Some national parks you admire from a distance. Redwood National and State Parks you can drive straight through, with centuries-old trunks close enough to touch from the car window. The complex stretches roughly 50 miles along California's north coast, from Crescent City down to Orick, and protecting the tallest trees on Earth.

First, a planning quirk that trips people up: this isn't one park. It's Redwood National Park plus three California state parks (Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek) managed together. The land is patchwork, so think in two clusters. Near Crescent City you get Howland Hill Road, Stout Memorial Grove, Grove of the Titans and Damnation Creek Trail. An hour south near Orick sit Fern Canyon, the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Big Tree Wayside. With only one day, pick a single cluster — the drive between them eats time better spent on trails.

The standout short hike is Stout Memorial Grove in Jedediah Smith: just 0.75 miles round trip but crammed with old-growth redwoods, including the 325-foot Stout Tree — taller than the Statue of Liberty. Arrive before 10 am; parking is tight and the trail fills quickly. Howland Hill Road, a narrow 5.2-mile unpaved drive threading the same groves, is the pick if you only do one scenic drive (leave RVs and trailers elsewhere).

For something tougher, the Damnation Creek Trail in Del Norte Coast drops 1,300 feet over two miles through old-growth forest to a secluded Pacific beach — one of the few places you can walk from redwoods to coastline. The climb back is the hard part. In Jedediah Smith, the 4.8-mile Boy Scout Tree Trail reaches a fused, 230-foot giant estimated at over 2,500 years old. If crowds bother you, the flat Simpson-Reed loop off Route 199 delivers a similar old-growth experience with a fraction of the foot traffic.

South, Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek is the odd one out: a narrow slot canyon with walls entirely draped in ferns, waded via repeated stream crossings (a Jurassic Park sequel filmed here). Waterproof shoes are non-negotiable, and driving Davison Road between May 15 and September 15 requires a reservation, ideally in a high-clearance vehicle. Nearby, the Karl Knapp Trail loops about 2.5 easy miles to Big Tree Wayside, a 1,500-year-old redwood 286 feet tall and nearly 24 feet wide.

The practical bottom line: one to two days covers the highlights, four days does the lot. Base yourself in Crescent City, Klamath or a park campground, and aim for April to June or September to November. Anyone road-tripping the Pacific Northwest into California will naturally hit the northern cluster first; coming up from San Francisco, work the other direction.

Story by Earth Trekkers