Redwood National Park has so much to see and three days was not enough to see everything. Between the world’s tallest tree, fern canyons, beaches, and wildlife, you can easily spend a week here and still haven’t seen it all.
We decided to stay at two different campsites since we wanted to experience different parts of the park. At our second campground, Elk Prairie Creek, we had elks hanging out near our campground while we prepared and ate dinner. In the evening and later that night, we had gray foxes playing right outside our trailer. Additional animals included deers and blue jays that were curious at what we were eating. It was an amazing and memorable experience for all of us.
Hiking in the Redwood is most amazing in the afternoon and early morning because of the fog and moisture in the air. This creates beautiful sun rays through the trees and parries. Additionally, there are often less people on the trails and less noise which means more animals to see!
If your’e not a hiker, well, Redwood has a drive that will take your breath away through giant redwoods called the Howland Hill Rd. The drive is narrow and only one car can go through at once squeezing between the TALL tress. It is so much fun for both kids and adults. Our son was amazed by the countless tall trees. Some of the trees, you can’t even see the top of it!
Fern Canyon
We also did a hike to the fern canyons, a quick drive from Elk Prairie Creek campgrounds. The ferns are really something different and definitely worth going to but make sure to have an SUV because the roads are really bumpy and you have to drive through small creeks depending on the season. Smaller cars can get stuck or have to turn around. The canyon has a few inches of water flowing down the canyon so please bring rain boots or sandals so you can make it through the canyon without worrying about getting your shoes and socks wet. We wore waterproof hiking boots and it was a little challenging balancing on those rocks and tree trunks.
When people think of Redwoods, they think of trees but part of the park extends to the beach area which we recommend stopping by for lunch to hand out watching surfers ride the waves or just play in the sand.
Our recommend length of stay at Redwood National Park is at least 4-5 nights, to allow you to enjoy amazing hikes, drives around the park’s beautiful natural landscape and relax.
For more photos, they can be found here.