Spectacular coast, canyon and waterfall. They can grow to be up to 367 feet tall, which is about as high as a 35-story building. There are also a few places to stop along the way to see them up close. Making our way through the Chandelier “drive-thru” tree at... 2) Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Become a SMART traveler and save money and frustration on your next trip. Read on to see my favorite places to see the giant Redwoods in California. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is most known for being one of the best state parks in Big Sur along the Pacific Coast Highway, but it also features trails that stroll through redwood groves. The Pioneer Nature Trail winds among the redwood giants and is 1.5 miles long and ADA accessible. Subscribe to my newsletter and get your free Smart Travel Kit. In the Bay Area, Muir Woods is widely considered the best place to see Redwoods near San Francisco. Estimated Driving Time: 1 hour 40 minutes. For many, seeing Giant Redwoods is the highlight of their trip to San Francisco. Discover California Giant Redwoods and Sequoias - Visit famous and hidden ancient forests of giant redwoods and explore California’s best natural wonders. Here you’ll find plenty of shady groves to explore and the 31-mile … This trail runs along hillsides and ridges through an incredible display of old-growth redwoods. You can pick up this road at this junction. Next place to see Redwoods is to travel South from Jedediah Smith to Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park which is North of the town of Klamath. I’m Vlad and for 15+ years I have been helping travelers save money and frustration on their dream vacations to Europe and California. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park – The huge trunk of the Boyscout Tree is a great example of how wide the giant redwood trees can get See my photos from Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Yes it is touristy and somewhat dated, but it is very easy to visit being located right on the main highway. Chandelier Tree – the best place to see the giant redwoods Located in the Drive-Through Tree Park in Legget, California. With lots of choices throughout Europe and USA, I always get the best deal and service. The tallest tree species in the world - reaching impressive heights of 300-plus feet — the coast redwood in many cases lives more than 2,000 years. The main loop trail is well kept and has beautiful and impressive giant tree formations. Being pressed for time we were only able to walk the large trees loop and drive the entire Avenue of the Giants highway. Coastal Redwoods are some of the tallest trees in the world. Redwood trees are some of the tallest and largest trees in the world. Among the park, there is a 32-mile long strip of Giant Redwoods. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Just 5.5 miles north of HI Santa Cruz hostel is Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Stand below it or take a free park shuttle in the summer to see its size from a distance. The official Redwood National Park is near the city of Eureka, but there are large clusters of giant California redwood trees scattered from far south at San Francisco to the north at Crescent City. Starting at the north side of Avenue of the Giants, the redwood forest covers the road. There are also a variety of camping options. You’ll also find giant sequoias — the world’s most massive trees –in this park. So many great photos and pictures to count, and our family just really enjoyed our visit to one of the bucket list places in the US. Walking through a hushed coastal redwood forest in California is perhaps one of the most magical experiences you can have. SNP contains the largest contiguous old growth Giant Sequoias, and all that entails (meadows, ecosystems made by downed giants, lots of creatures and flowers). A vintage roadside attraction that delights with redwood groves and kitsch. SNP contains the largest contiguous old growth Giant Sequoias, and all that entails (meadows, ecosystems made by downed giants, lots of creatures and flowers). Further research led me to discover (what many probably do) that the Redwoods and Sequoias are 2 totally different places, each with their own giant trees and completely different locations as you can see on the map to the right: Sequoia National Park is in south east California. When you see it, it will give you a new perspective on how big these trees are; I was blown away. There are trees and then there are California's giant redwood trees. 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Visiting Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park gives you access to the most dense giant redwood forest. So let’s start our exploration of the giant Redwoods in California going from the north, near Crescent City to the south all the way near San Francisco. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is the best place to see California Redwoods See my photos from Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park At the northern end, near Crescent City you find the best old growth giant Redwoods groves. Travel writer Sarah Sekula shows you the best spots and ways to see them. From Fort Bragg and the ... Redwood National Park. As its nickname suggests, giant or coastal redwoods thrive in the moist, humid climate of the Northern California coast, where marine fog delivers precise conditions necessary for its growth. Calaveras “Big Trees” State Park lives up to its name. There are so many trails, parking areas and nearby attractions that you will want to use a visitor center and several online resources to select places to visit. These giant redwoods near San Francisco were one of the filming locations for the Forest of Endor in George Lucas’ Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. This is the easiest area for visiting the redwood forest. The best choice for finding local tours and tickets all over the world. Redwood National and State Park is an aggregation of California owned land which is managed jointly by the National and California Park Services. The best place to stay is in the park, at Wuksachi Lodge (although the Kings Canyon Accomodations are nice too and the redwoods in Kings Canyon are amazing). Distance from SF: 77 miles . Avenue of the Giants (Humboldt County). Giant Tree Not the tallest redwood, but this specimen in Humboldt Redwoods State Park is pretty much the best in show. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is one of the best parks to see the amazing redwoods and is known for preserving old-growth redwoods. The four parks, together, protect 45% of all remaining coast redwood. If you only have time to do one thing here, make sure it is the Founders Grove. The best time to visit the redwoods, depends on what you want to do, and what weather you can become comfortable in. Located a mere 5.5 miles north of Santa Cruz, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park centers around a grove of redwoods that range up to 300 feet in height and 1,800 years in age. So far here we discussed the best places to see redwood trees in California as mentioned above also we have explained briefly about the redwood trees California and redwood groves. Partway between Ukiah and Mendocino, Montgomery Woods is an ideal stop to stretch your legs and admire the two main redwood species in the western U.S., the Coastal Redwood and the Sierra Redwood (the Big Tree). Logging has been prohibited for more than a hundred years which makes this area very old and dense. On this scenic byway to Hwy 101, you will be surrounded by towering Redwoods. It is one of the most amazing feelings I have ever felt, looking at these ancient giant trees towering over everything else. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500-mile redwood belt and … All rights reserved. This road is called “The Avenue of the Giants”, and it certainly deserves its name and a top spot on the 15 Best Drives in California. It's a 32-mile stretch of trees and is best place to see these giant redwoods by car. Located on the coast of northern California, the Redwood National and State Parks are where you will find old-growth temperate rainforests. In summer — when the surf and sand glisten and glimmer — some Oregon beaches … Just southeast of Big Basin is Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, a smaller state park with 24 kilometers of hiking trails. Below are 8 amazing places to see these outsized trees in California. Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest. You will also find some great places to camp and hike here too. Located on the coast of northern California, the Redwood National and State Parks are where you will find old-growth temperate rainforests. Redwood National Park is spread over a large part of Northern California. Trees of Mystery, Klamath – Beautiful young Redwood trees on the Trail of Mysterious Trees See my photos from Trees of Mystery. The oldest state park in California, Big Basin Redwoods State Park affords numerous scenic hiking opportunities. However, being close to San Francisco, the park is very very busy especially in the summer months. Muir Woods National Monument is only about 20 kilometers north of San Francisco, making it the most accessible park on this list and thereby the world’s most-visited redwood park. So awesome! See the link below for … Muir Woods National Monument – Undergrowth of a redwood canopy demonstrating the deep shadow under the trees See my photos from San Francisco. Known for sky-scraping forests unique to this corner of the world, California draws visitors from all over the globe to the land of towering giants. Cruise among giants on Howland Hill Road If you want to get in the thick of the woods, Jedediah is the best place to do it. It's damp, quiet, and peaceful, and you're surrounded by some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world. People travel from far and wide to see the giant redwood trees along the California coast, but not many realize we have groves of giant redwoods right here in Oregon, and they’re spectacular! California is home to 31 redwood state and national parks. Take my SMART course », SMART Travel Planning Book 15+ years of international travel experience in less than 40 pages. 15 Best Places to See Redwoods Near San Francisco (Plus a Few Giant Sequoia Groves!) And we completely get it! You may want to pick only a few specific places that will fit your expectations. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s inside: where to find the biggest redwoods in California, a helpful map, tips for hiking, how to help save the redwoods and more! Truth be told, this 5.6-mile (9-km), narrow stretch dirt road is one of the most impressive drives in the United States, if not the entire world. But where to go and see the best of Jedediah Smith Redwoods? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. By Richard Stenger/Redwoods Enthusiast EUREKA, CA -- Whether for hikes, hugs or holy encounters, an amazing number of botanical giants await on California’s Redwood Coast, home of the world’s tallest trees. 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