This state park will definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is accessible all year long, there are no fees of any kind, plus, seeing trees that size is really impressive! I suggest you reserve a whole day for your stop at the Redwood State Park. If you don’t have that time, or you are not into doing a physical activity, you can just do the first stop to get a part of the experience.
Here is how I spent my amazing day:
First small stop: BIG TREE
There is a parking lot located in Prairie Creek State Park and just off the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Put on Google Map “Big Tree Wayside” and you will find it easily. You won’t have to walk more than 10 minutes to see the Big Tree. If you are planning to do a hike like I did, stopping at the Big Tree is fun, but is not a must. There are bigger trees in the forest. This one is just easy to access.
Hike of your choice
Parking: You’re going to have to drive a little again to get to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. The easy way is to park on the street beside the center, there is plenty of space, and you have the right to do so.
Visitor center: Over there you can get a free map if you want, and you can buy little goodies in the shop. There will be a poster available for you with different trail options explaining the length, the time and the level of difficulty. Honestly, whether you do a 1-hour hike or a 3-hour hike, trees will be trees, so just choose one regarding your level of energy and motivation for the day.
*It’s crazy I know, I am IN the tree trunk!*
What we did: We went for a pretty long hike of 3h30 minutes, but we were prepared for it. We had a lot of water, good shoes and lunch packed for us to stop in the middle of the hike to eat, relax and enjoy nature. It was really fun and I would do it again any time!
Sleep at one of the many camping spots
This is the best decision we made during our entire trip to California. But at first, it didn’t feel like it…
Reservation: There are so many places you can go to. Most of them are free, but all of them need a permit. You can get your permit by applying online at: https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/backcountrypermits.htm. Once you applied, you will receive a confirmation email. 24 hours before your reservation, you will receive another email with the code to access the gate.
Our spot: We went for the Redwood Creek Dispersed Camping with parking at Tall Trees Trailhead at the Redwood Backcountry Camps. When we got there after a whole day of hiking, we were exhausted. So you can imagine our reaction when we realized getting to our spot from the parking lot was a small hike of 1.83 miles. Not big, but we were so tired. It ended up being easier than we thought, being downhill for the entire length of the trail. Just be aware of it if you choose this campsite, and remember it will be an upward slope the next morning.
Review of the place: Honestly, it was so pretty and peaceful. I wish we had stayed for way longer than one night. The look of it felt unreal, and I kept joking it looked like it could be in a Hunger Games movie. I would recommend this place a thousand percent if you want that serene feeling that is almost inexplicable.
