Redwood National Park Itinerary: 6 Day Road Trip from San Francisco

Pick up the car at San Francisco airport and, after check-in, drive across the Golden Gate. The first exit after the bridge climbs into the Marin Headlands, and the old 1897 gun battery has the most famous view of the bridge. Parking is tight; half an hour is enough.

It is 30 minutes on winding roads down to the valley. Entry needs a parking or shuttle reservation on GoMuirWoods, plus the US$ 15 adult fee. The flat boardwalk along the creek reaches Cathedral Grove in 20 minutes.

These are real coast redwoods, but smaller than the ones up north: think of this grove as the trip's appetiser. One and a half hours.

Leave at 6:30: it is three and a half hours up the 101 to the Avenue of the Giants exit, a 50 km old road that runs alongside the highway through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The stop that matters is Founders Grove, a flat trail of about 800 metres.

The highlight is the Dyerville Giant, over 110 metres tall until it fell in 1991: walking beside the trunk on the ground gives you the scale that looking up never does. One hour fifteen.

A 20 minute detour leads to the village that grew rich on dairy in the 19th century and kept its whole main street of Victorian shopfronts. Have lunch here, then continue to Eureka, half an hour north. One hour fifteen.

After check-in, walk Old Town, the 19th century centre on the bay. At the east end stands the turreted mansion lumber baron William Carson built in the 1880s; it is now a private club, so you see it from outside.

With time to spare, Sequoia Park Zoo in the south of town has the Redwood Sky Walk, an elevated walkway at canopy height, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. One and a half hours downtown.

Check out and drive 1h15 north; early risers can first stop at Arcata Marsh, a bird-filled wetland on the bay. Just past Orick, drive 4 km up Bald Hills Road, which is open but has damaged sections: go slowly. The loop trail of about 2.4 km is almost flat and passes old-growth redwoods and rhododendrons. The grove was dedicated in 1969 to the First Lady who campaigned for the park. One hour fifteen.

Check in at Crescent City, 50 minutes north. In the late afternoon, drive about 5 km south to the Enderts Beach Road viewpoint over a pebble beach and the open sea. From December to April it is a good spot for grey whales. Forty-five minutes.

Drive 45 minutes back south onto the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, a 16 km road through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Next to the visitor center is the meadow where Roosevelt elk graze; watch from the roadside and keep your distance. Half an hour.

Two minutes up the road, a 100 metre path reaches the Big Tree, about 87 metres tall and over 20 around. The Cathedral Trees and Foothill trails start here if you want a longer walk. Forty-five minutes.

Davison Road runs 13 km of dirt to Gold Bluffs Beach, with two stream crossings: the park recommends high clearance after rain, and there is a day-use fee at the entrance. From May 15 to September 15, every car needs a reservation to reach the trailhead.

The canyon has walls of about 15 metres draped in ferns and was a set for Jurassic Park: The Lost World. The plank footbridges are only in place in summer; otherwise expect ankle to knee deep water. Two hours.

On the way back to Crescent City, climb Requa Road to the overlook above the mouth of the Klamath River. Sea lions gather at the river bar and, in season, whales pass close to shore. Forty-five minutes.

Twenty minutes east of Crescent City, the grove by the Smith River has huge redwoods and almost no undergrowth, so you see the full height of the trees. The flat trail is about 800 metres. The seasonal footbridge from the campground is removed outside summer, so come in from the Howland Hill Road car park. One hour.

Head west on the gravel road that winds between the trees back to Crescent City. It is slow, no trailers, and every bend asks you to stop. The Boy Scout Tree Trail starts here, but a fallen tree blocks it after 2.8 km. Two hours with stops.

The 1856 lighthouse sits on an islet linked to town by a rocky bar that only appears at low tide. Check the tide table first and come back with time to spare: the water rises fast. One hour.

Leave Crescent City at 8:30: it is 1h15 to Sue-meg State Park, called Patrick's Point until 2021, when it got its Yurok name back. A short stairway climbs Wedding Rock, with views over the coves. Forty-five minutes.

Ten minutes south, the village of Trinidad has a memorial lighthouse on the bluff, overlooking the fishing harbour and Trinidad Head. Arcata-Eureka airport is 15 minutes away; drop the car and catch the afternoon flight to San Francisco. Forty-five minutes.