NOTICE: The Thomas Kuchel and Prairie Creek visitor centers in Redwood National and State Parks are open throughout the year, as are most trailheads, parking lots, restrooms and campgrounds. Please be advised Fern Canyon parking now requires a permit from May to September.
Redwood National Park
See the super trees for an amazing experience in Redwood National and State Parks, home to the tallest living beings on the planet, soaring as high as 380 feet. Then enjoy Fern Canyon, giant elk and miles of secluded hikes, beaches and back roads, all in California’s only International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. More
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You May Be Wondering
Yes. In fact, not one but three drive-thru trees welcome visitors on the Redwood Coast, including the Tour-Thru Tree in Klamath, in the northern section of Redwood National and State Parks.
Hyperion, the world record holder at 380 feet high, is hidden in a remote location in Redwood National Park. Other champion trees similar in height are viewable to the public, including the Libby Tree in the Tall Trees Grove, whose discovery in the 1960s led to the creation of the park.
There are no developed campgrounds in the national park, but the adjacent Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has two, Elk Meadow and Gold Bluff Beach, which can be reserved at www.ReserveCalifornia.com.
And private accommodations nearby include rustic cabins, boutique hotels and oceanfront home rentals. More at www.redwoodcoastparks.com/lodging
Yes! There is no admission charge for Redwood National & State Parks.
The star of Jurassic Park II is a sheer gorge draped in luxurious fronds and gentle waterfalls. It’s in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park near Gold Bluff Beach. There is a small day-use fee. and parking reservations are now required.
It’s on the California coast in Northern Humboldt County, along U.S. Highway 101, about 60 miles south of the Oregon border and 300 miles north of San Francisco.
The town of Orick, near the center of Redwood National Park, has several small cafes, a small market, lodging, gas and other conveniences.
Farther south, between 20 and 30 miles, Trinidad, McKinleyville and Arcata (ACV) offer more city amenities like supermarkets, hotel chains, etc.
The Humboldt County Airport, which has direct United flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver, is in McKinleyville, 25 miles south of the park.
The weather is favorable and the park uncrowded in the spring and autumn. The former brings wildflowers, migratory birds and recharged waterfalls; the latter changing maple leaves and rutting Roosevelt elk.
While the winter deters some, the rain and fog make the forests burst with color to the delight of outdoors photographers.
Hard to go wrong in the summer. Look for cute elk babies in June and July, but not too closely.
Our favorites? James Irvine-Miners Ridge Loop, Cathedral Grove Trail, Big Tree Loop, Tall Trees Grove and Lady Bird Johnson Trail. More
There’s five in Redwood National & State Parks, foremost among them the Thomas Kuchel Information Center, on Hwy 101 two miles south of Orick, right on the beach; and the Prairie Creek Visitor Center on the Newton Drury Parkway, six miles north of Orick, in the thick of primo old growth redwoods. More
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Based in Orick, California, Redwood Coast Parks is a consortium of outdoor adventure professionals dedicated to promoting and protecting redwoods parks and share the conservation ethic among visitors. It’s sponsored by the Northern Humboldt Lodging Alliance. Email to find out more.