Day 1 - San Francisco to Garberville, 215 miles: Golden Gate NRA contains many scenic and historical sites in and around San Francisco, including Muir Woods National Monument, the closest redwood grove to the city. This compact site has a number of short trails, and is deservedly popular. From here, the route north is along US 101, passing woodland parks, country towns, orchards and wineries, through land that becomes gradually less developed. The night is spent in Garberville, close to the Eel River.
Day 2 - Garberville to Arcata, 120 miles: Humboldt Redwoods State Park lies a little way north of Garberville; this has one of the best collections of coastal redwoods outside of the national and state parks, with two scenic drives and a good variety of trails. A full day could be spent here, but for a scenic diversion taking a couple of hours, the narrow Mattole Road heads west and eventually reaches a particularly isolated section of the Pacific shoreline, known as the Lost Coast. Civilization returns once back on US 101, which reaches Arcata a little further north, base for the next two nights.
Day 3 - Redwood National Park, 90 miles: There are several scenic locations along the Pacific coast near Arcata, such as Trinidad State Beach and the Humboldt Lagoons, but the main attraction is just beyond. Redwood National Park begins near the small town of Orick, and has a small but enjoyable selection of trails, including a loop through the famous Ladybird Johnson Grove.
Day 4 - Arcata to Crescent City, 80 miles: Adjoining Redwood National Park to the north, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has perhaps the most impressive trees of the four linked redwood parks; there are many trails to choose from, plus opportunities to view elk and explore the nearby beaches. The night is spent at Crescent City.
Day 5 - Crescent City to Yreka, 175 miles: The remaining two sections of the four redwood parks (Del Norte Coast Redwoods and Jedediah Smith Redwoods) have generally fewer trails but more varied environments, along the coast and inland along the Smith River. After exploring the redwood groves, the drive east is along little traveled roads through the wooded hills of the Klamath National Forest, meeting interstate 5 at Yreka.
Day 6 - Yreka to Redding, 120 miles: Along the I-5 corridor are a variety of beautiful natural landscapes including Mount Shasta, Castle Crags and Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA, before the interstate reaches Redding.
Day 7 - Redding to Chester, 110 miles: Fifty miles east of Redding, Lassen Volcanic National Park features an amazing collection of volcanic and geothermal phenomena, centered on an active volcano whose last eruption was in 1922. Suggested hikes are to Bumpass Hell, Kings Creek Falls, Cliff Lake and Paradise Meadows.
Day 8 - Chester to Jackson, 260 miles: A day mainly for driving starts by heading south through the northern Sierra Nevada along Hwy 89, to Donner Memorial State Park, then down the west side of Lake Tahoe, and across more wooded, hilly terrain to Jackson, near the historic gold mining town of Sutter Creek.
Day 9 - Jackson to Oakhurst, 195 miles: An hour's drive from Jackson, Calaveras Big Trees State Park protects the second most northerly group of giant sequoia in the state, best seen via the short North Grove Trail. The next easily-accessed sequoia locations, close to a road and needing little hiking, are Tuolumne Grove and Mariposa Grove, both contained within Yosemite National Park.
Day 10 - Oakhurst to Sequoia National Park, 130 miles: A quick drive on Hwy 41 to Fresno followed by the slower but more scenic Hwy 180 leads to the Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon National Park, home to many huge sequoias. The road continues south into the adjacent Sequoia National Park, initially through regular pine woodland, but there are still many scenic hikes, such as Tokopah Falls and the Lakes.
Day 11 - Sequoia National Park to Visalia, 80 miles: A whole day is spent exploring the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, site of the largest concentration of the huge trees anywhere in California. Suggested trails are Congress, Crescent Meadow and Huckleberry.
Day 12 - Visalia to San Francisco, 270 miles: There is little to see on the long journey back to San Francisco, either via I-5 or Hwy 99, but for an extra 60 miles, the route can be via Santa Cruz on Monterey Bay, then north through the coastal redwood forests of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
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| Highlights: |
California's most famous groves of huge trees; the giant sequoia of the Sierra Nevada, in the Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, plus the coastal redwoods of the far north. The loop drive also passes other scenic parts of north California, including Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lake Tahoe. The tour includes plenty of hiking time, as the woods are best appreciated on foot, not just from roadside overlooks |
| Type: |
Loop, beginning at San Francisco |
| Length: |
1,845 miles, 2,970 km |
| Duration: |
12 days minimum; 17 days or more with optional side trips |
| Seasons: |
Summer and fall, since some high elevation areas are closed by snow at other times. The coastal redwoods are accessible any time of year |
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