Redwood is a single jointly-managed complex — Redwood National Park plus three California state parks (Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek) — preserving nearly half of the world's remaining old-growth coast redwood forest. These are the tallest trees on Earth, some over 350 feet tall and 2,000 years old. The park is also a 30-mile stretch of rugged northern California coastline with elk herds in open meadows. For reunions, the appeal is the photos — every relative gets at least one redwood-canopy shot — plus a relatively short list of must-do drives and short walks that work for every age. Crescent City and Klamath are the practical home bases.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Avenue of the Giants
Technically just south of the park in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, but the canonical 31-mile redwood-grove driving tour and a great extension day.
Official source ↗Lady Bird Johnson Grove
A 1.4-mile mostly-flat loop through cathedral old-growth redwoods; among the best easy redwood walks in the system.
Official source ↗Fern Canyon
A 50-ft-deep canyon with walls covered in five species of fern; 1-mile loop, often with stream crossings — bring waterproof shoes.
Official source ↗Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
10-mile alternate to Highway 101 through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park; arguably the best driving tour in the park complex.
Official source ↗Prairie Creek Visitor Center & elk meadow
Year-round visitor center with a Roosevelt elk herd that often grazes on the meadow out front; safe viewing distance required.
Official source ↗Tall Trees Grove
One of the tallest groves in the park; requires a free permit (limited daily) and a 4-mile roundtrip hike with a steep return.
Official source ↗Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Northern unit with the famously narrow Howland Hill Road through a tight redwood corridor — a slow, magic 10-mile drive.
Official source ↗Trees of Mystery
Privately-owned, but the gondola through the redwood canopy is genuinely fun for kids and a popular reunion pause point in Klamath.
Official source ↗Junior Ranger program
Free Redwood-specific activity book at any visitor center; complete the activities to earn a wooden badge.
Official source ↗Hiouchi and Kuchel Visitor Centers
The two main visitor centers (Hiouchi in the north, Kuchel in the south near Orick); both are good first stops for orientation and elk-update info.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Redwood National and State Parks reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Multi-generational reunions — short flat trails and roadside drives do most of the work
- Photo-focused families (the canopy light is genuinely otherworldly)
- Beach + forest combo trips
- Kids who like wildlife — elk are visible on most days
- Reunions doing a Pacific coast road trip
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- Medford, OR (MFR) ~3 hr · Eureka-Arcata (ACV) ~45 min · San Francisco (SFO) ~5.5 hr
- Group Lodging
- No in-park lodges (the historic ones closed). Vacation rentals and small hotels in Crescent City (north end), Klamath, Trinidad, and Eureka. Larger reunions usually base in Crescent City or Eureka.
- Cell Service
- Spotty among the redwoods; usable in Crescent City, Klamath, and Eureka.
- Parking
- Fern Canyon trailhead requires advance vehicle reservations May-September on Recreation.gov; other lots fill mid-day in summer.
- Park Fee
- No entrance fee for the federal park, though state-park sections charge a day-use fee at some lots ($8-12).
- Accessibility
- Lady Bird Johnson Grove (mostly flat), the Big Tree Wayside, Stout Grove (wheelchair-accessible loop in Jedediah Smith), and visitor centers all work for limited mobility.
- Official Site
- https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
When to go
May through October. The redwoods are dim and damp year-round; summer fog is part of the experience and keeps temperatures in the 50s-60s. Winter brings heavy rain and occasional road closures, especially in the inland sections. Fern Canyon stream crossings are easiest in late summer.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10-25 do well in 2-3 vacation rentals in Crescent City, Klamath, or Trinidad, or a single large coastal rental in McKinleyville.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25-60 should plan a vacation rental cluster in Crescent City or Eureka and treat the park as a series of day drives.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 60+ work best out of Eureka, where there is real hotel and rental capacity. Pick one daily Prairie Creek meeting spot to keep the group connected.
Sample 3-day Redwood reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly\'s Schedule and customize for your group.
Friday — Arrival & Easy Walk
- Fly into Eureka-Arcata (ACV) or Medford (MFR) and drive to Crescent City
- 3 PM rental check-in
- 5 PM short walk in Stout Grove (Jedediah Smith) — flat, accessible
- 7 PM group dinner at the rental
- Hand out Junior Ranger books
Saturday — Drury Parkway & Fern Canyon
- 8 AM breakfast and drive to Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
- 10 AM Big Tree Wayside walk and the elk meadow at Prairie Creek Visitor Center
- 12 PM picnic at Elk Prairie
- 1 PM Fern Canyon (with prepaid vehicle reservation)
- 7 PM family dinner and group photo
Sunday — Lady Bird Johnson Grove & Goodbyes
- 8 AM breakfast
- 9:30 AM Lady Bird Johnson Grove loop — works for every age
- 12 PM final picnic lunch at Kuchel Visitor Center
- 1 PM Junior Ranger badge ceremony
- 2 PM goodbyes and travel home
Reunion organizer tips
Treat 'the park' as a 50-mile string of stops along Highway 101. There is no central village. Pick a north base (Crescent City) or south base (Eureka/Trinidad) and accept that each end of the park is a 90-minute drive.
Reserve Fern Canyon ahead. From May through September the Fern Canyon vehicle approach requires a Recreation.gov reservation. Book the moment slots open or you will be turned around at the gate.
The grandparent-friendly hits are concentrated. Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Stout Grove, the Big Tree Wayside, and the Newton B. Drury Parkway pullouts cover the wow without serious hiking. Plan one of those each morning.
Layers and a real rain shell. Even in July, the canopy stays in the 50s with frequent fog drip. The coast at Gold Bluffs Beach is colder still.
Roosevelt elk are around the Prairie Creek meadows almost daily. Stay 75+ ft away — bulls are large and unpredictable in the fall rut.
For the once-in-a-lifetime moment, plan one early morning at Stout Grove or Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The light shafts through the canopy and the silence are why people come.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Redwood National and State Parks reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
Is there an entrance fee for the redwoods?
There is no entrance fee for Redwood National Park itself. A few of the state-park day-use lots charge $8-12. Fern Canyon vehicle access requires a separate Recreation.gov reservation in summer, currently $5.
When is the best time for a redwoods reunion?
May through October. Summer fog keeps temperatures in the 50s and 60s — pleasant but cool. Avoid the heart of winter unless your reunion is willing to deal with heavy rain and occasional road closures.
Where should we stay?
There are no in-park lodges. Most reunions base in Crescent City (north end), Klamath, Trinidad, or Eureka (south end). Crescent City and Eureka have the most rental and hotel capacity for larger groups. Pick one and accept that the other end of the park is a 90-minute drive each way.
Do I need a Fern Canyon reservation?
Yes — between May and September. Vehicle access to the Fern Canyon trailhead requires a Recreation.gov reservation booked in advance. The system was set up to manage road and parking damage. Reserve immediately when slots release.
Is the redwoods accessible for older relatives?
Yes for the major groves. Lady Bird Johnson Grove is mostly flat, Stout Grove has a paved accessible loop, the Big Tree Wayside is right off the road, and visitor center exhibits work for everyone. Tall Trees Grove (steep, permit-only) and the longer Prairie Creek loops are not accessible.
Will we see elk?
Almost certainly. Roosevelt elk graze the meadows at Prairie Creek and Elk Prairie most days, especially mornings and evenings. Stay at least 75 feet away — bulls are very large and unpredictable in fall rut.
