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"Take only memories, leave only footprints."
Getting in touch with nature, be it a small city garden or sprawling state park.
Redwood National and State Parks
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Redwood National and State Parks
9 reviews in English
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Review from Molly B.
1/14/2012 2 photos
I have lived in many places during my life, thus far, from New Orleans to Honolulu, but when I think of "home" it is the redwoods that come to my mind. Majestic giants reaching up to the sky and the almost ethereal quietness make it practically impossible to imagine that the redwoods share a coastline with bustling towns and major cities.
I'm the type of person with an active imagination and becoming an adult was a real drag when it came to the world of pretend. It's hard to keep it reeled in when in the woods, though, so I don't bother. Every sound is a possible Big Foot or tree nymph. Of course I am adult enough to also be aware of bears and other such things. Really, they haven't been a problem and I have been out in the woods A LOT.
If you decide to spend some time in the woods, my advice is: bring your camera, bring water, stay on the trails, keep an eye open for Ewoks, set your spirit free.Listed in: Parks, Wish You Were Here, "Take only memories, leave…
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Review from Barney B.
Chicago, IL
2/14/2011
Anytime you have a variety of environments packed up in a large national park, you can do no wrong.
Beaches, pristine ancient forests, mountains, creeks, gorges, canyons, rivers.....it's all here, folks. Oh yeah, and the tallest trees in existence. How could I forget.
Take your pick of Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek State Park, Del Norte Coast SP, and Jed Smith SP.....and off you go.
As for the National Park, one of the highlights is Lady Bird Johnson Grove off of Bald Hills Rd. Continue south on Bald Hills Dr. and slowly ascend to the Redwood Overlook. On a clear day you get a great view of the forests leading to the ocean. Continue even farther south and you come upon a large prairie (and a great place to get some sunshine if it's foggy down below). Near here you can enter the Tall Trees Grove, if you have the desired permit.
I recommend stopping at the Redwood Info Center located just south of Orick and picking up a handy trailmap. It's just a couple of bucks, and very convenient. Or here is a great website:
http://www.redwoodhike...
I haven't visited Del Norte Coast yet, but I did manage to spend time at Prairie Creek and Jed Smith. Just take a drive down Newton Drury Scenic Parkway and you'll find plenty of trails to hike. Take Davison Road to Gold Bluff's Beach and camp, or hike Fern Canyon. Scenes from Star Wars movies and Jurassic Park movies were filmed in the park, and you'll understand why when you see this place.
Simply put, this is one of our country's treasures. Let's keep it that way, folks. -
Review from Durga N.
Ann Arbor, MI
7/18/2011
California Redwoods are a combination of national and 3 state parks: Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks. But Avenue of the Giants, further south of 101, surrounded by Humboldt Redwoods State Park, offers by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt. Lady Bird Johnson Grove is my second favorite! The tour through trees, I felt, was a joke!
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Review from Nancy R.
Hayfork, CA
5/9/2008 4 photos
The "old highway" is now called "Newton P. Drury Parkway", and is a side-road about 15 or 20 miles in length that takes off from Highway 101 just after you pass through Orick, and comes back into Highway 101 just before getting to the town of Klamath, on the Klamath River. Take it instead of staying on the 4-lane highway, which goes up on the ridgelines and just passes through mostly Douglas Fir forest.
The parkway winds through the primeval forest and passes by herds of Roosevelt Elk running free, and has several turnouts where paths take off through the forest. There are some great hikes out of the USFS center at Elk Prairie Campground, including a great 4-mile hike that goes out to the ocean (8 miles round trip). It's a flat hike, and the ground is nice and spongy, so even non-athletic people can get a long way...
We used to take Highway 101 between San Francisco and Southern Oregon back in the 1970's, before they built the 4-laner up above. This WAS the only road for traffic back then, and this backroad would get backed up with traffic and trucks and tourists rubbernecking. Now that the main Highway has been sent over the hills up above, this road is very peaceful, and sometimes we've had it entirely to ourselves, especially in the winter. If you travel it at 50 mph, you can take this side road and only loose about 10 minutes off your trip north (or south). Way worth it. You'll be more relaxed than if you stay on the 4-laner with the trucks and commuters, and the view from underneath those old giants is other-worldly.Listed in: Up in the Lovely Hills of…
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Review from J Q.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/7/2007
RNP, Jedediah, Lady Bird Johnson Grove..
This is what you come to Humboldt for, the exact images that you see in the magazines, in the commercials, within the interior of Jurrasic Park, the Ewok village in Star Wars, etc.
Fern Canyon, Gold Beach, the world's thickest redwood, hiking trails that stretch into multiple-day trips..
Nothing compares to the beauty that RNP holds within.
Location: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 5 stars
Accessibility: 4 stars
Return-factor: 5 stars
Last impression: 4.5 stars -
Review from Angel Z.
Fort Bragg, CA
9/5/2009
Such a beautiful area. If you have never seen Redwoods before, drive down Newton Drury parkway to be immersed in them. Stop at the visitors center for tons of info.
Head out to Fern Canyon to see something unique. It's a gorgeous little river canyon and the walls are lined with ferns. Too beautiful to describe! The road there is gravel and a bit rough so take it slow. Also, during the summer there is an $8 day use fee.
For all the info you could need about our gorgeous area, check out http://www.redwoods.info.
Enjoy! -
Review from ross g.
Oakland, CA
7/21/2007
Avenue of the Giants rules!
The iconic Drive-Thru tree has a little gift shop where you can crush a penny, buy a shot glass or two, pick up a Christmas ornament, and a placemat set for friends. -
Review from ANDY K.
Campbell, CA
6/25/2008
Beautiful! A lovely park with a great diversity of sights to see!
Be sure and stop at the visitor center. The ranger there that I spoke with told me all the highlights to see. I took her advice and had great day of adventure.
Will visit again. -
Review from H C.
Bay Area
1/28/2007
To call this place a park is an understatement... If you've never driven among these hundreds of year-old redwood trees, you haven't seen the natural majesticness that *is* California. I highly recommend driving through a stretch of these trees right off of Hwy 101. If you have time, go hiking, have a picnic, whatever.
