Redwood National and State Parks

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Redwood National and State Parks preserve the last significant stands of coast redwoods — the tallest trees on Earth — along a 40-mile stretch of California's northern coastline. Established in 1968 and expanded in 1978, the national park is managed cooperatively with three California state parks: Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods — totaling about 139,000 acres. Somewhere within this complex grows Hyperion, a coast redwood measured at 380.3 feet tall, the tallest known living organism on Earth. Its exact location is deliberately kept secret by the NPS to protect it from foot traffic. Coast redwoods can live more than 2,000 years, grow 20 feet in circumference, and survive floods, fires, and drought through their remarkable bark chemistry and ability to resprout from their base. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Perhaps the most surprising element for first-time visitors is the diversity of the landscape: beyond the cathedral groves, the park encompasses wild Pacific beaches, coastal prairies where Roosevelt elk graze, and the dramatic Fern Canyon — a narrow slot canyon where walls 50 feet high are blanketed floor-to-ceiling in five-finger ferns. Film crews have used Fern Canyon to double for Jurassic Park in Steven Spielberg's films, and it's easy to see why. This is a park that rewards slow travel, deep forest walks, and a willingness to simply stand still in the presence of ancient giants.

Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is the single most visually spectacular short walk in the park system — a 1-mile loop that weaves through a slot canyon walled entirely in living ferns, crossing a small creek on wooden boardwalks. Drive the unpaved but manageable road to the trailhead at Gold Bluffs Beach, where Roosevelt elk frequently graze. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail (1.4-mile loop) is the most popular old-growth walk — a quiet, accessible loop through a mature redwood grove dedicated by the former first lady in 1969. The Boy Scout Tree Trail (5.6 miles round trip) leads deeper into old growth past one of the largest trees in Jedediah Smith, with almost no crowds. Tall Trees Grove (accessed by free permit and a dirt road) contains some of the tallest measured trees in the park, including some of the top ten tallest known redwoods. The Coastal Trail runs for miles along bluffs above the Pacific, connecting prairie, forest, and ocean views. Prairie Creek's Elk Prairie Meadow is the best spot for Roosevelt elk viewing — a herd of 200-300 animals uses the meadow year-round.

Roosevelt elk are the park's most iconic wildlife and one of its best stories — the Prairie Creek herd has been protected here since the 1920s and now numbers around 300 animals. Bulls can weigh over 1,000 pounds; the rut in September and October brings dramatic bugling and sparring. Black bears inhabit the forests throughout the park. Steller sea lions and harbor seals haul out on offshore rocks, visible from the Crescent Beach Overlook and other coastal viewpoints. Brown pelicans cruise the shoreline. In the rivers, endangered coho salmon and steelhead return each winter to spawn in the same gravel beds where redwoods have stood for centuries.

The national park itself is free to enter; the three California state parks charge $8–$35 for day-use and camping. The Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick is the main information hub, open year-round. Camping is available at several campgrounds throughout the complex — Jedediah Smith and Mill Creek campgrounds are especially popular and should be reserved through ReserveCalifornia months in advance for summer. Foggy, cool summers (50s–60s°F) mean wool or fleece is appropriate year-round. The Fern Canyon road requires a $12 parking fee (included with state park pass).

The park complex stretches along US-101 between Orick (south) and Crescent City (north) in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. From San Francisco, it's about a 5.5-hour drive north on US-101. The nearest commercial airports are Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV), about 40 miles south of Orick, and Jack McNamara Field (CEC) in Crescent City. Greyhound buses stop in Crescent City and Eureka.

The park spans about 50 miles of coastline — don't try to see everything in a single day. Split your time between the Prairie Creek area (Fern Canyon, elk) in the south and the Jedediah Smith area (densest old growth, Smith River) in the north. The Fern Canyon road floods and closes in winter; call ahead. Summer fog is the norm, especially mornings — embrace it or plan to hike under the canopy. The redwood canopy is so thick that even light rain can't penetrate it, making this one of the few places where hiking in rain is almost enjoyable.