BIG TREES
 

Flying into San Fran. picking up daughter in Watsonville - then have 3 days to go anywhere. Don't mind long drives- but would like to see some BIG TREES and any other spectacular natural places that we can. Will return to San Fran on day 4. Not camping- hotels/motels.
Any suggestions? thanks.

What month?

Very best trees are Sequoia National Park, in my opinion.
Many other things to see there

Very very good trees also at Redwoods. Many other things to see there too.

Good Trees and very very good other things @ Yosemite. I think is best to go early June as waterfalls are really rocking then. Hard to get rooms at this late date and this park can be crowded is one of the negatives.

Sequoia and Yosemite Trees are Sequoia Trees. These are very big in diameter and about 250 ft tall. The Redwood trees in Redwood National Park are 350 tall, but their diamter isn't nearly as large as the sequoias. Anyway you look at it, huge though. Hard to put in words until you've seen it in person. Pictures just don't do them justice.

Actually leave in days. Is sequoia too far to drive from san fran and back with only 3 days/

To get to Watsonville, you will be going over Rt. 17 to Santa Cruz and then south on Rt. 1.
Doubling back, you turn back on Rt. 17 for about 3.5 miles to the Mt. Harmon Road. From there you have the choice of Henry Cowell State Park or the Big Basin State Park.
If you want to go north of San Francisco, go over the Golden Gate Bridge and head for Muir Woods.
To See Giant Sequioias, you have to head inland to Sequioa/Kings Canyon National Park or to Yosemite with some rather large Sequioias in Maricopa Grove.
There are two HI hostels at lighthouses along Rt. 1 south of San Francisco (Pigeon Point and Point Montera).

Yosemite would be closer(about 4 hours from SF)(about 5 hours to Sequoia). You would want to make sure the roads are open. The Maripossa Road and The Hwy thru Sequoia might still have a ton of snow, I have no idea what the conditions are like.

If you flew into Fresno, that is much closer to either park. Also, San Jose is a bit closer than San Fran and flights are readily available there. Fresno would save you 2-3 hours. San Jose would save you maybe an hour of driving.

For Yosemite, you would want to spend at least a full day in The Valley area and then probably better part of a day in Mariposa Grove. See Glacier Point, if that road is now open.
Hike Panorama Trail via The Mist Trail. At least hike The Mist Trail. Several options for lodging at Yosemite.

For Sequoia, you would want to stay at Wuksachi Lodge. There are a ton of things to do at Sequoia. Caves, hikes, rafting, Moro Rock.

If you went north to The Redwoods. I think that would take all of your 3 days. I would also hit Patricks Point State Park(just south of the Redwoods)-specifically go tidepooling at PalmersPoint Beach @ Patricks Point--go at low tide. I would spend some time at Prairie Grove State Park-this is where the best big trees are. James Irvine Trail is best for trees. For sure hike, Fern Canyon too. You are likely to see Elk here too. You could also see Point Reyes National Seashore. So you don't get confused--Redwoods National Park is comprised of 3 State Parks within the National Park itself.
Patricks Point is not one of the 3, but Prairie Grove is. Ladybird Johnson Grove is another good place to see as is Tall Tree Groves.

If you're going to Watsonville, go to Big Basin State Park. You're already so close. (http://www.bigbasin.org/activitiesmain.html)

The other posts mention great places - but you'll be spending so much time driving. I know you said that you don't mind driving but why spend eight hours driving to Redwoods National Park (although it's a fabulous area) when you can stay in the area south of San Francisco?

There are lots of nice beaches and parks nearby. I'm guessing that it's about an hour or two to Pinnacles National Park from Watsonville and about the same to Big Sur.

As a native Californian I am SO proud of our trees.
We have the tallest, the oldest and the biggest trees ( by mass and volume) in the known universe.
In my opinion the giant sequoias are the most amazing. When you see one for the first time you will be shocked.

Oldest are in Great Basin NP in Nevada