Things to Do in Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National and State Parks rewards travelers just as richly from the windshield, the shoreline, and the overlooks as it does from the trail. Scenic drives are a major part of the experience here, especially along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, where towering redwoods press close to the road and frequent pullouts invite you to slow down and take it in. For the classic coastal panorama, Crescent Beach Overlook delivers a broad sweep of surf, sea stacks, and fog-draped headlands, while Klamath River Overlook is one of the park’s best places to scan for migrating whales and watch the river meet the Pacific. Enderts Beach Road and other coastal viewpoints add another side of Redwood entirely: wild, wind-shaped, and dramatically open after all that deep forest enclosure. The parks also shine for memorable stops and unusual experiences that have nothing to do with logging miles on foot. Fern Canyon is a standout point of interest, famous for its sheer walls draped in lush green ferns and its almost cinematic atmosphere, while the wide prairies around Prairie Creek offer some of the best wildlife viewing in the park, especially for Roosevelt elk. Along the coast, Gold Bluffs Beach is one of the most striking stretches of sand in Northern California, with surf, driftwood, and steep bluffs creating a raw, untamed backdrop, and tide-pooling opportunities add another layer of discovery when conditions are right. For something truly distinctive, summer kayak tours on the Smith River offer a rare chance to experience the parks from the water, gliding through clear currents beneath a landscape that feels both primeval and remarkably serene.