Ok ... We are definetley goIng! Would 3 days in Redwood and 2 in Crater be enough to see the basics and get some good hikes in? Thank you!

Redwood NP is unlike many national parks in that it's not really a "stand alone" park like, say, Yellowstone or Yosemite. It's surrounded by and chopped up by various California state parks along with private lands, which comes from it being designated a national park long after the State parks were in existence. So when talking about RNP you're better off talking about "the redwoods" because on the ground it's hard to know when you're in Redwood NP or not.

There are a couple of distinct areas where the redwood groves are at their best. South of Eureka the "Avenue of the Giants" - not part of RNP - is a spectacular area of some big trees, such as the famous Founders Grove.

More big stands, including Redwood National Park, are located between Eureka and Crescent City, then a third important area is in Jedediah Smith State Park located along US 199 between Crescent City and the Oregon state line.

Each of these is worthy of visits, but you're talking about well over 100 miles from the Avenue of the Giants to Jedediah Smith, with several towns and urban areas between. Thus the question of "how many days" also has to do with "what comes before and after?" For example, if you're coming from San Francisco, you can easily spend a day wandering around the Avenue of the Giants groves without coming within miles and miles of Redwood NP.

I'd say that three days is probably enough to get an in-depth feel of the redwoods, but you could also do it in less since it's pretty car-based due to this stretched out and chopped up nature.

As for Crater Lake, I have to acknowledge that I tend to regard it as a "twelve hour" national park, if that. Others will take sharp exception to this, fair enough, but to me Crater Lake is a fabulously scenic area that one can see easily in a day. Drive around the rim, even take a boat tour... done. And recognize that it takes quite a while to get there from pretty much anywhere) in the first place; if your aim is to combine the redwoods and Crater Lake in a trip that also includes the scenic southern Oregon coast, just be prepared for a long slog from the coast to Crater Lake, made longer by the fact that there are few roads crossing the Coast Range in southern Oregon. Going redwoods > Crater Lake > Oregon coast involves a VERY long zigzag. And note accommodations around Crater Lake are quite scarce, so advance booking is necessary.

Again, just my view, others will disagree.

See Gardyloo's good map on the Oregon/California Loop thread.
Since I live about 90 minutes from Crater Lake, I've gone many times and spent less than 6 hours.
If you are lucky enough to get a night at Crater Lake Lodge, it would be worth it to see the sunrise over the lake.
The best route from Crater Lake over to the coast is to use the north entrance and head west on Rt. 138 to Roseburg and then north on I-5 and then Rt. 138 to Elkton. Take Rt. 38 west to Reedsport. About 5 miles east of Reedsport, stop to see the Roosevelt elk at the Dean's Creek viewing area.

I've been through the redwood area a lot, and I think that Jedediah Smith is the best place to see them-it's where the biggest are- there are lots of great hikes there too. Also, it's a lot closer to crater lake so you can save some mileage and time.

Agree with Gardyloo about Crater Lake. However I think there are some nice things to do outside the park. Diamond Lake is beautiful. You can rent bikes at the store and ride around the lake on a paved trail. There are also padlle boats, fishing boats and pontoon boats for rent. The downside is that sometimes the mosquitoes are bad there.

Also, on HWY 138 between Crater Lake and Roseburg, there are a lot of nice waterfall hikes. Some are just short walks, some longer. My favorite is Watson Falls. A couple of summers ago, we hiked most of them. You can see several in a day.

>>As for Crater Lake, I have to acknowledge that I tend to regard it as a "twelve hour" national park, if that.

We are going to this region in September, and we did book one night at Crater Lake. My wife has never been there, and I have fond memories from a bicycle trip in 1972, have not returned since.

Anyway, the Crater Lake Lodge is showing fully booked through the summer and into October when it closes. I understand this can open up at the 11th hour, but we went ahead and booked at Mazama Village Cabins, which still have scattered availability. If you do want to stay at Crater Lake and have a date, then you should move on that pretty soon.

I had forgotten about the cabins and the campground away from the lake. If you tire of the views of the lake, there is a section in the SE part of the park called the Pinnacles which has some interesting geology.
If you have seen enough of the coast by the time you get to Crater Lake, come back by way of Bend. It is 90 miles from the north entrance of the park to Bend.

If anyone is interested in wine tasting on this trip, there are several nice wineries in the Roseburg area.
My favorite is Hillcrest Winery- the oldest estate winery in Oregon and home of the Pinot Noir in Oregon.
The wines can only be purchased at the winery and there was not one that I didn't enjoy.
If you get to meet the owner Dyson, it's a plus and you will hear a lot of interesting facts about wine. Fun place to visit!