3 Best Sights in Redwood National Park, California

Home to the Stout Memorial Grove, this park with 20 miles of hiking and nature trails is named after a trapper who in 1826 became the first white man to explore Northern California's interior. If coming from interior Oregon, this is your first chance to drive and hike among stands of soaring redwoods.

Spectacular redwoods and lush ferns make up this park traversed by the stunning Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Extra space has been paved alongside the parklands, providing fine places to observe herds of Roosevelt elk, which at one time neared extinction, in adjoining meadows. The park also includes famously spectacular Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. If your time is limited, Prairie Creek is one of the best spots for a full day hiking and exploring.

This park southeast of Crescent City contains 15 memorial redwood groves and 8 miles of pristine coastline, which you can most easily access at Wilson Beach or False Klamath Cove. The old-growth forest extends down steep slopes almost to the shore.