Some of the tallest living things on Earth grow along this stretch of Highway 101, close enough to the road that you can pull over, step out, and stand beneath a tree that was already centuries old when the highway was built. The Redwood Highway runs through a collection of national and state park lands, and the rules can vary by stop. Highway 101 passes through Redwood National Park and three California state parks — Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods — and while they’re often treated as one destination, fees, reservations, and road access can differ depending on where you turn off.
That patchwork of jurisdictions is easy to miss until you’re standing at a locked gate you didn’t know you needed a code for, or turning back from a beach you assumed was free to drive to. None of it is complicated once you know how the pieces fit together, and getting it right up front means spending your time among the trees instead of untangling permits once you’re already there.
Redwood Highway Road Trip at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Corridor | Highway 101 through Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties |
| Managed by | Redwood National Park plus three California state parks |
| National park entrance fee | None |
| State park day-use fees | Apply at some developed sites |
| Key reservations | Fern Canyon (seasonal, free) and Tall Trees Grove (year-round, free) |
| Recommended time | 1 day for a quick pass-through, 2–3+ days to actually explore |
Redwood Fees & Permits: What You Actually Need
| Destination | Entrance/day-use fee | Reservation/permit |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood National Park areas generally | No entrance fee | Usually none |
| Prairie Creek / Del Norte Coast / Jedediah Smith state park areas | Day-use fees can apply at developed sites | Varies by location |
| Fern Canyon / Gold Bluffs Beach | $12 day-use fee | Free reservation required May 15–September 15 |
| Tall Trees Trailhead | No activity fee | Free reservation required year-round |
Is There an Entrance Fee?
Redwood National Park itself has no entrance stations and no entrance fee. That’s true for most of the corridor, but it isn’t the whole picture.
Which State Parks Charge Day-Use Fees?
The three California state parks woven into the same complex — Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods — can charge day-use fees at some of their developed sites. Not every location within them has the same fee requirement, so don’t assume the entire complex is either uniformly free or uniformly fee-based.
Do You Need a Fern Canyon Reservation?
The reservation itself is free, required for vehicle access to the Gold Bluffs Beach day-use area from May 15 through September 15. A separate $12 day-use fee applies at Gold Bluffs Beach — the reservation and the fee are two different things, and it’s easy to assume paying one covers the other. If a vehicle reservation isn’t available, you can also reach Fern Canyon on foot from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center via the James Irvine Trail, a roughly 10-mile round trip.
Do You Need a Tall Trees Reservation?
Yes, year-round, and it’s free. Availability is limited, the access road ends at a locked gate, and the gate code is supplied electronically with your reservation, currently issued through the Redwood Parks Conservancy. Because the booking process can change independently of the underlying requirement, check the current NPS reservation page before building a day around this stop.
Understanding the Redwood Highway Route
Humboldt County
This is where most travelers first encounter the redwoods, anchored by the Avenue of the Giants, a classic redwood-driving stretch that parallels Highway 101 for about 19 miles between Phillipsville and Pepperwood. The road passes through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the largest contiguous old-growth redwood forest left on Earth, with pull-offs into individual groves along the way. Garberville and Redcrest both work as practical stopping points if you’re breaking the drive up rather than pushing straight through, and the Avenue itself is narrow and slow by design, so treat it as a destination rather than a quick detour off the highway.
Prairie Creek Redwoods
Home to the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, Fern Canyon, and Elk Prairie, this section rewards slowing down rather than treating it as a highway bypass. It sits between Orick and Klamath, and it’s the section where the fee and reservation systems described above actually come into play, so this is the part of the trip that benefits most from planning ahead rather than deciding on the fly.
Del Norte County
The northernmost section, centered around Crescent City, Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Stout Grove, and Howland Hill Road. Crescent City itself is a working coastal town rather than a tourist-oriented base, which makes it a practical rather than a scenic stop, while Jedediah Smith Redwoods just inland holds some of the corridor’s densest old growth. This section also marks the northern end of the Redwood Highway corridor before Highway 101 continues on into Oregon.
Best Redwood Highway Stops
Avenue of the Giants: A classic redwood-driving experience, running roughly parallel to Highway 101 through Humboldt County, with frequent pull-offs among towering old-growth.
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway: A slower, more immersive detour through Prairie Creek than the Avenue of the Giants — this one asks you to get out and walk rather than just drive through.
Fern Canyon: A narrow canyon with walls draped entirely in ferns. See the permit section above before building a day around it.
Tall Trees Grove: Home to some of the tallest known trees on Earth, reached by a genuinely serious approach — see the decision section below before adding it.
Stout Grove: In Jedediah Smith Redwoods, a short loop through some of the most impressive trees in the whole complex, set along the Smith River.
Howland Hill Road: A ten-mile unpaved road where the redwoods grow close enough to nearly brush the car — not suitable for RVs or vehicles towing trailers.
How Many Days Do You Need?
One day: pick one section and a few major stops rather than trying to see the whole corridor.
Two days: enough to combine several major redwood experiences without rushing.
Three days: room for more hiking, detours, and state-park exploration.
Four or more days: useful if you’re combining the Redwood Highway with a broader Northern California or Oregon Coast trip.
Tall Trees vs. Fern Canyon: Which Should You Add?
Add Tall Trees Grove if you have several hours to spare, you’re comfortable with a strenuous roughly 4.5-mile round-trip hike with a steep descent and ascent, and you want a deeper redwood experience away from the roadside.
Add Fern Canyon if you’re comfortable with wet feet, potential stream crossings, and a rough access road, and you’ve either secured the seasonal vehicle reservation or you’re willing to hike in from Prairie Creek instead.
Consider both if you have three or more days and don’t mind a genuinely full day built around one of them.
Consider skipping both if you’re doing a quick Highway 101 pass-through, traveling in a large RV or towing a trailer, or mainly want accessible, roadside redwood views — Avenue of the Giants and Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway already deliver that without the same logistics.
Best Time to Visit
Fog and rain are constants along this corridor in every season, so pack layers and rain protection regardless of when you go.
Spring brings green growth and generally manageable crowds.
Summer is the most popular season and when the Fern Canyon reservation system is active.
Fall offers quieter travel with the weather still reasonably cooperative.
Winter is the quietest of all, though wetter conditions and the possibility of closures make flexibility more important.
Wildlife and Roadside Safety
Roosevelt elk are large, wild, and genuinely unpredictable, and herds regularly graze near roads and trails, especially around Elk Prairie. Keep well back, don’t approach for photos, and don’t block the road to watch them — this matters most during the fall rut and spring calving periods, when elk are more defensive. Some access roads, including the routes to Tall Trees Grove and Fern Canyon, are unpaved, narrow, and can involve stream crossings, so check current conditions and clearance requirements before committing your vehicle to them.
Where to Stay
Humboldt County: the widest range of lodging on the corridor, convenient to the Avenue of the Giants. Garberville and Redcrest both offer easy access to the Avenue itself, while Eureka and Arcata further north have the largest selection of chain hotels if you want more reliable availability or a wider range of restaurants nearby.
Prairie Creek area: fewer options, but well positioned for an early start toward Fern Canyon or the Newton B. Drury Parkway. Orick is the closest practical base, though it’s a small town with limited services, so this is a good stretch to fuel up and stock supplies before you arrive rather than counting on finding much once you’re there. The park’s own campgrounds are a reasonable alternative if you’d rather stay inside Prairie Creek itself.
Crescent City / Del Norte: the practical base for the northern end of the corridor, including Jedediah Smith Redwoods and Howland Hill Road. It has a decent range of standard hotels and is the closest sizable town to the Oregon border, which makes it a sensible last stop if you’re continuing north into the Oregon Coast afterward.
As with the rest of this guide, book ahead for summer weekends in particular — lodging options thin out quickly the closer you get to the more remote northern stretches.
What to Prepare Before You Go
Download offline maps, reservation confirmations, and accommodation details before you arrive — cell service is unreliable throughout much of the corridor, and digital navigation can be inaccurate on some of the more remote access roads. Fuel up before heading onto any of the unpaved detours, pack for wet weather regardless of season, and check current NPS and Caltrans conditions before departure, since trailheads, access roads, and construction status can all change.
Who Is This Trip Best For
This suits scenic-drive travelers, photographers, and anyone building a longer Northern California or Pacific Coast trip who wants a genuinely different landscape than beaches or mountains. It’s a tougher fit for large RVs or anyone towing a trailer, since several of the best detours explicitly aren’t suited to that kind of vehicle, and for travelers who want a quick, low-effort stop rather than the walking and driving time the best parts of this corridor actually require.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the entire Redwood Highway sits inside one park with one set of rules.
- Assuming “no national park entrance fee” means every stop along the way is free.
- Confusing a reservation requirement with a day-use fee — they’re often two separate things here.
- Adding Tall Trees Grove to an itinerary without allowing several real hours for it.
- Taking a large RV or a trailer onto access roads that explicitly don’t allow them.
- Arriving at Fern Canyon without understanding the seasonal reservation system.
- Relying entirely on cell service or a navigation app in the more remote sections.
FAQs
Is there an entrance fee for Redwood National Park? No — Redwood National Park has no entrance stations or entrance fee. Some developed sites within the three adjoining California state parks do charge day-use fees.
Do I need a reservation for Fern Canyon? A free reservation is required for vehicle access to Gold Bluffs Beach from May 15 through September 15, and a separate $12 day-use fee applies there. You can also hike in from Prairie Creek without a vehicle reservation.
Do I need a reservation for Tall Trees Grove? Yes, year-round, and it’s free, though limited in availability. The access road ends at a locked gate, with the code supplied when you book.
How many days do you need for the Redwood Highway? One day covers a single section. Two to three days lets you combine several major stops without rushing, and four or more works well if you’re pairing it with a longer coastal trip.
Can I bring an RV on the Redwood Highway? The main highway is fine, but several key detours — including Howland Hill Road and the access road to Fern Canyon — aren’t suitable for large RVs or vehicles towing trailers.
What’s the difference between Avenue of the Giants and Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway? Avenue of the Giants is the classic redwood-driving experience in Humboldt County. Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, further north in Prairie Creek, is a slower, more immersive detour better suited to getting out and walking rather than just driving through.
PLAN YOUR TRIP YOUR WAY
Build a day-by-day itinerary around your time, pace, interests, and budget.
Use our planner to combine the Redwood Highway with a longer Pacific Coast or Northern California itinerary, built around your available days and the stops that matter most to you.
