Redwood National Park and assorted area state parks are home collectively to some of the world's tallest trees, true, but also miles of dramatic coastline, mountains, rolling sand dunes, wetlands, rivers, even shimmering blue lagoons. It's the majestic old-growth coast redwoods - some of them as old as two thousand years - in the national park that are most visitors' first stop. Set amongst spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns which create a multiple canopied understory, these mighty giants deserve the attention of a hiking tour or a leisurely bike ride along designated paths before venturing out of the national park to see other notable area attractions.
There is quite the selection of state parks and state recreation areas in the immediate vicinity, many of which offer boating, fishing, hiking, whale sightings and other outdoor entertainment. The national park itself starts inland at its southern end and ranges northwest towards the coast, where it meets Highway 101. West of the lower boundaries on the Pacific find Patrick Point State Park, a good spot to fish or take in sea breezes only a short drive from Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area, another angling hot spot. Just adjacent is Humboldt Lagoons State Park, a good spot to search for agates, meander the short Coastal Trail, boat and bird watch. Redwood National Park's coastal boundary starts just north of this state park, and takes in Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast and Jedediah Smith State Parks finishing inland and east of Lake Earl State Wildlife Area and Tolowa Dunes State Park. Find between the bunch opportunity to do some wildlife watching, camp, hike, fish and beachcomb along sandy stretches of shore scarcely a stone's throw from deep forest.
Park Headquarters are located in the small town of Crescent City on the coast, west of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State park; to the east of this same state park find Six Rivers National Forest and Smith River National Recreation Area, which extend inland to the southeast.
Redwood National Park is located along the Pacific Coast in northwest California, about 40 miles north of Eureka.
