Redwood National and State Parks

State: California. Type: combined national and state park complex (Redwood National Park plus Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks), jointly managed. Established as a national park in 1968 and expanded in 1978; spans about 131,983 acres including nearly 39,000 acres of old-growth redwood forest along roughly 37 miles of Northern California coastline. Headquarters: 1111 Second Street, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Redwood National and State Parks is a jointly managed complex of one national park and three California state parks strung along the far northern California coast, protecting some of the last old-growth stands of coast redwoods, the tallest tree species on Earth. Rather than a single fenced-off park, it's a patchwork of federal and state land woven together with private property, small towns, and a long stretch of Highway 101, with no entrance stations or gates controlling access. Visitors come for towering old-growth groves, fern-draped canyons, wild stretches of coastline, and herds of free-roaming Roosevelt elk, often within the same day trip. Because the parks were only established after decades of intensive logging had already destroyed roughly 90 percent of the original old-growth redwood range, what remains here is treated as an especially precious and hard-won landscape by the conservation groups that fought to save it. It's a park built for slow travel: driving scenic byways, walking short interpretive loops or longer backcountry trails, and simply standing beneath trees that can live for two millennia and grow past 300 feet tall.

The parks stretch along roughly 37 miles of coastline in Del Norte and Humboldt counties, in the far northwestern corner of California near the Oregon border. Park headquarters and the main information center sit in Crescent City, at 1111 Second Street. The parks are strung along U.S. Highway 101, which serves as the main access road connecting the various redwood groves, state park units, and coastal stretches. San Francisco is roughly a 5-to-7-hour drive to the south, making the parks a notably remote, multi-day destination rather than an easy day trip from a major city.

The coastal redwood belt has a cool, foggy, temperate climate, with year-round temperatures generally staying in the 40-60°F range along the coast. Summers bring frequent morning and afternoon fog, which keeps the redwood groves cool even when inland California is baking in summer heat, while winters bring the bulk of the region's heavy rainfall. Because the parks span coastal bluffs, river valleys, and inland ridges, conditions can vary noticeably within a short drive, so it's worth checking current conditions before a hike. Regardless of season, layered clothing and rain-ready gear are useful given the fog and rain that define this stretch of coast.

The parks stay open year-round with no seasonal closure, so timing mostly comes down to weather preference and specific interests. Visitors chasing wildflowers, including rhododendron blooms, are pointed toward mid-May to early June by the park's own visitor guidance. Summer brings the most daytime fog along the coast but also the mildest, driest hiking conditions overall, while winter brings the heaviest rain. Because four in-park campgrounds require reservations in summer and cell service is limited throughout the parks, advance planning matters more here than at parks closer to major cities, regardless of which season you choose.

Coast redwoods once covered roughly two million acres along the Pacific coast before large-scale commercial logging began in the 19th century; by the 1960s, about 90 percent of that original old-growth forest had been cut. Conservation efforts trace back to 1918, when naturalist John C. Merriam and colleagues from the Boone and Crockett Club founded Save the Redwoods League specifically to protect the remaining groves. Through the 1920s, the League worked with the state to establish Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks, laying the groundwork for what would become the national park decades later. Momentum for federal protection stalled for years until the League, the Sierra Club, and the National Geographic Society revived the push around 1961. Congress finally acted in 1968, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating Redwood National Park that October, initially protecting around 58,000 acres. A decade later, in 1978, Congress expanded the park further. The National Park Service and California State Parks eventually combined management of the national park with the three older state parks under a single cooperative agreement, creating the jointly run Redwood National and State Parks that exists today -- a structure the park service has since used as a model for large landscape-level restoration projects, including major stream and forest recovery work on former logging land.

Hiking is the central activity, ranging from the easy, family-friendly 1.5-mile loop through Lady Bird Johnson Grove -- dedicated in 1969 to the former First Lady in recognition of her conservation work -- to the more demanding roughly 4.5-mile round-trip Tall Trees Grove trail, which requires a free permit and involves a real elevation change to reach one of the world's tallest known trees. Fern Canyon, a short but iconic walk through canyon walls draped in ferns and moss (and a filming location for a Hollywood dinosaur movie), also requires a permit and, in summer, a timed parking reservation for the Gold Bluffs Beach access road. Scenic driving is a major draw too, with the nearby Avenue of the Giants offering a long roadside procession of ancient groves. Wildlife viewing focuses on Roosevelt elk, frequently seen in coastal prairies, though rangers stress keeping well back from these large wild animals rather than approaching them. Camping, tidepooling, and simple scenic overlooks round out a typical visit.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove is one of the most accessible old-growth groves in the park, reachable via a gentle loop trail near Highway 101. Tall Trees Grove, home to some of the tallest trees on record, rewards a longer permitted hike with a genuinely singular sense of scale. Fern Canyon, part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, is a compact but visually striking canyon walk that draws hikers and photographers alike. The Avenue of the Giants, a scenic byway lined with old-growth groves including Founders Grove, sits just south of the parks proper and pairs naturally with a redwoods road trip. Gold Bluffs Beach offers a rare combination of open coastline backed directly by redwood-covered bluffs. For a lower-effort stop, Trees of Mystery, a long-running roadside attraction near the park, offers a more commercial counterpoint to the quieter National Park Service groves nearby.

Most visitors drive in via U.S. Highway 101, which runs the length of the park complex and connects to Crescent City in the north and Eureka/Arcata to the south. By air, the closest options are Del Norte County Airport in Crescent City, which has very limited service, and California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville, roughly 25 miles south of the park's southern edge with a wider range of commercial flights. Travelers looking for more flight choices and typically cheaper fares often fly into San Francisco or Sacramento and then drive several hours north on Highway 101 or Interstate 5 and connecting roads. Because of the park's remote location, renting a car is effectively necessary; there is no meaningful public transit network connecting the various park units.

The parks themselves are open 24 hours a day, year-round, with no entrance gates. Visitor centers and some access roads follow seasonal schedules -- as of research, roughly 9am-5pm in summer and 9am-4pm the rest of the year -- so confirm current visitor center hours before relying on staffed facilities.

There is no general entrance fee for Redwood National and State Parks. Some specific areas charge a day-use fee -- Fern Canyon/Gold Bluffs Beach was listed at $8 per car in official guidance -- and developed campgrounds charge nightly fees; confirm current amounts on the park's official fees page.

A single full day covers a few highlight stops, but 2-3 days allows time for permitted hikes like Tall Trees Grove and exploring more than one section of this long, spread-out park complex.

Crescent City, at the parks' northern end, offers the widest range of hotels, motels, and restaurants within about a half-hour drive of most park attractions. Klamath, roughly midway through the park complex along the Klamath River, is convenient for reaching both the northern and southern redwood groves and has smaller lodges and riverside inns. Orick, near the park's southern groves, has very limited lodging and dining, so many visitors base themselves in Trinidad (about 30 minutes further) or Eureka (about 50 minutes further) instead. Camping is available at four developed, reservable campgrounds inside the park itself, plus numerous private campgrounds and RV parks clustered around Crescent City, Klamath, and Orick for travelers wanting hookups.

Dining options are concentrated in the small towns strung along Highway 101 rather than inside the park itself. Crescent City has the broadest selection of restaurants and grocery stores for stocking up on picnic supplies. Klamath offers a handful of casual, family-run spots convenient to the middle sections of the park. Orick's dining options are notably sparse, and visitors based there are often advised to drive to Trinidad or Eureka for a wider choice of restaurants. Because cell service is limited throughout much of the park, it's worth planning meals and grocery stops in town before heading into more remote sections rather than counting on finding something along the way.

The Avenue of the Giants, a roughly 32-mile scenic byway through additional old-growth redwood groves including Founders Grove, lies just south of the park complex and is a natural extension of a redwoods trip. Trees of Mystery, a long-running roadside attraction with a gondola ride through the forest canopy, sits along Highway 101 within the park corridor. The coastal towns of Trinidad and Eureka, both south of the park, offer additional dining, lodging, and Victorian-era architecture for those extending their stay along the North Coast.

There is no public transit network within the park complex, so a personal or rental vehicle is effectively required to move between park sections. The nearest airport with meaningful commercial service is California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville, about 25 miles from the park's southern edge, while Del Norte County Airport in Crescent City sits close to the park's north end but has very limited flight options. Many travelers instead fly into San Francisco and drive north, a trip of several hours on Highway 101.

Cell phone service is limited or absent through much of the park, and digital map apps are known to give unreliable directions in places, so carrying a printed map or downloading offline maps in advance is worth doing. Roosevelt elk are large wild animals; official guidance calls for staying at least 50 yards away and never approaching them or getting between adults and calves, with extra caution during the fall mating season. Fern Canyon's access road involves stream crossings that can strand low-clearance vehicles and large RVs, so check vehicle suitability before attempting it. Coastal fog and wet trail surfaces are common even outside the rainy season, so footwear with good traction is worthwhile. Because some campgrounds and popular trailheads fill up in summer, arriving with backup plans is sensible.

Layered clothing and a rain shell for fog and unpredictable coastal weather, sturdy hiking shoes for uneven, sometimes muddy trails, a printed map or offline GPS given limited cell service, cash for day-use and campground fees, drinking water, and any required permits (for Tall Trees Grove and, in summer, Gold Bluffs Beach parking) printed or saved offline.

Because the park has no entrance stations, plan your route and stops in advance rather than expecting a staffed gate to hand out maps -- visitor centers are the best source for current conditions and permits. Reserve any required permits for Tall Trees Grove, and Gold Bluffs Beach parking between May 15 and September 15, online before arriving. Fuel up and shop for supplies in a larger town like Crescent City or Eureka, since services thin out quickly along the more remote stretches. Expect limited or no cell signal in many areas, so download maps and let someone know your plans if heading out on a longer trail. Reserve campgrounds well ahead for summer visits, since all four in-park campgrounds require reservations during peak season. Finally, budget extra driving time between park sections, since the complex is long and narrow rather than compact.

Dial 911 for any emergency in the United States. The park's main information line is 707-464-6101, and a dedicated recorded weather and road-conditions line is available at 707-443-7062, both per the official NPS website.

Redwood National and State Parks (National Park Service): https://www.nps.gov/redw/

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.