Redwood National Park protects some of the tallest trees on Earth, and it sits right on US-101 in far Northern California, between the Oregon border and the town of Orick. You can drive through old-growth groves without leaving the highway corridor, which makes it one of the easiest big-tree stops on any West Coast road trip.
Entry to the national park is free, and the best of it is reached on a handful of short scenic roads. Here is how the park is organized, which drives to take and how much time to give it.
What Redwood National Park actually is
Congress created Redwood National Park on October 2, 1968. Today it is managed together with three California state parks, Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods and Prairie Creek Redwoods, under the name Redwood National and State Parks. Together they cover about 139,000 acres and protect roughly 45 percent of the old-growth coast redwood forest that remains. UNESCO listed them as a World Heritage Site in 1980.
The tallest known tree, Hyperion, measures about 380 feet and grows somewhere in the park, but its location is deliberately not public. You do not need it: many of the redwoods along the trails and drives tower well over 300 feet.
Scenic drives in the redwood national park area
The parks line the coast between Crescent City in the north and Orick in the south. Rather than one park road, you get a series of short drives off US-101. Lengths and restrictions below come from the National Park Service:
| Drive | Length one way | Time | Vehicle notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway | 10 miles | 20 to 30 min | Paved, no commercial vehicles |
| Howland Hill Road | 10 miles | About 45 min | Mostly unpaved, no RVs or trailers |
| Bald Hills Road | About 17 miles | About 45 min | Mostly unpaved, RVs and trailers not advised |
| Coastal Drive loop | About 9 miles round trip | About 45 min | Northern section not suitable for RVs or trailers |
| Davison Road to Fern Canyon | About 7 miles | About 30 min | RVs 24 feet max, no trailers |
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
If you only have an hour, take this one. The parkway is the old alignment of US-101 through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, running parallel to the modern highway between Klamath and Orick. It passes Big Tree Wayside, the Prairie Creek Visitor Center and Elk Prairie, where Roosevelt elk often graze in the meadows. The park occasionally closes the parkway to cars for walking and cycling days, so check current road conditions on the park website before you go.
Howland Hill Road
Near Crescent City, this narrow, mostly gravel road threads through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park with the giant trunks right at the edge of the car. The trail to Stout Grove starts from this road. Leave the camper at your campsite: motorhomes and trailers do not fit.
Bald Hills Road and the groves
Just north of Orick, Bald Hills Road climbs steeply out of the forest to open prairies. It leads to the trailheads for Lady Bird Johnson Grove, an easy loop, and Tall Trees Grove, a longer hike to some of the giants along Redwood Creek.
Fern Canyon and the coast
Fern Canyon is a narrow ravine about 50 feet deep with walls covered in ferns, reached by Davison Road and Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. From May 1 to September 30, you need a parking permit reserved in advance to drive there. The state park also charges a day-use fee on that road, which is waived for holders of a federal America the Beautiful pass.
For ocean views, the steep Coastal Drive loop near Klamath looks over the Pacific and the river estuary, where you can sometimes spot whales, sea lions and pelicans.
Fees and practical tips
- Entrance: the national park has no entrance stations and no entrance fee. Driving the scenic roads and highways through the national and state parks is free.
- State park fees: the three state parks collect day-use fees at developed campground entrance stations and at the Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon road.
- Weather: coastal fog is common, especially in summer. It keeps the groves cool and often makes the light between the trunks more striking.
- Time: half a day covers the parkway and one grove walk; a full day lets you add Howland Hill Road or Fern Canyon.
Redwood on a US-101 road trip
Redwood is about 325 miles north of San Francisco, which makes it a natural stop on the coastal route between the Bay Area and Oregon. Heading north, US-101 continues along the Oregon coast all the way up to the Olympic Peninsula, where olympic national park brings a completely different kind of forest: moss-covered rain forest instead of towering redwoods. Linking the two gives you a classic Pacific Coast drive with a national park at each end.
From Crescent City, you can also head inland toward Oregon’s Cascades and Crater Lake. For more ideas on combining parks along the way, see our ranking of the American parks that reward a long drive.
Redwood National Park FAQ
Is Redwood National Park free?
Yes. The national park has no entrance fee. Some state park areas inside the complex, such as the Fern Canyon road and developed campgrounds, charge day-use fees.
What is the best drive in Redwood National Park?
The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway is the easiest and most rewarding: 10 paved miles through old-growth redwoods, with elk often in the meadows.
Can I see the tallest tree, Hyperion?
No. Its location is kept private to protect it, and visiting off-trail damages the forest. Plenty of trees over 300 feet are visible from the trails.
Do I need a permit for Fern Canyon?
From May 1 to September 30, a parking permit reserved in advance is required to drive to Fern Canyon.
