Redwood National Park is a truly magical place. It’s one of the best places in the world to savor that feeling of being small, as you walk among the tallest trees in the world. Plus, you can walk through a fern-covered canyon, look for banana slugs and elk, walk along the ocean, and more. The Redwood National Park itinerary leads to some of the most stunning sights that this park has to offer, and will help you plan the perfect trip.
Redwood National Park was first established in 1968, and expanded about 10 years later when upstream logging was negatively impacting the park’s resources. Today, Redwood National Park is managed jointly with 3 California state parks, and protects over 139,000 acres.
Coastal redwood trees are pretty much only found in Oregon and California, and only 5% of the original redwood forest still survives today. Redwood trees are also some of the tallest trees in the world. In fact, the national park is home to THE tallest tree in the world, Hyperion. However, its location is kept a secret for its protection.
The park has several trails and viewpoints that allow you to get up close and personal with these massive trees, plus a variety of other types of scenery. Keep reading for a perfect one day itinerary for Redwood National Park.
Things To Know Before Visiting Redwood National Park
- Redwood National Park is free to visit! However, certain areas of the California state parks collect fees (the developed campgrounds at Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods state parks, and the drive to Fern Canyon/ Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park). However, they honor the ‘America the Beautiful’ Pass.
- Two trails inside the park require a reservation - Fern Canyon and the Tall Trees Grove. Reservations for Fern Canyon are required between May 15 - September 15, and reservations are required for Tall Trees Grove year round.
- The Guide Along audio tour is a great way to learn about the park as you’re driving around!
- Many of the park’s roads are narrow and curvy, therefore RVs, trailers and other large vehicles are not allowed in multiple areas.
- The park is rather spread out and it takes almost 2 hours to drive from the Southern end of the park to the Northern part, and vice versa. Keep this in mind when planning your trip.
How to Spend One Day in Redwood National Park
Overview of this Redwood National Park Itinerary
This Redwood National Park itinerary is action-packed and will take you from the Southern end of the park, to the Northern end of the park. You’ll want to start early and pack a lunch to achieve this. If you prefer to take things slower, I recommend spending more than one day or removing a stop or two from this list.
- Hike Fern Canyon
- Hike the Lady Bird Johnson Grove
- Visit Prairie Creek State Park and hike the Cathedral Trees and Prairie Creek Loop
- Stop at Wilson Creek Beach
- Drive Howland Hill Road and hike the Stout Memorial Grove or the Grove of the Titans Trail
- End your day with dinner in Crescent City
Enter a Fairytale as you Hike the Fern Canyon Loop
- 1.1 miles, 127 feet of elevation gain, reservation required
Start your day in Jurassic Park! Fern Canyon is a fairy-like trail that features a small canyon with walls covered in ferns.
A reservation is required to explore this area between May 15 and September 15. The road to reach the trailhead is also quite windy and narrow, and had many potholes when I visited. Plus, you’ll need to drive over 2 stream crossings. RVs over 24 feet and trailers are not permitted.
The drive and prior planning is definitely worth it! This is my favorite trail that I’ve done inside the park.
Tip: You can sometimes see elk on Gold Bluffs Beach, which is near the Fern Canyon trailhead.
You can make this hike into a loop and experience a forest full of tall trees in addition to the misty canyon. The forested section of the loop has a bit of elevation gain.
However, the canyon-portion of the trail is what is extra special. You’ll be following along a stream and have to navigate river crossings along the way. You’ll likely need to get your feet wet, but may be able to balance on logs for most of it.
Each bend in the canyon brings a new magical view full of mossy logs, bright green ferns and lots of greenery. I felt like I was living inside of a storybook. I also had some misty weather when I hiked this (in April), which just added to the mood.
While it’s a bit of a drive, I think this trail is definitely worth adding to your Redwoods itinerary.
Hike the Lady Bird Johnson Loop
- 1.4 miles, 101 feet of elevation gain
- A 35 minute drive from Fern Canyon
Next on your adventurous day in Redwood National Park, start enjoying some of the massive trees for which the park is known. While Fern Canyon is an incredible trail, walking among the massive trees is easily one of the best things to do in Redwood National Park.
The Lady Bird Johnson Loop is a quick trail that leads you past some giant trees. A few of the trees are extremely wide, and it’s fascinating to think about how old they are.
The trail is dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson, who promoted the protection of natural habitats in her role as First Lady.
Hike the Cathedral Trees and Prairie Creek Loop
- 2.9 miles, 239 feet of elevation gain
- A 15 minute drive from the Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Next, head to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, where you’re very likely to see elk in a large field. There are also some beautiful trails in this area.
Tip: Make sure to park on the street instead of in the visitor center parking lot for hiking.
The Cathedral Trees Loop is another wonderful trail to admire the huge trees that Redwood National Park is known for. I hiked a 3-mile loop that also included the ‘Big Tree.’
The Big Tree has a gigantic trunk and is estimated to be over 1,500 years old. It has a large viewing platform and interpretive signage. It’s a popular spot for photos and can get crowded. You can reach this spot a short walk from a parking area, but I enjoyed hiking in from the visitor center and enjoying the other views along the way.
The Cathedral Trees and Prairie Creek Trails have a nice amount of variety. You’ll pass mossy trees, walk next to a creek, go up and down hills, and see some huge fallen trees. Plus, the trail had few people on it, making it extra peaceful.
Admire Wilson Creek Beach
- A 30 minute drive from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center
On your way to one final area of Redwood National Park, stop at Wilson Creek Beach and look for whales! This is a great place to take a walk or enjoy a picnic.
The beach has some rocky outcroppings in the distance, driftwood and trails that leave from here. It’s a great place to explore, but keep in mind that it’s not safe for swimming.
Explore and Hike in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
- A 45 minute drive from Wilson Creek Beach
End your day in Redwood National Park in the Jedediah Smith area of the park! This was my favorite area to admire the massive trees.
The drive to reach this area on Howland Hill Road is quite narrow. The national park service describes it as “a dirt road where the redwoods kiss your car” and that is very accurate. There are imposing trees right on the edge of the road. Therefore, RVs, trucks or vehicles with trailers are not allowed.
Fun Fact: Part of Howland Hill Road used to be a stage coach road.
I recommend either hiking Stout Memorial Grove or the Grove of the Titans trail, or both if you have time.
Stout Memorial Grove is a quick loop trail that is just over a half mile. It’s an easy trek where you’ll be right next to massive redwood trees and a wonderful place to feel small.
The Grove of the Titans trail is slightly longer at 1.7 miles, but is still rated easy. The trail has some steps and an elevated path in the area of Grove of the Titans grove. Along the way, there are huge fallen trees, mossy areas and some streams along the path. I loved this hike and thought it had a great payoff for the amount of effort.
End your day in Crescent City
Crescent City is a coastal small town to enjoy dinner and ocean views after a full day of exploring. A perfect end to your day would be to watch the sunset from Battery Point Beach or Preston Island.
I had a great dinner here at SeaQuake Brewing, a brewpub with a large menu of food and drinks. I enjoyed their “seabucha,” their housemade kombucha brewed in house, and the fried avocado tacos.
If you have more time
- Hike the Tall Trees Grove (reservation required)
- Go on a bike ride! There are several biking trails in the park.
- Hike the Trillium Falls Trail (2.6 miles)
- Hike the Simpson-Reed Trail (0.9 miles)
- Hike the Boy Scout Tree Trail (5.2 miles)
How to get to Redwood National Park
If you’re flying to visit Redwood National Park, the nearby airports are somewhat small, but you have options.
The closest airport is Del Norte County Airport/Jack McNamara Field (CEC) in Crescent City, which has daily flights from Oakland, California.
Another nearby airport is Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR), in Medford, Oregon. It’s about 2 hours away, but tends to have better flight options.
One more is Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV) in McKinleyville, CA, which is less than an hour from the Southern part of the park.
If you’re driving (or combining this visit with a West Coast road trip), Redwood National Park is about 6 hours from San Francisco, CA and 5 and a half hours from Portland, OR.
When to Visit Redwood National Park
You really can’t go wrong when it comes to when to visit Redwood National Park. The park receives a lot of rain year round, so you’ll want to be prepared for that no matter when you visit.
Winter often receives the most rain, and fall and late summer can bring wildfires, so spring and summer are generally the best time to go. Spring is a great time for lush and green trails without the crowds that summer brings. I visited in the spring and had wonderful weather!
Where to Stay near Redwood National Park
There are a variety of places to stay within and near Redwood National Park. The park has eight basic campgrounds and a few cabins available in Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith state parks.
Crescent City is one of the best areas to base yourself in, and the town has several hotel options. A couple hotels to look at are the Ocean View Inn or the Lighthouse Inn.
There are also a couple hotels in Klamath, such as the Holiday Inn Express. This area is more centrally located to explore both the north and south sides of the park.
At the Southern end of the park, Roosevelt Base Camp is beautifully decorated and gets wonderful reviews.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide helps you plan an amazing trip to Redwood National Park. It’s truly an incredible feeling to walk beneath these old trees and realize how special they are. Whether you’re more fascinated by the tiny banana slugs or the immense trees, this park is a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and should absolutely be on your USA bucket list.
For more West Coast Travel Guides, read these blogs:
- The Perfect Channel Islands Itinerary
- What to Pack for Camping on the Channel Islands
- How to Spend 2 Days in Joshua Tree
- How to Spend 2 Days in Death Valley
- How to Spend 4 Days in Columbia River Gorge
- The Best Things To Do in Cave Junction, OR
- The Best Things To Do in North Cascades National Park
- The Best Things To Do on Orcas Island, WA
- The Beset Things To Do in Medford, OR
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