Redwood National and State Parks

California · Established October 2, 1968

Fog-fed giants, wild rivers, and a restless edge of the Pacific

Area: 138,999 acres
Established: October 2, 1968
Recreation visits: 1,202,480 / yr
State: California
Area: About 139,000 acres (563 km²), national and state parks combined
Old-growth forest: About 38,982 acres, roughly 45% of remaining old-growth coast redwood

Redwood Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for Redwood…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (41.372, -124.032). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of Redwood National and State Parks

The Park

Along the far northern coast of California, the tallest living things on the planet rise out of creek bottoms soaked by winter rain and summer fog. Coast redwoods here routinely pass 300 feet, and the tallest known tree in the world grows somewhere in these drainages, its exact location kept quiet to protect it. Beneath them lies a shadowed understory of sword fern and redwood sorrel where Roosevelt elk graze and salamanders hide under fallen logs.

Redwood National Park was created on October 2, 1968, and today the National Park Service manages it jointly with California State Parks alongside Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods state parks. Together the four parks cover about 139,000 acres, including some 39,000 acres of old-growth forest, close to half of all the old-growth coast redwood that remains. The landscape runs from beaches and sea stacks to salmon rivers, prairies, and oak-dotted ridges.

Geography

The parks form a long, irregular strip in Del Norte and Humboldt counties, beginning a short distance south of the Oregon border and running down the coast past the town of Orick. They hug roughly 35 to 37 miles of shoreline, where steep bluffs and headlands alternate with long sand beaches, lagoons, and offshore rocks.

Three river systems organize the land. The Smith River, the longest undammed river left in California, winds through Jedediah Smith Redwoods in the north. The Klamath River meets the ocean near the middle of the parks. In the south, Redwood Creek flows northwest along a straight fault-guided valley, with the Tall Trees Grove on its banks and the grassy Bald Hills, whose summits top 3,000 feet, rising along its eastern rim.

Landmarks

Stout GroveAreaA flat, cathedral-like grove of old-growth redwoods beside the Smith River in Jedediah Smith Redwoods.
Crescent Beach OverlookCoastA bluff-top viewpoint over a long curving beach, good for spotting migrating gray whales.
False Klamath CoveCoastA small cove below Highway 101 framed by sea stacks and tide pools.
Klamath River OverlookCoastA high perch above the mouth of the Klamath, where sea lions follow salmon runs.
Klamath River mouthRiverWhere the Klamath River meets the Pacific through a shifting sandbar.
High BluffCoastA coastal cliff along the Coastal Drive with sweeping views south.
Fern CanyonCanyonA narrow gorge whose sheer walls, some 50 feet high, are draped entirely in ferns.
Gold Bluffs BeachCoastA wild beach below eroding bluffs, named for a brief gold rush in the 1850s.
Big TreeAreaA massive, easily reached redwood near the Prairie Creek visitor area.
Elk PrairieValleyAn open meadow beside the Prairie Creek Visitor Center where Roosevelt elk often graze.
Lady Bird Johnson GroveAreaAn upland old-growth grove on a ridge, dedicated in 1969.
Redwood Creek BeachCoastThe sandy mouth of Redwood Creek near the Kuchel Visitor Center at Orick.
Redwood Creek OverlookValleyA viewpoint on Bald Hills Road looking down the forested Redwood Creek basin.
Tall Trees GroveAreaA permit-access grove on Redwood Creek's gravel flats with some of the tallest trees in the parks.
Schoolhouse PeakPeakA grassy summit in the Bald Hills crowned by a fire lookout.
Coyote PeakPeakA high point of the Bald Hills near the park's southeastern edge.

Geology

Most of the bedrock beneath the redwoods belongs to the Franciscan Complex, a jumbled mass of sandstone, shale, chert, and metamorphic rock that formed on the ocean floor during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. As an oceanic plate slid beneath North America, slices of seafloor sediment were scraped off, crumpled, and plastered onto the edge of the continent, where they were later lifted above sea level.

That tectonic machinery has never stopped. The Gorda, Pacific, and North American plates meet at the Mendocino triple junction about 100 miles to the southwest, and the Cascadia subduction zone runs offshore to the north. The result is one of the most seismically active regions in the United States, with frequent earthquakes, rapid uplift, and a coastline exposed to tsunamis. In the south of the parks, Redwood Creek follows the trace of the Grogan Fault in a strikingly straight northwest line.

Younger, softer rocks rest on the Franciscan along the coast. Miocene marine sediments of the St. George and Wimer formations, gravels and sands of the Pliocene–Pleistocene Prairie Creek Formation, and Pleistocene marine terraces record shifting shorelines as the land rose and sea level rose and fell. The loosely cemented Prairie Creek gravels are what the creeks have carved into at Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs.

Uplift keeps the rivers cutting hard. The Smith, the Klamath, and Redwood Creek have incised deep gorges through the forested mountains, while heavy rain and weak, sheared rock make landslides common. The same restless earth delivers the floods and fresh gravel bars on which the tallest redwood groves grow.

Deep time

Jurassic–CretaceousSeafloor sediments and volcanic rock are scraped off a subducting plate and accreted as the Franciscan Complex.
MioceneMarine sediments of the St. George and Wimer formations accumulate along the continental margin.
Pliocene–PleistoceneRivers and shorelines deposit the gravels and sands of the Prairie Creek Formation.
PleistoceneWave-cut marine terraces form and are lifted above the sea as the coast rises.
Late PleistoceneCoastal sediments of the Battery Formation are laid down.
OngoingPlate interactions near the Mendocino triple junction drive earthquakes, uplift, landslides, and river incision.

The rocks

Franciscan ComplexJurassic–Cretaceous
Sheared sandstone, shale, chert, and metamorphic rocks accreted from the ocean floor, forming most of the parks' bedrock.
St. George FormationMiocene
Marine sedimentary rocks resting on the older Franciscan basement.
Wimer FormationMiocene
Marine sediments recording an older shoreline along the margin.
Prairie Creek FormationPliocene–Pleistocene
Weakly cemented gravels and sands carved into the bluffs of Gold Bluffs and Fern Canyon.
Marine terrace depositsPleistocene
Flat benches of beach sediment lifted above today's shoreline.
Battery FormationLate Pleistocene
Among the youngest bedrock-like deposits, recording recent coastal environments.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

936vascular plant species recorded

Old-growth redwood forestNear sea level to about 3,000 ft
Towering redwoods with Douglas-fir, tanoak, and western hemlock thrive where fog and rain keep the forest moist, especially on alluvial flats.
Coastal spruce and shorelineSea level to a few hundred feet
Salt-tolerant Sitka spruce, beaches, tide pools, and sea stacks where harbor seals and sea lions haul out.
Rivers, streams, and estuariesSea level to upper watersheds
The Smith, Klamath, and Redwood Creek carry runs of Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon.
Prairies and oak woodlandsCoastal flats to the Bald Hills above 3,000 ft
Open grasslands and Oregon white oak, long maintained by Indigenous burning, provide grazing for elk and sweeping views.
Lagoons and wetlandsNear sea level
Coastal lagoons and marshes host migrating waterfowl, pelicans, and the northern red-legged frog.

Trees

Coast redwoodSequoia sempervirensThe tallest tree species on Earth, relying on summer fog drip and resprouting from its base after injury.
Douglas-firPseudotsuga menziesiiA frequent companion of the redwoods, especially on drier ridges and slopes.
Sitka sprucePicea sitchensisA salt-tolerant conifer that dominates the foggy strip nearest the sea.
Western hemlockTsuga heterophyllaA shade-tolerant conifer that sprouts on nurse logs in the understory.
Western redcedarThuja plicataA fragrant, buttressed cedar of wet bottomlands in the northern parks.
Port-Orford-cedarChamaecyparis lawsonianaA regionally limited cedar threatened by an introduced root disease.
TanoakNotholithocarpus densiflorusA broadleaf evergreen that fills the midstory and drops large acorns for bears and jays.
Bigleaf mapleAcer macrophyllumIts huge leaves and moss-draped limbs brighten streamsides in autumn.
Red alderAlnus rubraA fast-growing pioneer along creeks and on disturbed ground, enriching soil with nitrogen.
California bay laurelUmbellularia californicaAn aromatic evergreen of canyons and river terraces.
Pacific madroneArbutus menziesiiPeeling red bark marks this broadleaf on sunny, well-drained slopes.
Oregon white oakQuercus garryanaThe characteristic oak of the Bald Hills prairies.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Western sword fernPolystichum munitumThe dominant fern of the redwood understory, forming waist-high fountains of fronds.
Redwood sorrelOxalis oreganaA clover-like carpet whose leaves fold down in direct sunlight.
Giant chain fernWoodwardia fimbriataA large fern that thrives on the dripping walls of Fern Canyon.
Five-finger fernAdiantum aleuticumA delicate maidenhair fern of wet cliffs and seeps.
Pacific rhododendronRhododendron macrophyllumPink blossoms light up the forest in late spring.
Western azaleaRhododendron occidentaleA fragrant white-and-yellow flowering shrub of openings and streambanks.
Evergreen huckleberryVaccinium ovatumA glossy-leaved shrub whose late-summer berries feed bears and birds.
SalalGaultheria shallonA leathery-leaved shrub forming dense thickets near the coast.
SalmonberryRubus spectabilisMagenta spring flowers and orange berries along wet trails.
Western trilliumTrillium ovatumA three-petaled white wildflower that blooms early in the shady forest.
Yellow skunk cabbageLysichiton americanusBright yellow spathes rise from swampy ground in late winter.
CascaraFrangula purshianaA small tree or shrub of moist woods, known for its medicinal bark.

Wildlife

85mammals
287birds
23reptiles
19amphibians
112fish

Mammals

Roosevelt elkCervus elaphus rooseveltiThe largest elk subspecies, often seen in Elk Prairie and on Gold Bluffs Beach.
American black bearUrsus americanusForages on berries, grubs, and salmon; store food securely.
Mountain beaverAplodontia rufaA primitive burrowing rodent of damp thickets, not a true beaver.
Red tree voleArborimus longicaudusSpends nearly its whole life high in conifer canopies eating needles.
Northern flying squirrelGlaucomys sabrinusA nocturnal glider and important prey for spotted owls.
FisherMartes pennantiA rare forest carnivore of old-growth canopies.
Gray whaleEschrichtius robustusPasses the coast on its long migrations, with some whales lingering to feed.
Harbor sealPhoca vitulinaHauls out on offshore rocks and river mouths.
California sea lionZalophus californianusGathers near the Klamath River mouth to chase fish.
Steller sea lionEumetopias jubatusA larger, pale sea lion using rocks along the coast.

Birds

Marbled murreletBrachyramphus marmoratusA threatened seabird that flies inland at dawn to nest on the mossy limbs of old-growth trees.
Spotted owlStrix occidentalisA threatened owl of mature forests, hunting flying squirrels and woodrats.
Bald eagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusHunts fish along the rivers and lagoons.
OspreyPandion haliaetusNests atop snags near the lagoons and river mouths.
Brown pelicanPelecanus occidentalisPlunge-dives offshore, especially in late summer and fall.
Tufted puffinFratercula cirrhataA rare, charismatic seabird of offshore rocks.
Steller's jayCyanocitta stelleriA crested blue jay that scolds hikers from the understory.
Varied thrushIxoreus naeviusIts eerie, one-note whistle echoes through the winter forest.
Swainson's thrushCatharus ustulatusA spiraling, flutelike song fills summer evenings.
Pileated woodpeckerDryocopus pileatusCarves rectangular holes in snags in search of ants.

Reptiles & amphibians

Coastal giant salamanderDicamptodon tenebrosusOne of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America, living in cold streams.
Southern torrent salamanderRhyacotriton variegatusA small salamander that needs icy, shaded seeps.
Coastal tailed frogAscaphus trueiA frog adapted to fast, clear mountain streams.
Rough-skinned newtTaricha granulosaIts orange belly warns of potent skin toxins.
Wandering salamanderAneides vagransA climbing salamander found high in redwood crowns.
Northern red-legged frogRana auroraBreeds in lagoons and ponds during winter rains.
Northwestern pond turtleActinemys marmorataBasks on logs in quiet ponds and lagoons.
Northern rubber boaCharina bottaeA small, gentle burrowing boa of moist woodland.

Fish

Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytschaThe largest Pacific salmon, running up the Klamath and Smith in fall.
Coho salmonOncorhynchus kisutchA threatened salmon that depends on shaded, wood-filled streams like Prairie Creek.
SteelheadOncorhynchus mykissSea-run rainbow trout returning in winter to spawn.
Coastal cutthroat troutOncorhynchus clarkiiMoves between estuaries and small coastal streams.
Green sturgeonAcipenser medirostrisAn ancient, armored fish that spawns in the Klamath River system.
Pacific lampreyLampetra tridentataA culturally important eel-like fish harvested by local tribes.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

Redwood country has a cool, maritime climate governed by the Pacific. Temperatures along the coast change little through the year, usually ranging from the mid-40s to the mid-60s °F. The region receives 60 to 80 inches of rain on average between October and April, delivered by storms off the North Pacific, and this abundance of water is what sustains the giant trees.

Summers are dry but rarely sunny on the coast. Warm air inland pulls cool marine air ashore, wrapping the forest in fog that drips from redwood crowns and reduces the trees' water loss during the rainless months. A few miles inland and up in the Bald Hills, fog often burns off and afternoons are noticeably warmer and brighter.

Spring
Rain tapers off, rhododendrons and trillium bloom, and gray whales pass northbound offshore.
Summer
Mild and dry with frequent morning fog on the coast, while inland valleys and the Bald Hills can warm into the 70s or higher.
Autumn
Often the clearest weather of the year, with salmon runs, elk rutting season, and the first storms arriving by late October.
Winter
Cool and wet, with long stretches of heavy rain, high rivers, and occasional powerful coastal storms.

Weather hazards

Sneaker waves: Large, unexpected waves can sweep beaches and rocks, so never turn your back on the ocean.
Tsunamis: This coast is highly exposed to tsunamis; after strong shaking, move immediately to high ground.
Flooding and high water: Winter storms swell rivers and creeks, closing crossings and seasonal footbridges.
Falling trees and limbs: Wind and saturated soils can topple trees and drop heavy branches during storms.
Roosevelt elk: Elk are large and unpredictable, especially during the autumn rut and spring calving, so keep well back.
Landslides: Heavy rain frequently triggers slides that close roads such as Highway 101 and the Coastal Drive.

Redwood Questions

When is the best time to visit Redwood National and State Parks?

Late spring through early autumn brings the driest weather, with September and October often offering the clearest skies. Winter is wet, but the forest is lush and quiet, and fog-free days can be spectacular.

What is the weather like in the redwoods?

Coastal temperatures typically range from the mid-40s to the mid-60s °F all year. Most rain falls from October to April, and summer often brings cool fog near the coast, so pack layers and rain gear.

Where can I see Roosevelt elk?

Elk Prairie near the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, Gold Bluffs Beach, and the prairies around Orick are reliable places to look. Early morning and evening are best; always watch from a safe distance.

Can I visit the tallest tree in the world?

The tallest known tree grows within the parks, but its location is not publicized and off-trail travel to it damages roots and fragile ground. The Tall Trees Grove, reached by permit, offers an excellent chance to walk among giants.

Why do redwoods grow so tall here?

The northern California coast combines deep, fertile soils, abundant winter rain, and summer fog that reduces water stress. Redwoods also resist fire, rot, and insects, allowing them to grow for many centuries.

How did Fern Canyon form?

Home Creek cut down through loosely cemented gravels of the Prairie Creek Formation, leaving steep walls about 50 feet high. Constant seepage and fog keep the walls wet enough to support a solid tapestry of ferns.

Who manages Redwood National and State Parks?

The National Park Service and California State Parks manage the area jointly. It combines Redwood National Park with Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods state parks.

More parks in the Pacific West

← Pinnacles National Park Rocky Mountain National Park →

Sources: www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · irmaservices.nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · Official NPS site