16 Best Sights in Redwood National Park, California

This is the most challenging but also the most rewarding of the Howland Hill Road hikes. Give yourself about three hours to complete this 5.6-mile round-trip trek to verdant Fern Falls. The old-growth redwoods on the tranquil trail are magnificent. If you don't have enough time, the ½-mile-loop Stout Memorial Grove Trail is a nearby alternative. Moderate.

The 9-mile, narrow, and partially unpaved Coastal Drive Loop takes about 45 minutes to traverse. Weaving through redwoods, the road yields close-up Klamath River views and expansive Pacific panoramas. This loop, closed to trailers and RVs, is all that remains of a longer drive. A spur road leads to the High Bluff Overlook, a premier whale-watching spot; a ½-mile trail leads down to the beach. A little less than a mile north of the overlook lies the B-71 Radar Station, which looks like a farmhouse, its disguise during World War II. About ½-mile farther along, hikers access the Flint Ridge section of the Coastal Trail, also possible off Klamath Beach Road.

This gorgeous 70-mile trail, much of it along dramatic bluffs high above the crashing surf, can be tackled in short, relatively easy chunks or longer, strenuous spans that entail backcountry overnight camping. A few of the most alluring smaller sections, listed here from north to south, are accessible at well-marked trailheads. The moderate-to-difficult DeMartin section (accessed from mile marker 15.6 on U.S. 101) leads south past 6 miles of old-growth redwoods and through sweeping prairie. It connects with the moderate 5½-mile-long Klamath section, which proceeds south from Wilson Creek Picnic Area to Klamath River Overlook, with a short detour to Hidden Beach and its tide pools, providing coastal views and whale-watching opportunities. If you're up for a real workout, hike the brutally difficult but stunning Flint Ridge section (accessed from the Old Douglas Memorial Bridge Site on Klamath Beach Rd.), with its 4½ miles of steep grades and numerous switchbacks past Marshall Pond and through stands of old-growth redwoods. Moderate–Difficult.

Enter another world and be surrounded by 50-foot canyon walls covered with sword, deer, and five-finger ferns. Allow an hour to explore the ¼-mile-long vertical garden along a 0.7-mile loop. From the northern end of Gold Bluffs Beach it's an easy walk, although you'll have to wade across or scamper along planks that traverse a small stream several times (in addition to driving across a couple of streams on the way to the parking area). But the lush, otherworldly surroundings, which appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), are a must-see when creeks aren't running too high. Motor homes/RVs and all trailers are prohibited. You can also hike to the canyon from Prairie Creek Visitor Center along the challenging West Ridge–Friendship Ridge–James Irvine Loop, 12½ miles round-trip.

This picnic area's sunsets and whale-watching are unequaled. A ½-mile trail leads from here to the beach.

Take your time as you drive this 10-mile route that meanders within inches of old-growth redwoods' hulking trunks and follows the Smith River for a spell. Trailers and RVs are prohibited on the unpaved but well-maintained road for the roughly 7 miles that pass through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Pullouts include those for the Boy Scout Tree and Stout Memorial Grove trailheads.

Home to the Stout Memorial Grove, this park with 20 miles of hiking and nature trails is named after a trapper who in 1826 became the first white man to explore Northern California's interior. If coming from interior Oregon, this is your first chance to drive and hike among stands of soaring redwoods.

This flat, well-maintained, 3½-mile loop starting and ending at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center passes beneath awe-inspiring redwoods. The 1-mile section along the Karl Knapp Trail (formerly the Prairie Creek Trail) fringes a babbling brook. You then cross Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, turn south onto the Cathedral Trees Trail, and detour along the 0.3-mile Big Tree Loop before meandering south and west through yet more gorgeous old-growth forest. Options for extending your hike include walking 1½ miles up Cal-Barrel Road (an old, unpaved logging route) and then looping back 2 miles on the Rhododendron Trail to rejoin Cathedral Trees. Easy–Moderate.

This grassy, windswept bluff rises 650 feet above the confluence of the Klamath River and the Pacific. Among RNSP's best spots for spying migratory whales in early winter and late spring (other wildlife year-round), it accesses a section of the Coastal Trail. Warm days are ideal for picnicking at one of the tables.

Among the most accessible spots to view big trees, this impressive grove a short drive northeast of Orick was dedicated by, and named for, the former first lady. A level, 1.4-mile nature loop crosses a neat old wooden footbridge and follows an old logging road through this often mist-shrouded forest of redwoods. Easy.

This paved 10-mile route threads through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and old-growth redwoods. Great stops include the 0.8-mile walk to Big Tree Wayside and a meadow where Roosevelt elk often graze—both are near the park's visitor center.

Spectacular redwoods and lush ferns make up this park traversed by the stunning Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Extra space has been paved alongside the parklands, providing fine places to observe herds of Roosevelt elk, which at one time neared extinction, in adjoining meadows. The park also includes famously spectacular Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. If your time is limited, Prairie Creek is one of the best spots for a full day hiking and exploring.

A massive stone fireplace anchors this small redwood lodge whose wildlife displays include a section of a tree a young elk died beside. Due to the peculiar way the redwood grew around the elk's skull, the tree appears to have antlers. You can learn about interpretive programs at the center, which has a gift shop, a picnic area, restrooms, and exhibits on flora and fauna. Roosevelt elk often roam the vast field across the parkway, and several trails begin nearby. Stretch your legs with a stroll along Revelation Trail, a short loop that starts behind the lodge.

Civilization quickly recedes as you walk amid the grove's breathtakingly majestic standing and fallen old-growth trees. Ferns and redwood sorrel line the wide and easy path, which loops for ½ mile back to the parking lot. Extend your hike another mile following the slightly more difficult River Trail, which sidles along the Smith River. Easy.

Rangers at RNSP's largest and best visitor center dispense brochures, advice, and free permits to drive up the access road to Tall Trees Grove. Whale-watchers find the center's deck an excellent observation point, and bird-watchers enjoy the nearby Freshwater Lagoon, a popular layover for migrating waterfowl. Many of the exhibits are hands-on and kid-friendly.

On this lush trek through a mix of old-growth redwoods, ferns, smaller deciduous trees, and some clusters of trillium flowers, you'll encounter the pretty cascades that give the hike its name after the first ½ mile. It's worth continuing along the full 2.8-mile loop, as the walk's southern end offers the best views of soaring redwoods. Roosevelt elk sometimes roam in the meadow by the trailhead. Easy–Moderate.