Redwood National and State Parks guide · 2 min read
Newton B. Drury Parkway and Howland Hill Road
The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway is a paved, ten-mile road through the heart of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, in the southern part of the parks.
It runs beneath old-growth redwood forest. Few redwoods remain along Highway 101, so the parkway is the place to see miles of big trees. Signed exits off United States Highway 101 lead to it, and driving its length takes about 20 to 30 minutes without stops. Commercial vehicles are not permitted.
Big Tree Wayside, along the road, is home to one of the standout redwoods in the park. The Prairie Creek Visitor Center, near the southern end, has information and exhibits. Numerous trailheads let you leave the car and walk among the trees. Keep an eye on the meadows, where Roosevelt elk that live here year-round often graze.
On designated Hike and Bike Days, motor vehicles are kept off the parkway, leaving it to cyclists and walkers. Most of the route is flat, but the northern one-mile section rises and falls by more than 400 feet.
Howland Hill Road covers about ten miles through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, from Crescent City to United States Highway 199 near Hiouchi. Most of it is unpaved and narrow, and a stretch of it once carried stagecoaches. Expect dust, and know that motorhomes, trucks, and rigs towing trailers are too wide for it. Allow about an hour. Trailheads are common, but there are few places to park or pull over.
For a different kind of drive, Bald Hills Road climbs to open grasslands. From up there you look out over hills and prairies, with ocean views westward and mountains eastward. The easiest way on is from United States Highway 101, about a mile north of Orick. Parts are gravel, and the narrow, winding road is not advised for recreational vehicles or trailers.
