Stretching along California’s rugged northern coast, Redwood National and State Parks protect some of the last remaining ancient redwood forests on Earth. These towering trees, some reaching over 350 feet tall and more than 2,000 years old, create a world unlike any other. Mist drifts through cathedral-like groves, sunlight filters down through emerald canopies, and the quiet hum of life fills the air. Beneath the redwoods, ferns, mosses, and wildflowers carpet the forest floor, while elk graze in nearby prairies and waves crash along the Pacific shoreline. It is a landscape where time slows and nature feels infinite.
Today, the parks protect over 130,000 acres of diverse ecosystems, from coastal redwood forests to oak woodlands, prairies, and river ways. Visitors can hike among towering groves in Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek, kayak the Smith River, or explore coastal trails where fog meets forest. Each visit offers a humbling perspective on scale, endurance, and interconnectedness, a reminder of how the redwoods support entire webs of life, from endangered birds to resilient lichens clinging to bark older than history.
Conservation at Redwood National and State Parks remains as vital as ever. Ongoing restoration projects work to remove invasive species, replant native vegetation, and reconnect fragmented ecosystems once damaged by logging. Collaborative efforts between the National Park Service, California State Parks, and local Indigenous tribes continue to heal and protect these sacred lands. Every visit to the redwoods is more than an adventure: it’s an act of reverence for some of Earth’s oldest living beings and a promise to keep their world alive for generations to come!
Our Experience
The first time we visited this park, we heard the most beautiful birdcall from the Swainson's Thrush. As the sun rays peaked into the forest floor and made the pollen in the air shimmer, it's beautiful call filled the air and we felt like we were in a fairytale. It was a very magical moment in a magical place. The second time we visited, we hiked a lot more and got to see the famous fern canyon featured in The Jurassic Park movies. It was very special to see the green alive and thriving all over the forest.