When to go
Conditions, crowds, and what each season asks you to pack.
Spring
Highs in the low 50s to low 60s F, frequent rain tapering off, lush green understory and rhododendron blooms by May.
Pack Waterproof shell and trail shoes that handle mud.
Summer
Highs in the low 60s to upper 60s F, cool coastal fog in the mornings, mild and dry inland by afternoon.
Pack Layers and a light jacket for fog, sun never gets hot here.
Fall
Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s F, clearer skies in September and October before the rains return.
Pack Light insulation plus a rain layer as October turns wet.
Winter
Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s F, this is the wettest season with heavy, steady rain and occasional storms.
Pack Full rain gear and waterproof boots, expect mud and standing water.
Top things to do
Tall Trees Grove
A permit-only grove of record-height redwoods reached by a steep 4 mile round-trip hike off a gated road.
Fern Canyon
Sheer 50 foot walls draped in ferns near Gold Bluffs Beach, a short loop that often means crossing the creek.
Lady Bird Johnson Grove
An easy 1.5 mile loop through misty old-growth, one of the most accessible classic redwood walks.
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
A 10 mile drive through Prairie Creek's giants, with frequent Roosevelt elk in the meadows.
Stout Memorial Grove
A dense cathedral of towering trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods along the Smith River.
Anchor the day around Tall Trees Grove
Put the access rule first: shuttle, parking, timed-entry, or reservation windows should decide the order of the day. For one day in Redwood National and State Parks, make Tall Trees Grove the non-negotiable, add Fern Canyon only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Lady Bird Johnson Grove as the flexible finish.
- 1Start with Tall Trees Grove: A permit-only grove of record-height redwoods reached by a steep 4 mile round-trip hike off a gated road.
- 2Add Fern Canyon: Sheer 50 foot walls draped in ferns near Gold Bluffs Beach, a short loop that often means crossing the creek.
- 3Use Lady Bird Johnson Grove as the optional finish, not as a reason to rush the whole day.
Plan your trip
Build one complete pack brief from Redwood National and State Parks's season, activity, and trip length. Fine-tune an individual calculation only if you need it.
Fine-tune water, pack size, warmth, or stove fuel
Build around conditions
Let season, elevation, and weather set the plan.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Redwood National and State Parks. Tune the numbers around temperature swings, footing, layers, and how much margin the route needs.
What to pack
Start with the gear decisions Redwood National and State Parks changes: water, footing, weather, and overnight needs. The checklist is there once your route and dates are set.
Kit Authority
Redwood National and State Parks packing list
0 of 25 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Decide what Redwood National and State Parks asks of your kit before you start checking boxes.
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
- First constraintHydration and exposureWater, Electrolyte mix, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, 4 more
- Route realityFooting and tractionHiking boots, Hiking socks, Trekking poles
- Load choicePack and carry systemBackpacking pack
- If overnightSleep and shelterBackpacking tent, Sleeping bag, Sleeping pad, 1 more
Checklist mode
25 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
- Dates and season are set.
- Primary route, campground, or lodge is chosen.
- Water, footwear, and overnight needs are sized.
One researched pick
The first gear decision for Redwood National and
A stable daypack is the one purchase that organizes water, layers, food, first aid, and the small safety margin.
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THE DAY-HIKE PICK
Osprey Talon 22
- Volume
- 22 L
- Weight
- 2 lb 1 oz (945 g)
- Back Panel
- AirScape foam with ventilation channels
- Hipbelt Pockets
- 2 zippered
- Hydration
- Compatible up to 3 L reservoir (sold separately)
- Warranty
- All Mighty Guarantee (lifetime repair or replace)
The Talon 22 is the daypack you see on the trail more than any other for good reason: it packs in a padded hipbelt, adjustable torso harness, and dual hipbelt pockets into a 22-liter package that handles loads up to 20 lb without complaint. Owners across hundreds of Amazon ratings consistently cite its adjustability and durability as standouts.
- Adjustable torso fit covers a wide range of body sizes
- Padded hipbelt and dual hipbelt pockets at this size are rare
- At 2 lb 1 oz it runs heavier than ultralight rivals for the same volume
Best for
Hikers who want a proven all-around daypack with solid load support, plenty of adjustment, and a warranty they can actually use.
Gear for Redwood National and State Parks
The buying guides that match what Redwood National and State Parks asks of your kit. Each one has our current top picks across budget and use case.
Where to stay
Stay strategy
Choose the base that protects the permit window.
Stay strategy
Pick a north, middle, or south base before you start adding groves.
Redwood is a long Highway 101 corridor, not a single entrance park. Crescent City works for Jedediah Smith and Stout Grove, Klamath and Orick work for Prairie Creek and Fern Canyon, and Arcata or Eureka trade longer drives for more rooms and services.
- Entry fee
- No entrance fee for the national park
- Fern Canyon
- Peak-season access needs a reservation and day-use fee
- Campgrounds
- Jedediah Smith, Mill Creek, Elk Prairie, and Gold Bluffs Beach reserve in season
- In-park lodging
- No lodges inside the parks
Compare base options
Use the options below to protect the permit, pickup, and early-start parts of the trip before you optimize for comfort.
- Best for
- Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Smith River, and northern coast access
- Tradeoff
- Longer drive to Fern Canyon and Prairie Creek highlights.
Planning detail
Choose Crescent City when the northern redwood groves are the priority or when you are linking the park with Oregon coast travel.
- Best for
- Fern Canyon, Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, elk meadows, and shorter daily drives
- Tradeoff
- Room choice is thinner than the larger towns.
Planning detail
This is the most efficient zone for Prairie Creek and Fern Canyon. Campers should compare Elk Prairie, Gold Bluffs Beach, and nearby state park options early.
Service base
Arcata or Eureka
- Best for
- More hotels, food, airport access, and a south-to-north park sweep
- Tradeoff
- You drive farther to the marquee groves.
Planning detail
Use the Humboldt Bay towns when services or flight access matter most. Start early for Prairie Creek, because the drive is part of the day.
Permit order
Reserve Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach access before building that day around it.
Weather default
Carry a rain shell and mud-capable shoes in every season, even when the forecast looks mild.
Camping reservations
Camping reservations
Redwood's campgrounds are California State Park campgrounds: book on ReserveCalifornia, not Recreation.gov.
Jedediah Smith Campground, in old-growth redwoods on the Smith River, is the marquee reservation, with Elk Prairie a close second for elk meadows and trail access. All four developed campgrounds inside the joint national and state parks are run by California State Parks, so they book on ReserveCalifornia and never appear on Recreation.gov.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
ReserveCalifornia opens sites six months in advance on a rolling basis; summer weekends at Jedediah Smith and Gold Bluffs Beach go almost immediately.
- Search ReserveCalifornia by campground name (Jedediah Smith, Mill Creek, Elk Prairie, Gold Bluffs Beach), not by 'Redwood': that is the parks' own booking tip.
- Gold Bluffs Beach is reached by a narrow single-lane dirt road: trailers are prohibited and RVs are not advised.
- Eight rentable cabins exist, four at Jedediah Smith and four at Elk Prairie; see the parks' cabins page for details.
- Many sites date to before the 1940s and size limits for RVs and trailers are strictly enforced; hammocks and ropes on trees are banned.
Where to book or verify
The official overview of all four campgrounds and the state-park reservation setup.
The only booking system for these campgrounds; sites open six months ahead on a rolling basis.
Use this first for current campground status and park-specific rules.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
Use this for wilderness permits, timed systems, tours, and other park-specific reservations.
Campgrounds to know
Jedediah Smith Campground (Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park)
Details- Booking
- Reserve up to six months ahead on ReserveCalifornia.
- Season
- Check the NPS page for current open dates.
- Sites
- 86 sites for tents and RVs plus 4 cabins; food lockers, seasonal firewood, and a dump station.
- The crown jewel: old-growth redwoods on the Smith River with swimming holes and Stout Grove nearby. Book the day your window opens for summer.
Elk Prairie Campground (Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park)
Details- Booking
- Reserve up to six months ahead on ReserveCalifornia.
- Season
- Check the NPS page for current open dates.
- Sites
- 75 sites for tents and RVs plus 4 cabins.
- Roosevelt elk graze the namesake prairie, and 70-plus miles of trails leave from camp; the best all-around family base.
Mill Creek Campground (Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park)
Details- Booking
- Reserve up to six months ahead on ReserveCalifornia.
- Season
- Seasonal; check the NPS page for current open dates.
- Sites
- 145 sites under maples and young redwoods, 7 miles south of Crescent City.
- The biggest campground and the easiest late booking; a quiet creekside fallback when Jedediah Smith is gone.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground (Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park)
Details- Booking
- Reserve up to six months ahead on ReserveCalifornia.
- Season
- Check the NPS page for current open dates.
- Sites
- 26 sites tucked behind the beach; no trailers, and RVs are not advised.
- Camp on the sand with elk on the beach and Fern Canyon a short walk away; the access road is narrow, single-lane dirt.
Getting there and practical info
Build the arrival around the reservation.
Entry windows, permit pickups, and drive time should be checked before the itinerary gets crowded.
Getting there
Get to Redwood National and State Parks with the required window already protected.
- Nearest airport
- California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) in McKinleyville, about 1 hour south. Del Norte County Airport (CEC) in Crescent City sits minutes from the northern parks but has very limited service, so most visitors fly into ACV, or into larger hubs like San Francisco or Sacramento (5 to 6 hours) and drive up Highway 101.
- Access rhythm
- Car required
- Region
- California
Arrival note
The parks stretch about 40 miles along Highway 101 between Orick and Crescent City in far northern California.
Car strategy
Most visitors drive: it is roughly 5 to 6 hours north of San Francisco and a similar haul from Sacramento or Portland.
Fly in
The closest commercial airport with regular flights is California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) near Arcata, about an hour south.
Pair this with lodging: choose the base that keeps the reservation or permit pickup from becoming the hardest part of the day.
Can you photograph here? Permit and drone rules
Redwood is a joint NPS and California State Parks operation, so federal land follows the EXPLORE Act exemption while state park land runs a separate permit process.
- Permit
- Usually fine for personal shoots; commercial or large productions can need a permit
- Drones
- Effectively banned on national park land: launching, landing, or operating a drone is prohibited
- Land
- Yes for personal and editorial photography throughout the parks
From our photography sister site, Aperture Authority. Verified 2026-07-01.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a reservation to visit Redwood National Park?
No reservation is required to enter the parks themselves, and there is no entrance fee. However, in peak summer you do need a free timed reservation to reach Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach, plus an $8 per vehicle day-use fee for that area. Campgrounds should also be booked ahead in summer.
What is the best time of year to see the redwoods?
Summer and early fall (July through September) offer the driest, most reliable weather, though the coast stays cool and foggy in the mornings. Spring brings green understory and rhododendron blooms. Winter is the quietest but very rainy, so it suits visitors who do not mind wet trails.
Is Redwood National Park free to enter?
Yes, the national park portions are free with no entrance fee. A few state park day-use areas charge fees, and Fern Canyon carries an $8 per vehicle permit in summer. Federal and California state passes are accepted at the state day-use sites.
What is the closest airport to the redwoods?
The nearest airport with regular commercial flights is California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) near Arcata, about an hour south of the park. Del Norte County Airport (CEC) in Crescent City is closer but has very limited service, so many travelers fly into San Francisco or Sacramento and drive 5 to 6 hours north.
Keep planning
Compare with another park
