The coastline and scenery at Redwoods National and State Parks will take your breath away. Not only does the park protect the tallest trees in the world, it also protects and restores vital prairielands, rivers, and forests. And with a mix of scenic drives, world class hiking, and roughly 40 miles of coastline, Redwoods is a beautiful place to stop for a few hours, or stay for a week (or more!).
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It’s important to note that there are 4 different sites that makeup the greater Redwoods National and State Parks. Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith State Park, Del Norte State Park, and Prairie Creek State Park all work together to protect and manage this area. It sounds confusing, and it is a bit, but it makes sense once you’re there, and they’re actually all managed very well together. Below are my top picks for what to do at Redwoods National and State Parks.
Scenic Drives
There are 8 designated scenic drives in Redwoods National Park. Some of the roads are paved and some are not suitable unless you have 4WD, especially if it’s been raining (which it does a lot of in the Pacific Northwest!). My two favorite drives in the park are the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, and Enderts Beach Road.
The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway is paved and suitable for all vehicles. It’s just off hwy 101 about 6 miles north of Orick, and offers an up-close experience with the beautiful old-growth redwood forests right from your car! I like this road because you can either stay in your car if you’re pressed for time, or if it’s raining, but there are also a lot of trailheads and pull outs. If you can, get out along the road and experience these incredible trees on foot!
The Prairie Creek Visitor Center is also right off the Drury Parkway. This is a great place to stop for information, or just poke around to get out of the rain.
Finally, one of my favorite things about this drive is the elk herd! It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen herds of elk, I’m still in awe of their individual size, number of animals in the herd, and the beauty of these incredible creatures. There are several viewing areas and prairies along the road where you’re almost guaranteed to catch a glimpse!
Enderts Beach Road is a relatively short, paved road just south of Crescent City. The road is only about 2.5 miles, but it offers some of the most amazing views of the Northern California coastline I’ve seen. And if you’re in the park during whale migration (November/December and March/April), this is one of the best places in the area to whale watch. Bring a pair of binoculars and watch for the spouts of water to appear!
Hiking
The hiking in and around Redwoods National Park is absolutely beautiful. There are more than 200 miles of trails through a wide variety of forest, beach, and prairie environments. And one of the great things about this area is that it’s proximity to the ocean keeps the climate pretty temperate year round. Here are a few of my favorite hikes in the Redwoods:
Trillium Falls Trail. Trillium Falls is a beautiful and delicate waterfall about a half-mile from the trailhead parking area. There’s a trail bridge that spans the creek in front of the waterfall so hikers can get a great view. From there you can either turn around and go back to the trailhead (this might be a good option if you’re hiking with small kids), or you can continue and do the loop. The loop trail is pretty short as well, it’s just under 3 miles total but you climb and drop a few hundred feet through the forest. It’s a great short trail!
Tall Trees Grove Trail. This is one of the most beautiful hikes to really get into the coastal back-country among the trees. It’s only about 4 miles total, but it’s one of the more strenuous trails in the park and takes about 4 hours. Tall Trees Grove is one of the hikes in the park that now requires a free permit for hiking, which you have to get 48 hours in advance online. This hike also requires a little more planning, as it’s about an hour drive from the visitor center to the trailhead.
Damnation Creek Trail. This might be my favorite hike in the Redwoods. It’s another fairly strenuous trail so if you opt for this one, make sure you have sturdy hiking shoes! The trail is located in the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park about 8 miles south of Crescent City. What makes this trail so unique is the diversity of environments you go through in a relatively short span.
The trail starts at a pullout on the west side of Highway 101, and you’re immediately immersed in giant coastal redwoods. After about a mile, the redwoods start to disappear. In their place are more Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce as the trail descends to the coast. You get some amazing views of both Damnation Creek and the Pacific Ocean from the bluffs before descending all the way down to the rocky beach. The giant trees, thick green forests, and rocky beaches make this one truly magical!
Added bonus: This hike ends at one of the best tide pooling areas in the region, see below!
Tidepools
Exploring tidepools has become one of my favorite activities on the coast. The colors and variety of ocean life you can find in tidepools is incredible. We saw hundreds of sea anemones, a bunch of sea stars, crabs, mussels, and even sea cucumbers!
There are several areas of coastline within the park that offer really good tidepooling. The easiest to access is probably Enderts Beach. You can take the Enderts Beach Road to the Coastal Trail trailhead. From there, hike the trail down to Nickel Creek Campground, and there’s a trail from there down to a beautiful section of beach. The tidepools are just north of the beach.
You can also go down to False Klamath Cove. Here, there are tidepools at both the north and south end of the cove. Park at the Lagoon Creek Picnic area and take the short, quarter mile trail down to the cove.
If tide pools are your jam, make sure you go at low tide to get the full experience, and bring a good pair of rainboots!!
What to Wear
The park is open and accessible year-round. The proximity to the ocean keep the temperatures fairly temperate which is great for hiking. The area is definitely known for rain, so no matter when you visit, pack your rain gear and sturdy shoes.
I usually start with a tri-blend t-shirt. Then layer on an SPF pullover if it’s warmer outside, or a smartwool pullover if it’s colder or windy. And I always carried my rain jacket. Finally, my go to hiking shoes are merrell siren sports. They’re comfortable, waterproof, and have Vibram soles which are super grippy. And if you’re planning on the tide pools, which I highly recommend, you can’t beat Hunter rain boots. You’ll really be able to get out and explore in these and your feet will stay completely dry!
Those are my recommendations for what to do at Redwoods National and State Parks. Let me know if you have any good recommendations as well, there’s so much to do in this area!
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