One summer, I worked as an intern in Hoopa, California.
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The small valley where Hoopa is located was a gateway to another world—one filled with giant, looming redwoods and sequoias. I grew up in Missouri, where the forests are lusciously green and overgrown… but the size of our most mature bald cypress, bur oaks, and cottonwoods grow to half that of Northern California’s towering giants.
Even though I’d heard many tales of the redwoods before my first trip to Northern California, the scale was still a shock.
I remember driving north to Hoopa from San Francisco. As soon as I entered Marin County, I began to sense that I was in for a very unique and unforgettable experience. Though I’d never had the redwoods on my radar, I was quickly enamored and humbled by their size, along with the otherworldly feeling of being surrounded by them.
I drove for seven hours, inching from San Francisco to Redding, then west to Willow Creek, then onward to Hoopa.
I haven’t gone back since my internship ended, but I’ve thought of Northern California’s wildest stretches often.
If you’re heading to San Francisco anytime soon, I highly recommend setting aside a day or two to delve into the United States’ most jaw-dropping expanse of forest. (In case a short day trip is a better fit, head to Muir Woods National Monument, which is accessible via public transportation from San Francisco.)
If you want to get off the beaten path, stay in these towns in Northern California to experience the wonders of the redwoods at your own pace.
Best towns in Northern California to see the redwoods
Crescent City
Crescent City is a foggy coastal city that serves as a major fishing port. It’s also surrounded by redwood forests and is the perfect home base while you explore nearby parks. (I came here a few times during my internship—it’s a friendly, adorable town!)
The main attraction is Redwoods National Park, which is widely considered the best place to experience the redwoods. Redwood National Park and State Parks is another name for this year, which is bundled with protected stretches like Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
These parks cover an area of almost 140,000 acres, which preserves almost half the US’s total old-growth redwood forests.
I vote you focus on the last option. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is home to the wild Smith River—the last undammed major waterway in the state. You can enjoy almost 20 miles of hiking trails, along with over 100 campsites.
Eureka
South of Crescent City sits Eureka, another sleepy coastal city that I frequented during my stay in Hoopa. It’s yet another fishing port and stopover for redwood-seekers. (The city is also home to unique Victorian residences if that interests you.)
From Eureka, I recommend heading to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, located 30 miles south of the city.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is now the third-largest park in California, which spans over 50,000 acres. Like the other two spots listed above, it’s home to old-growth redwoods. You might have heard of its most famous section: Avenue of the Giants, a must-see for anyone who’s been dreaming of redwoods.
Santa Cruz
Can’t manage a seven-hour drive into the wilderness north of San Francisco to one of the towns in Northern California listed here? There’s no need.
You can explore two major redwood designations from Santa Cruz, located south of San Jose: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park marks the most southern location of California’s remaining coast redwoods. Its stream canyons are dramatic and eye-catching, letting you get up close to some of California’s greatest tree species.
Along with redwoods, you can enjoy bay laurel, tanbark oaks, and coast Douglas Firs.
I also recommend you visit Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This area was razed in a 2020 wildfire, which destroyed most of the forest and all park structures. It was reopened in 2022 and has since begun to regenerate.
While the devastation is hard to see, you might be encouraged to know that some studies have shown that periodic fires can be beneficial to redwood longevity.
