 PDF format map of Redwood National and State Parks, from the National Park Service (512 kb).
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| Main attractions: |
The largest expanse of old growth redwood forests in California, protected in three state parks and one national park. Many atmospheric trails wind through the deep, dense woodland, and some descend to the spectacular rocky coastline |
| Nearest city with hotels: |
Crescent City |
| Management: |
NPS and California State Parks |
| Location: |
41.285492, -124.090455 (Redwood NP visitor center) |
| Seasons: |
All year |
A number of isolated redwood groves are protected as state reserves and state parks (including Humboldt Redwoods), but the largest and most famous area is in the far northwest corner of California. In the 1920s, three separate regions became state parks (Del Norte, Jedediah Smith, Prairie Creek), then in 1968 various parts of the adjacent forest became Redwood National Park, creating a contiguous preserve stretching 50 miles from north to south. All four areas are now jointly administered by the NPS and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and offer plenty to see apart from the forested slopes including narrow canyons, rivers, sandy beaches, coastal bluffs and wildlife viewing, elk being the most commonly observed large species.
Redwood Parks
Redwood National Park Hotels: Crescent City is the closest town to the main section of Redwood National Park, just 3 miles from the edge of the trees along US 101. Towns serving the southern end of the park are Mckinleyville, Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna.
Orientation: The approach to Redwood National Park from the south is along US 101 from Eureka, a road which passes several other places of interest such as Trinidad State Beach and the Humboldt Lagoons State Park, where deposition of narrow sandbanks has created three large coastal lakes, good for fishing and bird watching. The national park begins just beyond, south of the small town of Orick, although most of its land lies either side of Redwood Creek and extends inland and about 10 miles south. Next, US 101 passes the Prairie Creek Redwoods - the largest and most varied of the three state parks, this includes several miles of accessible beach and the nearby Fern Canyon, a beautiful sheer-walled ravine. Beyond, after another narrow section of the national park, the smaller Del Norte Coast Redwoods has more groves, on hills that slope down steeply to pristine but largely inaccessible shoreline, with just a few hiking trails. The northernmost region is the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, adjacent to the Smith River and 5 miles from Crescent City. Activities here are concentrated around the river, with swimming, rafting, picnicking and hiking along its banks all popular in summer, but there are also some longer trails into the redwood forests that cover the hills to the south.
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