US National and State Parks are full of superlatives: the oldest, the hottest, the biggest, the deepest, etc. In Northern California's parks, you'll find the tallest. At 115.5 m (379 ft), Redwood National Park houses the world's tallest tree, Hyperion. Hyperion is a Coastal Redwood, a species native to the region, that consistently reaches heights of over 100 m (328 ft). Walking among these giants is a humbling and yet fascinating experience that, when given the chance, one should not miss out on. Besides the National Park, there are a few other state parks in the area, and each has great trails and lookouts to appreciate the beauty of Northern California and the enormity of the Redwood.

Good to Know

• Getting There: From each of the closest major cities (Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento), it is about a six-hour drive to get to Klamath, at the center of the parks. Consider planning your visit as a stop along a road trip from Portland to San Francisco! Alternatively, you could fly into one of three regional airports.
• Getting Around: Unlike some other National Parks, there are no public shuttles to the parks' sights. Drive to the beginnings of trailheads and walk from there.
• Where to Stay: There are many campgrounds in the park, some of which allow RV parking as well. Alternatively, you can stay at an inn in nearby Klamath or Crescent City.
• How Long to Visit: On average, a complete visit to the Redwoods Parks takes two or three days.
• When to Visit: The parks are a great year-round destination, as the climate is mild. Since winters can be rainy, however, the best time to visit is in the summer months, between April and October.
• Cost: The National Park is completely free. However, day-use areas in the state parks charge a 5$ entrance fee. With the America the Beautiful pass, which allows for free entry to all US National and State Parks, these fees are waived. Lastly, some areas require a (usually free) entrance pass that can be obtained up to 48 hours before use.
• Important: The National Park Service warns that GPS systems sometimes lead to the wrong location inside the park. Rather than relying on your car's GPS, bring a printed map and follow the roads as we describe them here and as they are marked on your map.

Highlights

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

When driving down from Oregon, the first of the Redwood parks you'll want to visit is Jedediah Smith State Park, near Crescent City. Enter the park from Highway 199, turning onto Howland Hill Road in Hiouchi. Howland Hill Road will take you straight through the park to Crescent City, passing by the trailheads to Jedediah Smith's most important sights. (Be aware, that this is a dirt road not suitable for RVs and that the road can sometimes be inaccessible altogether. Check the road conditions on www.nps.gov beforehand.)

The first stop along your scenic drive should be at the Stout Grove trailhead. The easy, 800 m (0.5 miles) long, trail takes you to a large old-growth section of the park. Here, the redwoods are all hundreds of years old and subsequently among the tallest of their kind. Further down Howland Hill lies the Grove of Titans. While the trees found at Stout Grove are fairly thin compared to their enormous height, the redwoods in the Grove of Titans are large in addition to tall. The largest tree in the grove reaches a diameter of around 8 m (25 ft)! To preserve the trees, the 2.7 km (1.7 miles) long trail to the titans consists of a single walkway. Be sure to stick to this path and don't go off-trail as to not endanger the redwoods.

If you want to spend more time hiking, stop by the Boy Scout trailhead towards the end of Howland Hill. The trek to Fern Falls and back is roughly 12 km (7.5 miles) long and takes you through different stages of old-growth forest, past the Boyscout Tree to Fern Waterfall. This trail is best hiked on a sunny day when the sun peaks through the treetops and illuminates the path.

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State

From Crescent City, follow Highway 101 further down the coast through Del Norte State Park. Take a detour along Enderts Beach Road to Crescent Beach Overlook and enjoy the view of the pacific ocean. If you're visiting in winter, be sure to stay here for a while - you might just see some whales! From here you can also walk along the shore to Endert beach, around 30 mins further south. Back on 101, stop at the Damnation Creek trailhead for a short (6.5 km / 4 miles), but advanced (340 m / 110 ft elevation gain) hike through the forest towards the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Once you've almost reached Klamath and thus the end of Del Norte, visit the Trees of Mystery Amusement Park. Climb through the treetops on the canopy trail or ride a gondola on the sky trail. Here, you get to experience the redwoods from their perspective! Finally, end your day with a sunset picnic at the Klamath River Overlook.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Park is located just south of Klamath. Again, leave Highway 101 and follow the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway straight through the park. Along the drive, you'll pass by the Big Tree Wayside, an around 1,500-year-old redwood, with a height of over 100 m (328 ft) and a massive diameter of 20 m (68 ft). At the end of the parkway lies Elk Prarie. The meadow is enclosed by forest and is among the best spot to watch Roosevelt Elks during late summer! A short drive further south, turn onto Davison Road and follow the road until it ends. Here begins the trail to Fern Canyon. Be sure to book an access pass a few days before your visit! The loop trail is short and often overcrowded, but stunning. The canyon's steep sides are covered in bright green ferns, making you feel as though you've stepped into a different world.

Redwood National Park

Next, visit Redwood National Park, home to Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world. Go down Bald Hills Road, where your first stop should be the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trailhead. The 2.5 km (1.5 miles) long loops through the redwoods and crosses over a picturesque wooden bridge. Continue on Bald Hills Road until you reach Redwood Creek Overlook, from where you get a beautiful vista of the entire National Park. Shortly after the overlook, take the Tall Trees Access Road to finally see the goliath redwoods you've been waiting for. After a 6.5 k, (4 miles) hike along Redwood Creek, you are there. Here, in the Tall Trees Grove stand the world's three tallest trees: Hyperion, Helios, and Icarus. However, their exact location is not publicly available, to avoid overcrowding of these wonders. To enter the grove, you will need to book a free permit up to 48 hours in advance. You could continue on Bald Hills Road, if accessible, to exit the park and then take highway 96 and 299 to head back to the coast. Or simply turn around and head back towards Orick.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

While Humboldt State Park technically does not belong to the Redwoods National and State Parks, you should not miss out on it. The park is around an hour's drive down highway 101 from the National Park. If you have the time, there are many more hikes in this park just waiting for you. If not, simply drive right along the highway on a scenic road segment named Avenue of the Giants. The redwoods here look a lot more reddish than in the other parks, showcasing the species in yet another light.