The story of a place
Coastal forests in which height is only part of the story.
The redwoods create a forest of extraordinary vertical dimensions, but the experience is richer close to the ground. Ferns, fallen trunks, filtered light and damp air reveal a complete ecosystem rather than a collection of record-breaking trees.
This entry covers the connected national and state parks of California's far northern coast. Groves and coastal areas are spread across a large region, so choose walks geographically rather than trying to see every named tree.
The essential experience
Make time for this.
Walk quietly through a protected old-growth grove and allow time to stand still.
Explore the highlights
Look a little closer.
Coast redwoods draw the eye upwards, while ferns and fallen timber fill the forest floor.
Forest floor
Look at the new life supported by fallen wood.
Light shafts
Notice how the canopy changes the atmosphere.
Coastal influence
Fog and moisture connect the forest to the ocean.
For the curious reader
History, landscape
and context.
The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one United States national park and three California state parks located along the coast of northern California. The combined RNSP contain Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The parks' 139,000 acres (217 square miles; 560 km²) preserve 45 percent of all remaining old-growth coast redwood forests.
Background reading: an abridged extract from Redwood National and State Parks, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened for this guide. Retrieved 22 September 2026. Source revision ↗.
Turn curiosity into a visit
Plan your visit.
- Physical demands
- Easy grove loops to longer uneven forest walks.
- The practical detail
- Protect roots and undergrowth by staying on designated paths.
Before you set off.
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A place in the world
Find your bearings.
Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.
Map: Natural EarthA closer view.
Load the local map to explore the surrounding area. Map tiles require an internet connection.
- 1Redwood National and State ParksOpen directions ↗ · Location reference ↗
A sense of place
In pictures.
Keep looking.
10 photographs, with full-size views and individual credits.
Go a little further
Sources & further reading.
The UNESCO link names the specific inscribed property. A broad entry in this project can extend beyond that property’s boundaries.
