Redwood National & State Parks

Redwood National & State Parks protect 40 miles of the northern California coastline and 45% of the old-growth redwood rainforests. These trees are the tallest in the world with some over 300 feet tall. The moisture in the air and lack of strong winds and extreme temperatures create an environment for these trees to thrive.

The National Park Service and California State Parks work together to manage Redwood National Park along with 3 State Parks in the area (Jedediah Smith, Prarie Creek Redwoods, & Del Norte Coast) collectively as Redwood National & State Parks.

Redwood is quite far from any major city or airport and is pleasant to visit year-round, so you will have a quiet and peaceful experience here. The atmosphere is absolutely magical and makes you feel like you’re on another planet.

Best Things to Do in Redwood

TALL TREES TRAIL: Moderately strenuous hike that takes you 800 feet down to a grove of old-growth redwood trees. The tallest tree in the world is located somewhere near this grove, but it’s exact location remains a mystery. You will need a permit to hike this trail.

FERN CANYON: Fern Canyon is an incredible area where giant walls of ferns tower over you as you hike the short loop. Parts of Jurassic Park II were filmed here and some of the fern walls stand over 2 stories high! You will need a permit to visit here and the road to get to the trail is quite bumpy and rough.

NEWTON B. DRURY SCENIC PARKWAY: This 10-mile scenic drive through Prarie Creek Redwoods State Park takes you through thousands of acres of old-growth forests. The road is named after Newton B. Drury, who was the executive director of the Save the Redwoods League.

REDWOOD CREEK OVERLOOK: Wonderful overlook to see the fog roll in and compare the old-growth forests to the newer groves. This is a great place for a picnic!

LADY BIRD JOHNSON GROVE: Short, 1.5-mile walk through a grove of old-growth trees named in honor of former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson.

GOLD BLUFFS BEACH: Beautiful, secluded beach with incredible views of the Pacific coastline. There are numerous hiking trails located near here and it is a great place to see elk!

STOUT GROVE: Short, easy trail through a 44-acre grove of old redwoods. Getting to the trailhead requires a drive down a narrow, unpaved, and twisty road.

TRILLIUM FALLS TRAlL: This 2.6-mile loop trail starts at the Elk Meadow picnic area off of Highway 101 and takes you through a grove of old-growth redwoods, trillium flowers, and a small waterfall.

CRESCENT BEACH: Crescent Beach provides easy access to the Pacific Ocean. This is not a swimming beach as the currents are very strong and the water is cold, but it is incredible for photography.

BOY SCOUT TREE TRAIL: This 5.5-mile trail takes you through old-growth redwood groves along a riparian area. The trail ends at Fern Falls.

When to Visit

Redwood National & State Parks are pleasant to visit year-round. Highs all year tend to stay in the 50s and 60s, which is optimal for hiking and adventuring.

Spring is generally seen as the best time because this is when the forests are the most lush and green.

Summer sees the highest crowds (but they are very minimal compared to other busy National Parks), fall is the driest season, and winter brings the most rain.

If you plan a visit between September 15th and May 15th, you will not need a reservation to visit Fern Canyon, so that is definitely a plus!

If you are planning a northern California road trip and plan to visit other sites that are more weather-dependent (like Lassen Volcanic or Yosemite National Parks), I’d plan my trip around the best time to visit those areas (probably summer or early fall) since you can visit Redwood year-round.

How Many Days Do You Need?

You really only need one full day in Redwood National & State Parks to thoroughly explore it. With one day, you can hike the Tall Trees Trail (or another similar trail), visit Fern Canyon, do the Newton B. Drury Scenic Drive, and see some of the best overlooks.

With more time, you can definitely add on some more hikes through the groves of old-growth Redwood trees, but the trails all look very similar and can get repetitive.

How to Get There

Redwood National & State Parks are located along the coast in northern California, about 40 miles north of Eureka and 4 miles south of Crescent City. There aren’t any nearby major cities, so you’ll find this area more remote than a lot of other places in California.

The best way to get to Redwood National & State Parks is to fly into San Francisco, Sacramento, or Portland and rent a car. 

It will take you almost 6 hours to drive to Redwood National Park from all 3 cities. This is a great road trip to do up the California coast or down the Oregon coast!

Where to Stay

The best place to stay when visiting Redwood National Park is in Eureka or Crescent City. 

If you’re doing an Oregon Coast road trip, it probably makes sense to stay in Crescent City since you’ll be coming from the north. If you’re coming from San Francisco (what we did), Eureka will likely make more sense for you.

Both are small towns, but Eureka is bigger and feels a little more commericalized than Crescent City. You’ll find more chain hotels and restaurants in Eureka, but both towns have plenty of options for boutique hotels, campgrounds, and vacation rentals as well.