4 Best Sights in Redwood National Park, California

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.

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.

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.

This steep, dramatic road winding up to some of the parks' highest elevations accesses great hikes—Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Lyons Ranch among them—as well as the spur road to Tall Trees Grove. But it's wondrously scenic all on its own, passing through a sometimes misty redwood patch before reaching open meadows with wildflowers in spring and the chance to see Roosevelt elk and bears year-round. Do stop at Redwood Creek Overlook, a 2,100-foot elevation pullout at mile 6.6. Bald Hills Road is paved for the first 13 miles. It continues another 4 miles unpaved to RNSP's southern boundary. From here you can continue another 20 miles or so to the small village of Weitchpec and then onward inland toward Redding or Yreka.