Following a conference in Corte Madera the end of June, DH and I will be spending the first 8 days of July in northern CA/Redwood area and at Lassen Volcano. We’ll drive to Ukiah the night after the conference. Currently our itinerary is:

Day 1 – Ukiah to Arcata via Humbolt/Avenue of the Giants

Day 2 – Redwood NP to Crescent City

Day 3 – Redwoods & coastal area

Day 4 – to Oregon Cave NM

Day 5 – back through Redwood NP to Eureka

Day 6 – Old Town Eureka, then drive to Redding

Day 7 – Lassen Volcano NP

Day 8 – Lassen AM, then to south in afternoon to Sacramento for the night

Day 9 – Early afternoon flight home from SFO

We enjoy short hikes (3 mi. or less) and poking around tidal pools on the coast. The trip to Oregon Cave NM was something of an afterthought and now I’m wondering if we should skip that (and the extra 3 ½ -4 hrs. driving) and add another night in Crescent City. I haven’t found much on this forum about Oregon Cave, although there are tons of reviews on TripAdvisor – mostly saying “nice”, “interesting”, etc. But at least one says “nice but just like other caves.” I’m afraid that one could be right. We went to Wind and Jewel last June, Mammoth a couple of years before. DH and I actually met while doing wild caves in college (many, many years ago) and gravitate to national park caves when nearby sort of for old time’s sake. But I’m not sure we’ve enjoyed them as much as we might an additional day in northern CA.

Can anyone who has been to Oregon Cave NM make a comment? Or are there any recommendations for “must see/do” in Redwood NP or the CA state parks in the area?

The cave is interesting but not sure it is worth the extra driving time just to see it especially when you have seen many caves before.

I would spend at extra day in the Redwoods. Just south of Crescent City is the Requa Inn -

http://www.requainn.com

Nice place to stay with a great dining room. Just up the hill from the Inn is an overlook- there are some nice hikes from there and whenever I have been there, have seen whales feeding and playing around the rocks.

Make sure you go to the Fern Canyon- beautiful!!

I've been to the Redwoods twice and spent the night at the Cave Chateau historical lodge. The cave is just ok, while the lodge is better/more interesting(at least to me)than the actual cave.

I would probably opt for the Redwoods. Patricks Point State Park is just a bit south of the Redwoods and is fantastic place to see(especially at low tide). Specifically, see Agate Beach and Palmer's Point(which is at Patricks Point).

I like James Irvine Trail best in The Redwoods and Stout Grove. Also very good is Fern Canyon Trail. I hiked James Irvine from Prairie Creek Visitor Center all the way thru, then connected with Fern Canyon to the ocean. This is about 4 miles one way. Fairly easy, shaded hike. Not much elevation gain. I didn't see a single person until we got to Fern Canyon. A very good hike among the giants.

Here is a good link. Notice he only gives a few 5 Stars*****
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/

If you don't plan on doing much hiking, then you would have plenty of time to see OR Cave. Don't miss the Chateau and stay there if you can.

Where are you staying at for Lassen. We stayed at Drakesbad and it is a long way from the main area of the park. But, I would stay there again. We spent two days in Lassen. You could easily add a day there.

We have reservations at Cave Chateau on the night of the 4th. But replies are leading me to believe I should extend our two nights in Crescent City to three. (Assuming anything is available that night. Probably should have posted this a month or three ago but was more involved in finalizing plans for Italy in April and catching up with real life after we got back 3 wks. ago.) Although we don't do long hikes - big fans of loop trails unless the park has a shuttle so we don't have to backtrack - we sometimes spend a day doing several short ones and there seem to be plenty of those.

We have 2 nights booked in Redding, which is also a long way to Lassen. When I was doing hotel reservations after deciding to make the trip I didn't find anything that looked all that appealing over that way and some of the accommodations that were listed in the area weren't all that close (or involved communal bathroom facilities, which we avoid), so I just reserved the 2nd night in Redding just-in-case and went on to more immediate issues. May be to late to do anything about it but will take a look at Drakesbad.

Just want to second the suggestion to check out the Fern Canyon Hike. It's beautiful and if you follow it long enough it dumps out into Gold Bluff Beach. The Canyon itself is located inside of Prairie Creek Redwood State Park which might be too similar to Redwood National Park for you to take the time to visit it but it's a beautiful hike that if you have time for I suggest checking out.

Lassen is among my least favorite National parks that I have visited. Why not visit Crater Lake instead? I would advize you not to stay in Redding. The town of Mt. Shasta is much nicer and cooler on hot summer days.
Why are you doubling back to go to Eureka after you have been in the area?

I LOVED Lassen. Loved Crater Lake too. Lassen Peak hike is one of my all time favs.


Here is what I think is the best place to stay in the Redwoods NP
http://www.redwoodadventures.com/cabins/

And this is one of my favorite places to stay in the Redwoods

http://www.trinidadinn.com/home.html

Have not stayed at the Requa Inn that I suggested above but did a tour and had an amazing dinner there- definitely would stay there in the Crescent City area

Another vote for Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. I have always hiked it form the trailhead near Gold Bluffs Beach campground. Turn onto Davison Road from Hwy 101. Follow the road until it ends. Last time we took a picnic lunch and had it on a picnic table while watching the elk near the beach. If you do not want to hike all the way, simply turn around and go back to the beach. It is my favorite hike in California (I am a native and have hiked a lot of places in this state).

Also the Samoa Cookhouse near Eureka/Arcata is a historical old cookhouse. Kind of part museum. Food is home style and good.
http://www.samoacookhouse.net/

I find old town Arcata to have more personality than Eureka. Funky shops to poke through.

Best place to eat in Ukiah is Patrona Restaurant.
http://patronarestaurant.com/

Another fun place to dine is Pappa Joe's in Ferndale- an old saloon, good food, the locals all come here to play cards and chit chat. A slice of local culture.

Service is a bit slow so don't be in a hurry if you go.

Thanks for the food and lodging suggestions; I had figured on Samoa Cookhouse - a treat for DH since I'm guessing the food is less exotic than I usually pick (and cook). Also trails. Fern Canyon is definitely on the list. (Will make us thankful that the ferns we have been fighting for 35 years are not nearly as numerous or tall as the ones in that area next time we're out pulling up cans and cans of them.) Will add all this to my list.

Actually, Tomfuller, this trip is a substitution for a possible Mt. Rainier/Olympia NP/Oregon trip Spirobulldog inspired us to do after a trip report last year. When we decided to go to the conference, we decided to postpone the other trip till next year; that one will include Crater Lake. However, I wouldn't want to miss Lassen since I love the whole fire/volcano/geyser business (undoubtedly a large reason for Yellowstone being our hands-down favorite NP and The Big Island/Volcanos NP being in the top 5). Considered Lava Beds NM as well but time did not permit.

Going back on 101 since we figured there would be Redwood stuff to do that we ran out of time for on the first pass - there usually is. Also didn't see anything - or any roads - that seemed of major interest between Crescent City and Lassen except Shasta, for which we don't have time to do justice. Thought about stopping by Whiskeytown nat'l rec. area en route but have since learned that it could be very, very hot and we might spend more time closer to the coast where it should be a few degrees cooler. Redding was just a place that looked like somewhere we could get to fairly quickly after spending most of the day with big trees/tidal pools/quaint towns on the coast, but not so far to Lassen the next day. We'll be going from the a/c car to the a/c hotel to sleep, then back to the a/c car and leave, so I doubt it matters as much where we stay that night as whether it's convenient and on the way. If going to Oregon Cave, Mt. Shasta wouldn't be out of the way. If I can't get a room in Crescent City (looks like the hotel we're using the other two nights is full) on the 4th and we go to Oregon Cave (instead of sleeping in the car ), I'll consider taking I-5 back south and trying to find a Mt. Shasta hotel.

We have plenty of volcanoes in Central Oregon. I really like the Newberry Caldera http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdoc.../newberry.html
If you have an interest in volcanoes, come visit the Lavalands Visitor Center south of Bend.

We did spend a few hours at Newberry several years ago when we came to Oregon to see an ill friend and afterwards went to Bend for a night, then to Newberry. Most of the time on that trip was on the coast and since it was May, it was too early to go to Crater Lake. Would like to spend more time in central Oregon and go to Crater, which is why we planned to go back as part of the WA trip we'd like to do in late July, early August. Planned to do it this summer until the conference came up. Maybe next year.

The chateau is lovely but if you are not doing other things in Southern Oregon, perhaps not worth the detour.

The best part of Oregon Caves tour they don't show anymore. They used to turn on these colored lights onto one section of the caves and it was absolutely gorgeous. No more, unfortunately.