Basic Information

 

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Operating Hours & Seasons

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Fees & Passes

Redwood National and State Parks are fee free with the exception of day use areas within the Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks. State park day use passes and Interagency Federal Passes (Senior, Annual, Access, etc.) are accepted within these three state parks.

Fern Canyon is within a day use area and requires paying a day use fee of $8 per car, or showing a federal or state pass. 

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The Amazing Diversity of Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National and State Parks are home to an incredible diversity of life. The ancient coast redwood ecosystem preserved within the parks shelters some of the world’s most awe-inspiring forests. Here, banana slugs, gray whales, Douglas-firs, black bears, and sea anemones coexist with towering redwoods in a uniquely rich environment.

To protect and restore this biodiversity, park staff engage in a wide range of resource management and educational initiatives. By preserving natural processes and the region’s species and genetic diversity, future generations will continue to experience the beauty and complexity of old-growth redwood forests.

Preserve and Protect

The expansion of western settlement in the 1800s brought logging to the redwood forests. These massive trees, valued for their size and durability, were felled at an astonishing rate, providing what seemed like an endless supply of lumber. Yet, within a century, vast stretches of the old-growth forests had been reduced to a fraction of their original range. By the early 1900s, the future of the coast redwoods was in jeopardy.

Recognizing the urgent need for preservation, the Save-the-Redwoods League took action. In the 1920s, the State of California established Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks to safeguard some of the finest remaining groves of coast redwoods.

The importance of Redwood National Park was later recognized on a global scale when the United Nations designated it a World Heritage Site in 1980.

Working Together

In 1968, Congress expanded protections for the redwoods by establishing Redwood National Park adjacent to the three state parks. Then, in 1994, a landmark agreement between the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service brought all four parks under joint management to maximize resource protection.

Today, visitors to RNSP will find not only ancient redwood groves, but also open prairies, two major rivers, and 37 miles (60 km) of pristine California coastline. The parks also serve as a testing ground for large-scale forest and stream restoration, helping heal lands impacted by past human activities.

For Native American tribes, the North Coast has been home since time immemorial. Their cultural presence remains strong in and around RNSP, where they continue traditional practices. Park managers work in consultation with tribal nations to ensure that these practices endure.

Major ecosystem restoration efforts, like Redwoods Rising, would not be possible without partnerships between federal and state agencies, tribal governments, and conservation organizations.

The North Coast Connection

Redwood National and State Parks are part of California’s North Coast, a region stretching from Ukiah and Fort Bragg, California, to Josephine County, Oregon. As you travel north on Highway 101, you’ll notice a striking transition—from California oak woodlands to the misty Douglas-fir and coast redwood forests that define this lush, temperate landscape. These parks are more than just forests; they are living laboratories, cultural touchstones, and protected landscapes for generations to come.