Towering ancient redwoods, diverse landscapes, hiking, camping, beaches
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"I sign up for ranger-led programs at Redwood, from hikes and campfire talks to seasonal tide-pool tours, and I stop at visitor centers for the day’s most up-to-date trail and safety information." - Jessica Chapel

"Framed by coast redwoods, I found this exceptional collection of parks—the state parks of Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedediah Smith grew out of early 20th‑century protection efforts, and Redwood National Park, which encircles those state parks, was created in 1968 to further preserve the trees’ natural Coast Range habitat. Home to coast redwoods that can reach nearly 270 feet and live up to 2,000 years, the foggy summer days here keep them hydrated during the dry season, and walking among these natural giants is an awe‑inspiring experience that I couldn’t replicate anywhere else." - Jill K. Robinson

"Home to the tallest trees on earth, these cooperatively managed parks protect nearly half of the world’s remaining old-growth coast redwoods and deliver more than towering trunks: fog-nurtured forests, wild coastline, rivers, open prairies, and oak woodlands from sea level to 3,200 feet. Spring and early summer bring lush greens and pink rhododendron blooms, summer pairs warm inland days with foggy groves (with recent wildfire risks worth noting), and winter can be stormy yet gloriously uncrowded with rushing creeks—just check park alerts and road conditions. Oriented along US 101 between Crescent City and Orick with no entrance stations, the parks reward those who leave the highway; cell service is limited and GPS can mislead, so I download the NPS app and navigate by official maps and road signs." - Jill K. Robinson
"Towering, ancient trees form a cathedral-like, rain-dampened forest where silence reigns; the giants’ girth dwarfs vehicles and trailers, and hikes are punctuated only by the soft squish of shoes and the steady dripping of water from the canopy." - Jane Siegel
"A national park in California known for its towering redwood trees." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s