A Weekend in Redwood National Park

California is home to both the largest and tallest trees in the world. General Sherman in Sequoia National Park is the world’s largest tree, coming in at 52,500 cubic feet. 500 miles further north lives Hyperion, the world’s tallest tree, standing at 379.7 feet. Hyperion resides in Redwood National Park, which sits cozily next to the Pacific Ocean and the Oregon border. We can thank the Pacific Ocean for these massive trees because the ocean brings cool moisture to the redwoods year-round. The stunning location on the California coast and the sheer size of these redwoods makes this park an essential destination.

It was a quick 3-day trip to Redwood National Park. Our flight arrived at 7:30am in Sacramento. Three days was just enough time to do some hiking and see the highlights of the park. It’s not a huge national park like Denali or Yellowstone, and most of the major sights are in close proximity.

To Redwood National Park

The drive from Sacramento Airport is 5 hours and 30 minutes. The first half of the drive is nothing to get excited about, but once the road turns west at Redding the views begin. It’s a long stretch of twists and turns through forests and pretty lakes. Once the highway reaches the coast there are towering redwood forests on the right and the Pacific Ocean on the left. From here it’s a gorgeous 45 minutes drive from McKinleyville to Redwood National Park.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Eager to stretch our legs the first stop was Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The grove resides at 1,200 feet, and the high elevation produces a difficult environment for the redwoods to thrive. The trees are smaller here than in lower areas of the park due to strong winds. Don’t worry though, there are still plenty of great photo opportunities here.

Lady Bird Johnson was First Lady between 1963-1969 and passionately worked to promote environmental conservation. This grove was dedicated to her in 1969 by President Nixon.

It’s an easy 1 1/2 mile hike with plenty of benches to enjoy your surroundings. This is one of the most popular trails in the park, so it may be crowded. There are informational signs about the life cycle and habitat of the Redwoods as well.

The First Night

We stayed at Mill Creek Campground about 30 minutes north of Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The campground is down a windy road, two miles off the 101. Since this was a last minute trip we couldn’t get a campground close to the visitor’s center, but Mill Creek had everything we needed. It’s a full service campground with big, lush sites that provide plenty of privacy. It’s also half way between the main attractions of the park and Crescent City. The first night we drove 20 minutes into Crescent City for dinner and supplies.

Miners’ Ridge and James Irvine Loop Hike

We only had time for one big hike in Redwood National Park. There are a ton of hikes to chose from but we wanted something that had a little bit of everything. Miners’ Ridge and James Irvine Loop is described as “Perhaps the world’s best redwood hike.” It would be difficult to disagree with this statement.

The 12 mile hike starts at Prairie Creek Visitor’s Center. It begins with James Irvine Trail, splits off to the famous Fern Canyon Trail, wanders along the beach, and comes back via Miners’ Ridge Trail. It took us 6 hours and 46 minutes to complete, which included a medium pace, plenty of stops for pictures, and lunch on the beach.

The wonderful thing about this trail is the lack of people, except at Fern Canyon and the beach. We started at 8:00am and as the day passed we could see the sun’s rays shining through the trees. The canopy was so thick that full sunshine was rare, which made it pleasantly cool for July.

Fern Canyon Trail

The start of James Irving Trail quickly ascends, followed by a slow descent down to the beach. The first several miles are huge redwood trees showing off in their perfect environment. Then the scenery changes, and when James Irving Trail meets Fern Canyon Trail it’s an incredible site. This is the Fern Canyon plastered all over Instagram, and the natural beauty is breathtaking. The canyon walls are hardly visible under the layers of moss and fern.

For those who need an easier way to see Fern Canyon, it is accessible by car via Davison Rd from the 101. Continuing on, the trail hits the beach and continues south for a little over a mile. At Gold Bluffs Beach Campground the trail meets up with the road and turns left. Shortly after the turn is Miners’ Ridge Trail.

From the beach it’s an uphill climb, but the last couple miles of trail are downhill. The remainder of the hike is similar to the first half, but don’t take this section for granted. There are many giant trees to appreciate along the way. At one point my friend stopped, looked up and said “I wouldn’t be surprised if the tallest tree in the world was in this grove.”

Hyperion is the tallest tree in the world at 379 feet tall, but its location remains a secret. I craned my neck upwards and got dizzy. It was a long way to the top of the canopy. Once we completed the hike I understood why this trail was so special; it showed off everything Redwood National Park had to offer.

Big Tree

Although I was ready for lunch my friend wanted to walk to Big Tree. It is easily accessible off the main road, but also a short walk from the visitor’s center. Big Tree is 286 feet high and 1500 years old. Standing next to this behemoth makes you feel very small indeed.

Corkscrew Tree

Because my friends always seem have more energy than I, we continued our hike to Corkscrew Tree. Tired and hungry, I grumbled when the map confirmed we had missed the turn to Corkscrew Tree. Trudging on, we hiked an additional 3 miles by connecting Foothill Trail with Prairie Creek Trail Loop. This put our total mileage for the day at 15 miles. On a positive note, Corkscrew tree lived up to its name, impressively twisting around itself high into the sky.

The Second Night

We stopped at Forest Tree Cafe for an early dinner. Food is always better after a long hike and the BLT was positively scrumptious. After dinner it was back to Mill Creek Campground for an early night and early morning.

The Last Day

On our way out of Redwood National Park we drove Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway – what is considered the prettiest drive in the park. These 10 miles gloat towering canopies, wildflowers, and easy turn-offs in which to explore the main attractions.

While the three day trip to Redwood National Park was short, it was surely sweet. The park is set up that most highlights can be seen in one day. Having two days leaves enough time to see the best sites, as well as some hidden gems. That being said, it would be wonderful to spend multiple days exploring the labyrinth of trails that weave through the redwood trees.

Interested in Visiting Redwood National Park?

Redwood National Park is not the easiest place to get to. Unless you’re willing to pay extra to fly into a smaller airport, it’s a long drive. The park is equidistant from Portland, San Francisco, and Sacramento airports. This seems unlikely, but each of the airports are between 5 ½ – 6 ½ hours from the park. My friend and I flew into Sacramento and out of San Francisco for a change of scenery. Originally we planned to fly out of Portland, but dropping off the rental car in a different state was too expensive.

There is accommodation for every type of traveler here. The four developed campgrounds in the park are Jedediah Smith, Mill Creek, Elk Prairie and Gold Bluffs Beach. While some of these campgrounds are very small, Mill Creek is large enough that chances of getting a last minute spot are good. For those less inclined to camp, Crescent City is a charming town 45 minutes north of Prairie Creek Visitor’s Center. There are many hotels and BnB’s there.

Redwood National Park is not as far off the grid as other National Parks. Along the 101 are restaurants, gas stations, and motels. There are multiple visitor’s centers and getting a map of the area is recommended. The lack of road signs make some attractions hard to find. Have fun!