The tallest trees on Earth, a foggy coast, and elk on the prairie — and it's free.
Photo: WolfmanSF · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The coast redwoods of far Northern California are the tallest living things on Earth — some pushing past 370 feet, taller than a 30-story building, and old enough to have been seedlings when Rome was young. Redwood National and State Parks protect nearly half of all the old-growth that's left, in a cool, fog-soaked strip where the forest runs right down to the Pacific. Walking into one of these groves is the rare landscape that genuinely humbles people into silence.
It's an unusual park in two ways. First, it's free — there's no entrance gate at all, because it's a cooperative of one national park and three California state parks, managed together since the 1990s and threaded by Highway 101. Second, the variety is wider than 'big trees': Fern Canyon's 50-foot walls drip with ferns (you may recognize it from Jurassic Park), Roosevelt elk graze the meadow at Elk Prairie, and wild beaches like Gold Bluffs sit where the redwoods meet the surf.
The one thing to plan around is the fog. This is a cool maritime climate where even August highs barely reach the mid-60s and the coast is often gray and misty — that fog is exactly what the redwoods drink, so don't fight it; pack layers and lean in. A couple of the best spots (Fern Canyon/Gold Bluffs Beach in summer, and Tall Trees Grove year-round) need free permits booked ahead, and some of the prettiest groves are reached on slow unpaved roads. Give it two or three days and let the place set the pace.
An easy, mostly flat loop through ridge-top old growth named for the First Lady who helped dedicate the park in 1968.
Insider tipAbout a 1.5-mile loop; the best fog-and-light show is in the morning. The access road climbs to ridge level, so it's often cooler and mistier than the coast.
Plan a trip to this spot →A narrow canyon with 50-foot walls draped in ferns — a Jurassic Park filming location, with several creek crossings.
Insider tipNeeds a free timed permit in summer and the unpaved Davison Road (no RVs/trailers). Wear waterproof boots or sandals and go early.
Plan a trip to this spot →Some of the tallest trees on the planet, in a grove kept deliberately hard to reach to protect it.
Insider tipA free permit is required year-round to drive the gated access road, then it's a steep ~4-mile round-trip hike (~800 ft of climbing back out). Book up to 24 hours ahead.
Plan a trip to this spot →A cathedral-like, flat loop of giants along the Smith River — many consider it the single most photogenic grove in the parks.
Insider tipReached via Howland Hill Road, a gorgeous unpaved drive through old growth (passenger cars OK, slow going).
Plan a trip to this spot →A wild, windswept beach backed by golden bluffs where the redwoods meet the Pacific; the road continues to Fern Canyon.
Insider tipSame summer permit as Fern Canyon plus a $12 day-use fee; the unpaved Davison Road has length/clearance limits — no RVs or trailers.
Plan a trip to this spot →The reliable place to see Roosevelt elk grazing the meadow along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.
Insider tipStay 50-plus yards back — bulls are dangerous in the fall rut, cows protective in spring. View from your car or the pullouts.
Plan a trip to this spot →A cool, foggy maritime climate year-round. Winter highs sit in the low 50s and the warmest summer days only reach the mid-60s; lows stay in the 40s. The headline is that even summer is cool and often gray — fog rolls off the Pacific and the redwoods drink it in. Winters are very wet (~71 inches, concentrated November–March); summers are dry-ish but damp underfoot. Bring layers and a rain shell any season.
There's no entrance gate or fee — Highway 101 runs straight through the parks, so you simply drive in.
The parks string along US-101 with no entrance station. Gateway towns are Crescent City (north), Klamath (central), and Orick (south); Eureka and Arcata are about an hour south. The only fee anywhere is the $12 Gold Bluffs Beach day-use charge.
No lodges inside the parks — the gateway towns provide the roofs, and four developed campgrounds sit among the trees and on the beach.
Crescent City and Klamath are closest; Eureka, Arcata, and Trinidad lie about an hour south with more dining and lodging.
Booking tipBase in Crescent City for the northern groves (Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith) or near Orick/Eureka for the southern Prairie Creek area.
Four developed campgrounds — Jedediah Smith and Mill Creek in the north, Elk Prairie and beachfront Gold Bluffs Beach in the south — booked through ReserveCalifornia, not Recreation.gov.
Booking tipReserve ahead in summer. Gold Bluffs Beach is reached by the unpaved Davison Road, with vehicle-length limits — no RVs or trailers.
Is it really free?
Yes — Redwood National and State Parks has no entrance fee at all. The only charge anywhere is the $12-per-vehicle Gold Bluffs Beach day-use fee.
Do I need a permit for Fern Canyon or Gold Bluffs Beach?
In summer, yes — a free timed-entry permit is required to drive to and park at the Gold Bluffs Beach / Fern Canyon area (roughly May–September; verify the exact 2026 window with the park). Book it free through the park's online system; the $12 beach day-use fee is separate. You can also walk in from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center without a permit.
What about Tall Trees Grove?
The Tall Trees trailhead needs a free permit year-round (a gated access road), reservable up to 24 hours ahead. The hike is steep — about 4 miles round trip with ~800 feet of climbing back out.
When should I go, and what about the fog?
Summer through early fall is driest and best for the beaches and dirt roads, but expect cool temps and frequent morning fog. Late spring is green and quiet. Winters are mild but very wet — beautiful for the mossy groves, though some unpaved roads get muddy.
How many days do I need?
Two to three days does it justice — a day for the southern Prairie Creek area (Drury Parkway, Elk Prairie, Fern Canyon), a day for the northern Jedediah Smith / Stout Grove / Howland Hill area, plus Lady Bird Johnson Grove and a coastal overlook. A rushed taste is doable in one day along 101.
Are there elk, and is Davison Road okay for my car?
Roosevelt elk roam Elk Prairie and Gold Bluffs Beach — keep 50-plus yards back, especially during the fall rut and spring calving. Davison Road to Gold Bluffs is narrow, unpaved, and limited to smaller vehicles (no RVs or trailers); passenger cars are fine when it's dry.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
