Redwood National and State Parks: Road Trips from Los Angeles

Redwood National and State Parks

By Armando Ortiz

Visiting the Redwoods in Northern California is a trip that everyone should have as a goal. This place is one of the most unique places in the world, where you get to walk through redwood forests and see wildlife by the road’s edge. To get here from Southern California you will take Interstate 5 and head north, and you will drive through the Transverse Ranges of Southern California which lead you to the bountiful and long San Juaquin valley. The drive through gentle hills and windy passes of the valley is long, all mixed with the smells of domesticated animals and their byproducts, produce being processed, and petrol being pumped from the ground. As you reach Los Banos you will be faced with various directional options that take you north. 

At Los Banos you could take the 152 to the U.S. Highway 101 where you will pass Gilroy, the garlic capital of the U.S. You drive a few minutes north and take the 130 which connects to San Jose. If you join the 101 at Gilroy you will drive through different cities like San Jose, and San Francisco, and will have the pleasure of seeing how the landscape slowly changes as you go from urban landscapes to suburbia and into clear open spaces that merge into the forests. 

Once you drive past Santa Rose you will begin your climb up the rolling mountains with oak trees lining the highway. The weather here will be hot if you come during the summer. It will be like being in Southern California in the hottest months of the year. Once you get into the Leggett you will begin to spot solitary redwoods and begin to notice a slight change in the weather although it might still be warm. Continue to drive north, observe the differences between this area and the northernmost areas of the Redwood forest, and appreciate how resilient and adaptable these trees are. 

Another option is taking the 580 or simply staying on the I-5. If you choose to stay on the interstate highway the drive will be direct, a bit faster, but the landscape will simply be an extension of what you’ve already seen driving through the Southern part of the valley. Once you reach Red Bluff, CA the landscape will begin to change. To your left and right sides of the road you will see oak trees begging to show up and you will have the choice of getting on California State Route 36 and heading west. This road connects to the 101 at Fortuna, CA. You may continue on to Redding. Once you get to Redding the trees that you see will be pine. At this town you can take the California State Route 299 west which also connects to the 101 at Arcata,CA. Once here you decide what places you want to explore and visit, which can probably take a lifetime to do.

The drive to this park from Los Angeles is long and at times boring, but believe me, the trip will be well worth your time. The trees look like pillars to cathedrals, and camping by the creeks that flow through some camps will make you feel like a millionaire. Being shaded by the redwoods and sycamores is also pretty awesome. Just pack your stuff and go there, just go there and experience what was once so common along the north coast of California a few generations ago.

Once you’ve passed Mendocino county you can explore the towns of Arcata and Crescent City with the other smaller towns that pepper the areas between these two towns. The main draw to this region are the State and National Parks, so go ready to spend time outdoors. If you have the time, consider going further north on the 101 and into Oregon. There is a trail up there called the Oregon Redwoods Trail which is not so far away and worth a trip.