Next May my wife and I are flying to San Francisco and driving down to Monterray then up the coast. We want to see the Redwoods--but Redwoods National Park is a hike. Is it possible to see Redwoods in a great setting closer to San Fran? How does Humboldt Redwoods State Park, for example, compare to the National Park? Thanks!

Check out Big Basin park, in the hills above Sta. Cruz. on your way North from Monterey back to SF.

Big Basin is one option. Another is Muir Woods just above San Francisco. Both would give you a chance to see redwoods in a picturesque setting. Neither has the depth of the parks further north, but if all you want to see is a redwood grove, they should be more than adequate.

Big Basin and Muir Woods are good suggestions. Humboldt is quite a distance from San Francisco. If you were planning to drive up the coast from Monterey, past San Francisco, I would suggest Highway 1 through Bodega Bay to Jenner, where the Russian River enters the ocean. Drive up the river to Guerneville to see Armstrong Grove Redwood state park. From there you can stay on the river to Santa Rosa where you catch Hwy 101 back to San Francisco, about an hour's drive.

Muir Woods is great. My only suggestions would be to get their early - the parking lot really fills up fast.

Big Basin and Armstrong Woods both have bigger trees and are less crowded than Muir Woods. Big Basin has a great 11 mile loop hike through redwoods to a series of waterfalls, an all day (or half day at least) hike. But you can see the biggest trees in the park right out of the main parking area on Highway 236. 236 is very narrow and winding north of the park HQ, so you may want to approach and leave by the southern route, to and from Boulder Creek.

Humboldt Redwoods has the very tallest trees, but it is quite a ways from SF, in the opposite direction from Monterey, but if you're heading north of SF anyway, it's worth going to. Much bigger trees than anywhere closer to SF. See Founder's Grove with the fallen Dyerville Giant, once the tallest tree until it fell in 1991. The Tall Tree in Redwood National Park lost its top years ago, so it's considerably shorter than it once was. Current tallest tree is somewhere along Mattole Road to the west of Founder's Grove (across the Ave. of the Giants). It isn't marked, though, but there are some slightly shorter trees with stats posted at the base in the same area.

Redwood National Park has a greater variety of picturesque trees in addition to the redwoods (sitka spruce, western hemlock-the "octopus tree" with large spreading roots above ground), herds of elk, and of course the ocean (this is all at Prairie Creek Redwoods, which is with the National Park), and it's easier to get away from the roads while in the redwoods, but the redwoods themselves are no more impressive than those at Humboldt.

There are definitely no shortage for redwoods in the area you will be travelling.

They are all over the Santa Cruz mountains and the hills north of SF.

There are plenty of redwoods around SF, but they are mostly second growth, not the old growth giants you can see at Big Basin, Muir Woods, Armstrong and especially at Humboldt and Redwood NP. Also they don't reach all the way to the ocean, so you don't see so many of them if you stay on the coast highway.

Sunday I went to Purisima Creek Redwoods, along Hwy 35 about 25 miles south of SF. Second growth redwoods, still pretty big, maybe 4 ft. dia. and 100 ft. high, but the stumps of the old trees next to them are at least 3 times bigger.

Hi Jeff_Rome

I’ll try to answer the last part of your question. I my judgment Humboldt Redwoods State Park is the “best” of all the parks, state or national. It was one of the first; it is the biggest redwood park and probably has the most redwoods. It might have the tallest redwood. It has more “tall” trees along bull creek (Mattole road) than any where else in the world. That is not to say the national park is shabby. Like anywhere there are parts of the national parks that are “better” than parts of Hum. Redwoods. In fact a few years ago the National Park Service and California State Parks signed an agreement to co-manage all the parks. I have explored all the parks up here. If you have a limited time there is no need to go farther north than Humboldt Redwoods. That being said all the parks have something to offer. Just remember (misquoting a former govenator) “If you have seen one redwood you have not seen them all!”

Have Fun
GP

ALso might connsider Memorial Park in San Mateo County. You have to drive thru the Redwoods (up Woodside road) to get to the park and you can picnic there, take a hike, get wet in the creek (very very cold!) and then drive a short distance and be on hiway 1 down to Monterey. You could also stop at the famous Duarte's Restaurant in Pescadero(?) along the way for some fabulous food.

Memorial, Pescadero, and Sam McDonald county parks are in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods. There's one or two old growth giants here and there in the area, and then there's the small Heritage Grove in Sam McDonald, at the western end of Alpine Road (no real alpine scenery, it's just a name). Heritage has a few old growth, but even these are nothing compared to the Humboldt redwoods.

In short, it isn't worth seeking out these individuals if you're going up to Mendocino and Humboldt anyway. Big Basin is the best place in the area for redwoods, but even so, the largest trees there are about the size of the average tree at Humboldt Redwoods. If you're headed that way, and want to see redwoods, it's well worth going to Humboldt Redwoods state park.

Thanks. We have several days so I think we will go to Monteray for a night, have a few in San Fran, a night around Point Reyes, aand then up to Humboldt!

When it comes time and you need more Humboldt info (places to see, stay, eat)let me know.