drivers).

But the real titans remain hidden within forests of fog and van-sized poison oak vines, the secret of their locations safeguarded by a small band of die-hard forest explorers. Not only that, but more are being discovered each year.

What follows is a summary of the info that’s out there.

Redwoods for Mortals

Redwood hunters should head to the northernmost coast of California. Here, close to 65 square miles of old-growth forest is protected by the Redwood National and State Parks system. There are also big trees in southern Oregon’s Siskiyou National Forest and in reserves near the Bay Area.

Redwood groves are year-round destinations; in fact, they can be at their most majestic in winter, with a lusher look and smaller crowds. Just make sure to check park websites for the latest on opening hours and services, as many California state parks have been burned by budget cuts.

Here’s a rundown of the best groves to seek out, listed in order of difficulty:

Stout Grove panorama / Photo: M. D. Vaden of Oregon

Avenue of the Giants
Location: Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Length: 30-35 miles

This 30-mile section of old Highway 101 offers an effortless option for seeing big trees. If the landscape looks familiar, it’s probably because scenes of the Ewok moon of Endor from Return of the Jedi were filmed here.

A four-mile detour down Mattole Road (where the highway crosses Bull Creek) will take you to more groves and a short hiking trail.

Stout Grove
Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park
Trail length: 0.6 mile (loop)

The individual trees here may not be record breakers, but the collective aesthetic of the grove makes it one of the better known.

Montgomery Grove
Location: Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
Trail length: 2 miles (loop)

At less than five square miles, this is a tiny reserve, but it’s pretty much all old growth. Its sole trail loops through some serious groves.

One of the tallest trees in the world lives here — off-trail and unadvertised, of course.

Homestead and Big Tree Loop
Location: Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Trail length: 2.4 miles (loop)

This is one of the hikes accessible from Mattole Road off Avenue of the Giants. Both trails in the loop pass through old growth.

Near Rhododendron Trail, Prairie Creek
Photo: M. D. Vaden of Oregon

Brown Creek Trail
Location: Prairie Creek Redwood State Park
Trail length: 3.5 miles (loop)

The Brown Creek walk accesses some super thick groves and can easily be linked with the more backcountry-ish Rhododendron Trail.

Tall Trees Grove
Location: Redwood National Park
Trail length: 3.9 miles (one way)

Tall Trees Grove is home to the Libbey Tree, which at almost 363 feet was once the tallest on record. And unlike most other trees with this distinction, Libbey is open for viewing by the general public.

Of course, this makes the grove a huge draw, and a complicated system of permits and cryptic driving directions has been implemented to limit visitor numbers. Read more here.

Boy Scout Tree Trail
Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park
Trail length: 5 miles (one way)

This one is remarkable for its abundance of unadulterated old growth, which also encompasses the drive to the trailhead.

Miners’ Ridge and James Irvine Loop Trail
Location: Prairie Creek Redwood State Park
Trail length: 11 miles (loop)

This trail combo is your best option for a full-day redwood trek. It takes in several diverse ecosystems, including an undeveloped beach.

* For additional details and maps of these and other redwood trails, check out the website redwoodhikes.com — solid.

Redwoods for Superheroes (or Naturalists in the Know)

The locations of the tallest trees and most impressive groves are kept secret to protect the redwoods, their ecosystem, and inexperienced visitors alike.

In the words of Richard Preston, author of The Wild Trees:

…the truth of the matter is that redwood rainforest is exceedingly difficult to move through, physically. You get out in there, and it takes a physically fit person up to 12 hours to move two miles. You’re belly crawling, you’re crawling through thorns, your skin gets all bloody, you can’t see anything. It’s absolutely thick.

And then you come across these piles of redwood trunks that have fallen down like pick-up-sticks. These are trunks that are anywhere from eight to 12 feet in diameter piled up, and…you get a wall of wood that may be 30 feet tall. And as you climb over it, if you slip down into a crack, you can fall into the pile — 30 feet — and break your leg and never be heard from again.

Source: NPR

There’s also the fact that redwood country is bear and mountain lion country, too.

And on top of all that, trees are always growing and new groves are discovered frequently, so the official ranking of biggest and baddest is in constant flux.

Here are the most famous of the hidden titans.

Grove of Titans
Photo: M. D. Vaden of Oregon

Grove of Titans
Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park

Discovered in 1998, this grove is said to have the biggest average tree size of any so far found. Its most famous resident is Lost Monarch, the most massive coast redwood known with a height of 320′ and a diameter of 26′.

According to Richard Preston, the grove lies at “the bottom of a hidden notch-like valley near a glade.”

Mario Vaden says, “Grove of Titans is across the water from the campground, on the west side of the Smith River,” and that it “extends through the confluence of valleys among flat, slopes and mounds.”

Atlas Grove
Location: Prairie Creek Redwood State Park

Knowledge of Atlas Grove dates to at least 1991. Iluvatar, currently the third-largest coast redwood by volume, is found here.

A careful study known as the Atlas Project was carried out recently in a portion of the grove to learn more about these giant trees and their habitat.

Hyperion: the tallest tree on Earth
Location: Redwood National Park

The current record holder goes by the name Hyperion and reaches a height of 379.1 feet. Standing at a remote, undisclosed location in Redwood National Park, it was found and measured just three years ago.

What descriptions there are of its position are quite vague: “in the southern section of the park,” “on a slope above a creek,” “too far from any trail to visit.” And capped off with, “Everyone who knows anything about this tree is sworn to secrecy.”

For an engaging account of one team’s search, check out Tom Clynes’ “Slippery Slope: In search of Humboldt’s giant Hyperion redwood.”

* Special thanks to Mario Vaden for allowing use of his photos here.

Community Connection

Make sure not to miss the companion Photo Essay: GIANT Redwoods, the Tallest Living Things on Our Planet

Have you hunted hidden redwoods? Stumbled on the location of Grove of Titans, Atlas Grove, or Hyperion? Trips wants to hear from you in the comments.

Photo: Anna Brones

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

If you like what you see, you don’t want to miss the Stunning Colors of Glacier National Park.

Long-time Matador and Flickr Matador Photography member Anna Brones recently jumped ship as Senior Editor of Wend to focus on her new project, Under Solen.

She’s also our resident expert on Guadaloupe and has penned the uber popular article How to Travel By Cargo Ship.