Big Sur / Redwood National Forest
 

Hello!

My fiance and I would like to figure out a way to drive down Route 1 while we travel from Napa to San Francisco. We would like to stop at Big Sur and/or Redwood National Forest to take a hike. My fiance has never been to Northern California and I'd love to give him a taste of the magnificent redwood trees and Big Sur! Can anyone suggest a route in which we can do that? Also, if you feel that doing a hike in Redwood National Park would be more beneficial than Big Sur or vise versa, please let me know!

Also, do you suggest any specific hikes or places to stop along the way? I would say that we are beginner to intermediate hikers. We are in good shape, but aren't looking to kill ourselves!

Any information is MUCH appreciated!

Thank you!!!
Allie

OK --maybe a map is in order. Redwood National Park is in the far northwest corner of CA and Big sur in on the central Coast. They are nearly 500 (slow) miles apart. Neither is near Napa or San Francisco.

Big Sur is 150 miles south of SF.

Now, Muir Woods is a smaller redwood park near SF and you <i>could</i> visit it between Napa and the city.

So, before we can help you much - how many days do you have in total, how many days in Napa and how many days in San Francisco?

As Janis pointed out, neither Big Sur State Park nor Redwoods National Park (not forest) are anywhere near a drive from Napa the San Francisco. Plain and simple, you're going to have to change what you plan to see. Fortunately, there's plenty to see that is both spectacular and close to where you want to travel.

Point Reyes National Seashore, for instance,
http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
has coastline that, although not as spectacular as that near Big Sur, is still pretty impressive.

The only redwoods (and they're coastal, not sequoia) between Napa and SF are at Muir Woods National Monument.
http://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/index.htm

Again, the trees and scenery here pale besides those in the actual Redwoods National Park, WAY north of Napa, but they will (at least) whet your appetite to see more redwoods (of both kinds).

If you want to go a bit farther south than SF, you can also go to the Santa Cruz mountains, which is covered in redwood trees. There are pockets of old growth (never been logged) forest which is where you find the biggest trees. Big Basin and Henry Cowell state parks are good choices. Redwood National Park has much larger old growth groves, but as others have said, that is pretty far north.

I think it takes 3 or 4 days each to do Big Sur and The Redwoods at the least. So if you have a few extra days you could do one. As others have pointed out, it is a distance from where you mentioned.

Thank you all VERY much! I realized AFTER I wrote this post that the last time I did this trip, I was coming down from Washington State and got myself completely turned around.

I would definitely go south of San Francisco to check out the Santa Cruz Mountains. Also, I found a hiking trail in Napa that claims to have redwoods: Bothe - Napa Valley State Park. Someone I have been speaking with at my office also suggested Nearwoods.

I truly appreciate all the responses and now that my directionally challenged self has come to terms with where I actually will be on a map, please suggest anything else that you think would be worth our site seeing!

Thank you again!

Allison

Unfortunately, we really only have one day allotted for hiking and nature site seeing. Please give any suggestions that you feel would be feasible!

Thanks again!!!

Before you plan on using any of the California State Parks, check to see whether it will be Closed!! CA is closing a lot of its parks due to budget problems. Look it up on the internet, or contact the California State Parks Association. AAA probably has info on this, too.

It's a very sad thing that's happening. I won't start a political discussion here, though.

The State of California has said there will not be any park closures until 2012 at the earliest, if they happen at all. It's about the budget next year, not this year.

And even if there were to be any park closures this year, of all the parks mentioned, only Bothe is on the list:

http://my.calparks.org/site/PageServ...11ParkClosures

"<i>It's about the budget next year, not this year.</i>"

Actually, the potential park closures are absolutely involved w/ <u>this</u> year's budget. Both the 2011/2012 budget that was passed this summer and the 2012/2013 budget have park closures and cutbacks. (The state's fiscal year runs from Jul 1 / Jun 30)

Projected closure dates run from this month (Sept. '11) all the way through 2012. But the list is quite fluid - since various non-profits and such are working on plans to keep some of them open.