Getting Oriented

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• South. The highlights of the parks' southern section are the hikes and scenic driving along Bald Hills Road, including the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and the beautiful coastal scenery at Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center and the estuarial lagoons to the south. This section encompasses much of the original Redwood National Park and is where you'll find the small village of Orick, which has a gas station and a few other basic services.
• Middle. Here in the span of park that extends from north of Orick to the Yurok tribal community of Klamath, you'll find some of the most magnificent and accessible stands of old-growth redwoods. Start your adventures at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park's visitor center, from which several trails emanate. Also set aside time to explore the meadows inhabited by Roosevelt elk, the trail to Fern Canyon from Gold Bluffs Beach, and the gorgeous drives along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway and Klamath's Coastal Drive Loop
• North. Anchored by the region's largest community, Crescent City, the park's northern third encompasses the rugged, pristine forests of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, which is slightly inland, and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, which also offers visitors the chance to visit stretches of windswept beaches, steep sea cliffs, and forested ridges. On a clear day it's postcard-perfect; with fog, it's mysterious and mesmerizing.