Northern California Redwoods Road Trip: A Five-Day Scenic Route

Walking into an old-growth redwood grove is one of those travel experiences that makes me instinctively lower my voice, mostly because the trees are so enormous that normal human volume suddenly feels a little embarrassing.

This five-day route from Crescent City to Trinidad gives northern California’s redwoods enough time to feel immersive, with coastal stops and small towns breaking up the forest without turning the trip into a Highway 101 sprint.

The Five-Day Redwoods Route

• Day 1: Crescent City and Jedediah Smith Redwoods
• Day 2: more Jedediah Smith and the coast south
• Day 3: Prairie Creek Redwoods and Fern Canyon
• Day 4: Orick, scenic drives, and southern groves
• Day 5: Trinidad and the North Coast

Redwood National and State Parks are a partnership of national and California state parklands rather than one park with one entrance gate. That makes route planning especially important because trailheads, scenic roads, beaches, and visitor centers are spread along a long stretch of coast.

If you are arriving from Oregon, my Oregon Coast road trip finishes in Brookings just north of the California line. Combining the two creates a wonderful coast-and-forest trip without an awkward relocation day.

Day 1: Crescent City and Jedediah Smith

Use Crescent City as your first base and head into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park after you settle in. The Smith River and enormous groves make this northern section feel lush even by redwood standards.

Start with a manageable grove walk

Choose a trail that matches your time and mobility instead of assuming the longest route is automatically the best redwood experience. Even a short walk becomes slow when you keep stopping to stare straight up.

Check the Redwood National and State Parks current-conditions page before leaving town. Road maintenance, fallen trees, wildfire, storms, and restoration work can change trail and road access.

Stay in Crescent City

Crescent City is practical rather than precious, which is useful at the beginning of a forest-heavy trip. Get dinner, buy groceries, and leave enough daylight to walk near the coast if the weather is good.

Day 2: Jedediah Smith and the Scenic Drive South

Give the northern redwoods a second morning if you loved yesterday’s grove. I would rather repeat one ecosystem in different light than drive ninety minutes just to add another name to the list.

Howland Hill Road

If the road is open and your vehicle is appropriate, Howland Hill Road can provide an intimate drive through old-growth forest. Check current park guidance before using unpaved scenic roads because conditions and vehicle recommendations can change.

Drive slowly and expect narrow sections. This is not where I would take a large RV simply because navigation software produced a blue line.

Continue south along Highway 101

Move toward Klamath or the Prairie Creek area and stop at coastal viewpoints that genuinely appeal to you. The forest is the main event, but seeing redwoods meet foggy coastline is part of what makes this region feel so distinctive.

Day 3: Prairie Creek and Fern Canyon

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is the part of the trip where giant trees, elk habitat, and coastal scenery can all occupy the same day. Start early enough that parking and permit logistics do not become the most memorable part.

Fern Canyon requires planning

The park currently requires a free vehicle permit for the Gold Bluffs Beach day-use area and Fern Canyon trailhead from May 15 through September 15, while Tall Trees Trailhead permits are required year-round. Check the official permits page because reservation rules can change.

Davison Road to Fern Canyon is currently open, but the park warns of stream crossings that can become challenging after rain. I would never promise myself Fern Canyon without a backup grove walk when the weather has been wet.

Expect wet feet

Fern Canyon is aptly named, and visitors often walk directly through shallow water in the canyon. Bring footwear that can get wet and keep a dry pair in the car.

Watch for Roosevelt elk from a distance

Prairie Creek and surrounding meadows can be excellent places to see Roosevelt elk. Stay well back, use a zoom lens or binoculars, and never position yourself between animals and their direction of travel.

Day 4: Orick and the Southern Park Areas

Use Orick as the practical center of today’s route, then choose one major grove or scenic road south of Prairie Creek. Redwood trips become repetitive only when you treat every forest as a checklist instead of noticing how different each area feels.

Tall Trees Grove if you have a permit

Tall Trees Grove requires a free reservation year-round and involves a more committed outing than a roadside grove. Read the current park instructions before reserving so the trail length, access road, and timing fit your day.

If you do not have a permit, do not worry. There are excellent old-growth experiences throughout the parks, and no redwood vacation is ruined because one named trail did not happen.

Keep restoration closures in mind

Redwoods Rising restoration work has closed or partially closed some trails in 2026, and the park’s September conditions page lists several active changes. This is exactly why I would choose today’s hike from the current official map instead of copying an old itinerary word for word.

Day 5: Trinidad and the North Coast

Finish in Trinidad, where the forest finally gives way to a tiny harbor town and rocky northern California coastline. The change of scenery is especially satisfying after several days under a very tall green ceiling.

Walk the coast

Choose a headland or beach walk based on tides and weather, then have a slow lunch in town. Northern California beaches can be cold and rough even when inland temperatures feel comfortable.

Do not rush the departure

If you are continuing south, save Humboldt Bay or another major stop for its own time block instead of cramming it into the redwoods finale. Trinidad is small enough that the pleasure is mostly in staying a little longer than necessary.

Where to Stay

Crescent City: best for the first two nights if Jedediah Smith is a priority. It also gives you easy groceries and restaurants.

Klamath or Prairie Creek area: useful for the middle of the trip when early Fern Canyon or Prairie Creek access matters. Lodging choices are more limited than in larger towns.

Trinidad: my favorite final-night splurge if you can find something that fits the budget. Waking up near the ocean gives the trip a very different final mood.

Best Time for a Redwoods Road Trip

Summer

Summer is popular and relatively dry, though coastal fog and cool temperatures are normal. Permit requirements and crowded trailheads make early starts more useful than ambitious daily mileage.

Early fall

Early fall can be quieter and pleasant, but wildfire smoke elsewhere in northern California can occasionally affect air quality. Check current fire and air-quality information before departure.

Winter and spring

Rain turns the forest brilliantly green but also increases mud, downed-tree risk, and stream levels. Road and trail conditions deserve a same-day check after significant storms.

Redwood Road Trip Safety

Do not park illegally along Highway 101 or narrow scenic roads just because you spot a photogenic tree. Use designated pullouts and obey closures, especially around active restoration or road work.

At the coast, sneaker waves and cold Pacific water are serious hazards. Stay well back from surf when conditions are rough and never climb on unstable logs near active waves.

What to Pack

• Waterproof layer
• Hiking shoes that can get muddy
• A dry pair of shoes for the car
• Offline maps
• Binoculars
• Small cooler
• Layers for cool coastal weather

My road trip tips cover normal car prep and packing. In redwood country, I would add a towel in the trunk because wet shoes have an amazing ability to appear on the one day you thought would stay dry.

How Much Hiking Do You Need?

Very little if you do not enjoy long hikes. Several memorable groves and scenic roads let you experience old-growth forest with short walks, while stronger hikers can choose longer routes.

The redwoods are not hiding at the end of a twenty-mile trail. Choose walking distances that let you look around instead of watching your mileage.

Should You Continue to San Francisco?

You can, but northern California remains a long way from the Bay Area. Add several days if you want Mendocino, wine country, or San Francisco rather than treating the drive south as a departure-day errand.

My Vancouver to San Francisco road trip gives you a broader Pacific Northwest-to-California route. This five-day version is for travelers who want the redwoods to be the point.

One More Redwoods Resource I Would Use

Because the route crosses both national and California state parklands, I also check California State Parks for current information on the state-managed redwood properties. That helps catch local closures or facility updates that may not be obvious from a general map.

My Favorite Version

The five-day route needs four nights: one in Crescent City, two around Klamath or Prairie Creek, and one in Trinidad. Add a second Crescent City night and a sixth day for more time in Jedediah Smith rather than quietly adding an extra night to the five-day plan.

Five days among the redwoods is not too much forest. It is just enough time to stop thinking of the trees as individual attractions and start feeling like you have actually been inside the landscape.