Itinerary
Day 1
Fly MSP – SFO
Drive from San Fran to McKinleyville, CA
See: Golden Gate Bridge
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, McKinleyville
Day 2
See: Redwood National Park
Trees of Mystery, Klamath
Hidden Beach, Klamath
Clam Beach
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, McKinleyville
Day 3
See: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Fern Canyon
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, McKinleyville
Day 4
Drive from McKinleyville to Fort Bragg
See: Hwy 1
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Avenue of the Giants
Hotel: Emerald Dolphin Inn, Fort Bragg
Day 5
Drive from Fort Bragg to San Francisco
See: Glass Beach, Fort Bragg
Fly Home – SFO-MSP
So Many Redwoods
When I first started planning this trip I had no idea there were so many different parts to the Redwoods. It’s not just Redwood National Park, there are LOTS of California parks with redwoods! Check out this link HERE to see them all listed on one map. On this trip, we went to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park.
Day 1 – San Francisco – McKinleyville
We took an early morning Minneapolis to San Francisco flight so by 10am we had our rental car and were ready to roll out of San Fran. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge was a first for all of us so of course we wanted to snap a few pics. It was a gorgeous, sunny day so we stopped at Marin Headlands to get a good viewpoint.
Then it was back on the 101 North and we started our 5+ hour drive to the Redwoods. We prefer to get long drives done on day one if possible just to get them out of the way. If you want to break it up and have time to spare, you could add in a night or two anywhere from Sonoma to Mendocino.
Other than a quick In-n-Out pit stop for food, we went straight to McKinleyville, arriving just after dark. Besides making a grocery store visit that night, we were all wiped and went to bed early after a big day of driving.
Where to Stay
Holiday Inn Express in Mckinleyville was a great base spot for us for three nights. It was only about 30 minutes away from Redwoods National Park and the Prairie Creek Redwoods, was close to grocery stores and restaurants and had a great free breakfast!
Day 2- Redwood National Park
Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Our first stop of the day was Lady Bird Johnson Grove, in Redwood National Park. We pulled up to only one other car at the trailhead parking lot, which is exactly the way we love it! This is a 1.5 mile easy loop trail that gets you up close and personal with the giant trees. I would definitely recommend doing this one because you get to see a lot in a short hike.
Are we on Endor?
Trees of Mystery, Klamath
To be honest, I thought that Trees of Mystery was going to be a dorky tourist trap but it ended up to be a really fun stop that we all loved! The town of Klamath is about 30 minutes north of Lady Bird Johnson Grove. For about $60 for a family of four, you’ll get to walk along swinging tree top bridges and take a gondola ride high up in the trees. It’s easy to knock out a few hours here roaming the paths and checking out all the quirky trees/wood carvings.
You can ride the gondola as many times as you want
Hike to Hidden Beach
I had read about the elusive trail that led to Hidden Beach in a Trip Advisor forum. The trailhead was actually DIRECTLY across the street from Trees of Mystery, at the north end of the motel. It’s only a short hike to the beach but this ended up being one of our favorite places of the entire trip! There was not another soul on the trail here or at the beach.
A Perfect Sunset Ending to the Day
Clam Beach was just a few miles away from our hotel so we ended day two with a gorgeous sunset. I’m a sucker for a good golden hour and this one was pretty spectacular! Of course my Minnesota boys were knee deep in the water within seconds of arriving, even though it was freezing! The coastline here blows my mind as it goes from wild and rugged to sandy and smooth within a few miles!
Day 3 – Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
The Big Tree Loop
This 3.2 mile loop trail was our favorite hike of the trip! Again, it was really quiet and it led us to so many beautiful spots! I may or may not have made everyone stop for a family photo shoot along the way…
Fern Canyon
It’s not hard to see why they picked Fern Canyon as the filming location for a few Jurassic Park 2 scenes. It truly feels like dinosaurs could appear before you at any moment. Before you venture to this lush green paradise though, read on.
Before you go
Prior to heading out for Fern Canyon, be sure to check with the park office to make sure the drive is passable on that particular day. You’ll start the drive on an intensely zig-zagged single lane gravel road which will eventually bring you near the coastline and then lead you to a few small streams. You’ve got to drive through the streams but they are doable in a high clearance vehicle. We saw a few Teslas that were struggling with the angle of the incline though so if in doubt, check with the park ranger before you go.
Also, bring some cash because this spot is $8 for daily use unless you have a national park pass.
So Many People
Fern Canyon was BUSY! Honestly, pulling up into an almost full parking lot made us groan a little. We had been so lucky escaping any crowds before this and thought that since it was Thanksgiving day it would be quiet but we were wrong.
In the Canyon
We were told that in the summer the park office puts out wooden walkways to make hiking through the canyon a little easier but that they take them out in the winter. As long as you have either waterproof shoes/boots or don’t care if you’re feet get soaked, you’ll be just fine! Just know that you’ll be walking through a creek the whole time. The water was a bit over ankle deep in spots but there are lots of logs and rocks to hop on.
If you’re looking to take the perfect picture with no one around, you’ll have to walk further down the canyon to try to escape the masses of people. We got lucky in a few spots but this is one of those places that would be glorious on your own but when you’re surrounded by noisy people it kind of takes away some of the magic.
Worth it?
Despite the people and the adventurous drive in, I still think Fern Canyon is worth a visit, especially if you can get there early in the day.
Thanksgiving on Clam Beach
For our last night in the area, we went for another beautiful sunset on a nearly deserted Clam Beach and then back to the hotel to feast on chips, microwave mac & cheese and turkey hot dogs. I know, we are so fancy. Dining options are limited in the area so while you’re in town it’s a good idea to go to a grocery store and buy snacks and at least food to make your own hiking lunches.
Day 4- McKinleyville to Fort Bragg
Oof, if you’ve never driven from the 101 to the 1, it’s definitely something you have to experience sometime in your life! The road is CRAZY! Let’s just say we had to stop the car at least six times so my little guy could take a break from his car sickness. When you do get to the coast though, it’s worth the queasiness, the views are epic!
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
We drove down the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park on our way down to Fort Bragg. We didn’t have long to explore but wanted to stretch our legs so we did one speedy hike there.
Founders Grove Loop
This short and flat 1.3 mile loop will take you through a grove of really impressive big ol’ trees! It’s right off the highway & Avenue of the Giants, which means it’s a busy spot but it’s still worth a quick peek.
Where to Stay
We arrived in Fort Bragg in the late afternoon and stayed overnight at the Emerald Dolphin Inn, a basic seaside hotel. Don’t expect any bells and whistles with this place but they do have an awesome mini golf course! Another perk is that it’s only a short stroll away from an amazing sunset spot!
Day 5 – Fort Bragg – San Francisco
Glass Beach- Fort Bragg
Before we left Fort Bragg we had to make a stop at the infamous Glass Beach. Honestly, reviews made it sound like all the glass was long gone but we were amazed at how much there still was! What used to be a trash dump until 1962 is now a California State park site. All of the old glass has tumbled and transformed into beautiful glass pebbles that fill the beach. Unfortunately you can’t take it home with you but we had so much fun finding and sorting through the multicolored sea glass!
Home We Go
After an easy drive back to the San Fran airport, we hopped on board our plane back to Minnesota. This trip was our ideal kind of getaway, adventuring in far away, quiet places! Quite a few people warned me before we left that in November, northern California weather can be extremely crappy and rainy but we lucked out with not a drop of rain and sunny 60 degree days! I think it’s worth the risk of travelling to potentially iffy weather during the low season because as a reward you get these amazing places all to yourself!
Add Ons
I felt like our five days were really well balanced with driving distances and things to do but we would’ve LOVED to have more time to explore. You could add so much to this trip by continuing going down the California coastline or going up into Oregon after the Redwoods, depending on how much time you had. If you like waterfalls and haven’t checked out my Oregon itinerary, here’s the post HERE.
Have you been to the Redwoods? Do you have any Redwood area attractions you’d add to this itinerary?
Happy Exploring!
Emmy, you are so talented! Beautiful pictures and so well written! 💗