Spouse, DC, and I are traveling from the Santa Rosa/Napa CA area north to the Redwoods national & state parks in early May to check out the redwoods and do some light hiking.
As good as some places sound we don’t want to stay on the north side of the parks (Klamath, Crescent City, etc.)
Right now, we plan to stay 2 nights in Arcata, thinking that after being in the park all day, we can easily get to restaurants, etc. It is 30 min from park. Historic Eureka looks nice, but it looks like it is 45-50 min from park and I am thinking we can check it out on our way there, for dinner, or on our way back south.
Any sites, restaurants, trails we should not miss? Any hidden (but not expensive) gems of where to stay? Right now we are at a decent chain hotel which suits us fine, but suggestions of something unique or fun are welcome!
The tall trees grove is great, and although it says strenuous it really isn’t that hard (4.5 miles). We did it with young kids (7-8 years old). Limited quotas but we’ve never had a problem getting a permit, at least midweek:
I don’t know if you are local to Santa Rosa but nearby is Armstrong Woods in Guerneville. I would call it light hiking but it’s beautiful. The drive out from Santa Rosa to Guerneville and onto the cost is beautiful.
We camped at Patrick’s Point State Park when we viewed the redwoods. That entire re from Sonoma county up to the Oregon border is gorgeous.
I don’t know the California geography north of San Francisco but you mention Sonoma County so I’m going to offer up this unique rental my daughter and her husband stayed at and RAVED about this past fall when they were in wine country (Sonoma County)
Seems it was quite reasonable and was immersed in nature. They did not want to leave!
Maybe this isnt in your area at all but I thought I’d try!
You can see redwoods all over northern California - here’s a nice rundown:
You definitely do not have to go all the way north to Arcata. There are many in the more populated areas around the SF Bay, unless you prefer the spareness of far northern CA.
I think this is the key question to consider. There are lots of groups of big trees closer to SF, such as at Muir Woods. What Redwoods National Park gives you is larger groups of somewhat bigger trees (although hard to appreciate from ground level) but above all remoteness and isolation, along with wild coastlines. But it’s not the spectacle that you get in Yosemite or Sequoia National Parks (those are sequoias not redwoods but are much more impressive from ground level).
From Clear Lake you could head out to the Mendocino coast. You could see redwoods, the beautiful rugged coastline, the town of Mendocino is small but very cute. We camp at McKerricher state park in Fort Bragg. We love that area. The botanical gardens are nice and depending on the time of the year the dahlia gardens are amazing. A fun half day can be spent canoeing up Big River near the town of Mendocino.
Fort Bragg also has a train through the redwoods. Fort Bragg to Willits called the Skunk train. We have never tried it.
There is so much beauty on the Northern Ca coastline that you really don’t have to do the long drive further north. Haven’t been through Eureka in years but I don’t remember it as a place I’d want to stay long.
I don’t think the skunk train runs all the way from Willits to Fort Bragg since the tunnel fell down. I think you can take it part way either direction which is fun. It is beautiful along that ride.