Home to some of the tallest trees on Earth, Redwood National and State Parks protect some of the last remaining groves of old-growth coastal redwoods. Wallking amongst these giants feels like stepping into another world. Trees reach heights over 300 feet tall and some are more than 2,000 years old. Talk about a walk through history! Walk along the forest floor, take a few scenic drives, hike through a lush canyon, and even enjoy stunning coastal viewpoints and time on the beach. Redwood National and State Parks provides an unforgettable and timeless way to reconnect with nature. Redwood National Park Stats Founded: October 2, 1968 Annual Visitors: 1.2 million visitors in 2025 Size: 139,000 acres Location: California Entrance Fee: Free Top Experiences in Redwood National and State Parks Howland Hill Road. Take a scenic drive along a narrow road that snakes past giant redwood trees. This road connects many of the top attractions within Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Stout Memorial Grove . Walk amongst giants on this flat, breathtaking trail along the forest floor. This trail was our favorite thing we did in all of Redwoods, and has phenomenal views for such a short hike. Boy Scout Tree Trail. This rugged, off-the-beaten path hike leads deep into an old-growth forest and out to one of the largest trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods. Simpson-Reed Trail. Enjoy a short, easy walk through a beautiful old-growth redwood forest. There are plenty of fallen trees that offer perspective as to how large these redwoods truly are. Endert Beach. Take a break from giant trees and instead hike down to a sandy beach complete with stunning coastal views. This is one of the best coastal experiences within Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Damnation Creek Trail . Enjoy a challenging hike down through an old-growth redwood forest and out to a secluded rocky beach. Big Tree Wayside. This is one of the tallest redwood trees you’ll see within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park . Big Tree is easily accessible with several hiking trails that lead to it. Fern Canyon. Enjoy a short but fun adventure hike as you carefully navigate stream crossings in a lush, fern-filled canyon. Tall Trees Grove. Hike past towering redwoods on one of the best and also less-popular trails within Redwood National Park. Redwood National and State Parks consists of four parks, each of which was founded to preserve old-growth redwood forests. Today, the parks are home to nearly half of the world’s remaining old-growth coastal redwood forests. The parks are home to trees that are over 2,000 years old. These ancient giants reach hundreds of feet into the air, with heights maxing out around 370 feet tall. The otherwordly nature of these forests have led them to become popular filming sites. Movies such as Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and The Lost World: Jurassic Park have been filmed here. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park From easy walks along the forest floor, rugged hikes deep into old-growth forest, and a scenic drive that ties it all together, this small state park features many of our favorite redwood experiences. 5 Amazing Things to Do in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is our favorite of the Redwood National and State Parks. In this guide, we’ll share our must-do hikes and scenic drives, plus how to see the best of the park with a one day itinerary. Jedediah Smith Redwoods is one of the four parks that make up Redwoods National and […] A Walk through the Stout Memorial Grove in Photos The Stout Memorial Grove Trail is a top-rated hike in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It’s short, easy to access, and winds through an impressive section of old-growth redwood forest. Just 0.6 miles long, the trail offers plenty of sights and photo opportunities. Among the park’s trails, this one provides the biggest “bang for your […] Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park This state park is the perfect blend of old-growth forests, dramatic coastlines, and rugged beaches. Complete Guide to Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park Discover the best things to do in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, including a one-day itinerary covering the top spots and nearby attractions. Welcome to Del Norte Coast, a California state park that features ancient redwood trees and dramatic coastlines. As part of the Redwoods National and State Parks, you can get up close […] Damnation Creek Trail: Photos, Trail Stats & Step-By-Step Guide The Damnation Creek Trail is our favorite hike in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. It’s a short but challenging hike, with a trail running through old-growth redwood forests out to a picturesque beach. We hiked the Damnation Creek Trail on a September morning, and it quickly became one of our favorite experiences in Redwood […] Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Tucked along the northern California coast, this park protects over 14,000 acres of towering old-growth forest, fern-filled canyons, and sandy beaches. It’s one of the most compact and visitor-friendly parks in the entire Redwood region, making this a great park for first-time visitors. Complete Guide to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Big Tree Wayside, hiking through Fern Canyon, and driving the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway are the highlights, but you can also spend some time on a quiet, remote beach and hike through a grove of towering Redwoods. Redwood National Park Redwood National Park protects the old-growth groves and coastal watershed that gave the whole park complex its name. There are only a handful of must-see stops within its boundaries, but each one holds its own against anywhere else in RNSP. Best Things to Do in Redwood National Park (& One-Day Itinerary) Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, hike the short but sweet Trillium Falls Trail, and go deeper into the forest on the Tall Trees Trail. Avenue of the Giants Avenue of the Giants: Best Things to Do, Photos & Helpful Tips

The Avenue of the Giants is a famous 31-mile scenic drive that winds through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, home to some of the tallest trees on the planet. It’s not officially part of RNSP, but it’s usually included in a visit since it is nearby and quick and easy to explore. When To Visit Redwood National and State Park The best time to visit Redwood National and State Parks is during the shoulder seasons of April to June and September to November. Not only will you have pleasant temperatures to wander the redwood groves, you’ll also avoid peak tourist season, which runs during the summer. Visiting in the spring will offer a more lush forest experience as you exit the wet season. The fall offers similar temperatures but a drier visit. The summer months from June through August are another popular time to visit. Temperatures will be warm with plenty of sun and little rain. This is the best time to visit for coastal hiking and beach time at Del Norte Coast Redwoods. You can also visit Redwood in the winter. You’ll have a cooler, quieter experience with few tourists. Winter is the rainiest part of the year, so make sure to bring a rain jacket. With its coastal location, snow is rare and temperatures typically don’t drop below 40. Redwood National and State Parks appears in our Best US National Parks Month-By-Month series as a great park to visit in April, May, July, and September. 14 Best US National Parks to Visit in April Which are the best national parks to visit in April? In this guide, we list 14 wonderful parks in the USA. On this list are a few of the most popular parks in the USA, several great spring break destinations, and a few remote, quieter parks to visit. About this National Park Series This article […] 15 Best US National Parks to Visit in May Planning a trip to the US national parks in May and don’t know which ones to visit? May is a beautiful time to visit the national parks, now that the snow has melted across much of the country and roads are beginning to reopen. The list of national parks to visit in May is a […] 15 Best US National Parks to Visit in July Which are the best national parks to visit in July? In this guide, we list 15 great parks to visit in the USA. Go hiking in Mount Rainier and Glacier National Parks, go whale watching in the Channel Islands, and venture into Alaska for some amazing adventures. About this National Park Series This article is […] 14 Best US National Parks to Visit in September September is one of the best months of the year to visit the national parks. The weather is fantastic across much of the USA, the busy summer season is coming to an end, and, in some parks, you can see the first of the fall colors. In this guide, we list 14 of the best […] How Many Days Should You Spend in Redwood? At a minimum, you need two full days in Redwood National and State Parks to see the highlights and bounce between different parks. On the quickest of visits, with only one day, spend your time in Jedediah Smith Redwoods. This state park is jam packed with amazing redwood experiences, and you can see it all in a busy half day. You’ll still have enough time to visit one other park, albeit brief. Four days gives you enough time to thoroughly see all four parks that make up Redwood National and State Parks. Two Days in Redwood With two days in Redwood, spend your first day in Jedediah Smith Redwoods. Complete a few short hikes and drive Howland Hill Road. In the afternoon, see a few highlights within Del Norte Coast Redwoods. On day two, split your time between Prairie Creek Redwoods and Redwood National Park. This will be another busy day, but you’ll have time to do a hike or two, enjoy a scenic drive, and stand amidst some of the tallest trees in the park. Oregon & Northern California Road Trip 10 Days in Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake & the Redwoods: California-Oregon Road Trip On this 10-day loop, visit Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, and Redwoods National Parks, plus the stunning Oregon coastline. Redwood National and State Parks Map US National Parks List In our US National Parks List, get information on all of the US national parks, including interesting facts, the most and least visited national parks, and a FREE printable national parks checklist with map. US National Parks List: All 63 Parks, Map & Free Printable Checklist If You Like Redwood, You’ll Also Like… One Day Itinerary for Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks sit side by side in central California. Filled with alpine peaks, deep canyons, and the largest trees in the world, you could spend several days here. However, if you only have one day, you have just enough time to visit the highlights of both parks. We visited Kings Canyon […] Best Things to Do in Olympic National Park (2026 Guide) Discover the best things to do in Olympic National Park, from Hurricane Ridge to the amazing Hoh Rainforest to the wild and rugged Pacific coast. Olympic National Park might be the most diverse national park in the United States. In a single visit, you can stand on a windswept alpine ridge looking out over snowcapped […] 12 Best Hikes in North Cascades National Park (Ranked by Difficulty & Area) North Cascades National Park is not a place that easily reveals itself. Sure, the drive along Highway 20 is lovely. And the viewpoints over the lakes and mountain passes are gorgeous. But to really see this park, you are going to have to invest some time on the hiking trails. We spent three weeks hiking […] How to Plan the Perfect Pinnacles National Park Itinerary When planning a trip to Pinnacles National Park, one of the biggest questions you may have is “how much time do I need?” We’re here to answer that question and help you plan the perfect Pinnacles National Park itinerary. For most people, a half to a full day is all the time you need to […] Best Things to Do in Mount Rainier National Park (2026 Guide) Discover the best things to do in Mount Rainier National Park, from iconic hikes like the Skyline Trail and Mount Fremont Fire Lookout to scenic viewpoints, waterfalls, and easy walks that are perfect for first-time visitors. We’ve visited Mount Rainier National Park twice: once on a 6-day deep dive where we hiked trail after trail […] 16 Best Things to Do in Crater Lake National Park Discover the best things to do in Crater Lake National Park, including its top viewpoints, scenic drives, and hiking trails. One day is enough to see the highlights, but more time allows you to hike another trail or two. Home to the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake amazes visitors every year with […] Visit More National Parks