What Is Open or Closed During COVID-19

Status of Redwood National and State Parks

Current Park Status: Open
The following visitor centers are currently open with modifications:

Hiouchi Visitor Center
Prairie Creek Visitor Center
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Retail, restrooms, information, maps, and Junior Ranger badges are available.

Permits or reservations are required for the following:
Tall Trees Trail, backcountry camping, and frontcountry camping (campgrounds)
Please see below for more information

 

Redwood National and State Parks, in response to guidance from the State Health Department and to support the nation’s effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, will temporarily modify indoor services at the park. Effective immediately, the following areas temporarily have modified operations:

• Indoor spaces of the Hiouchi Visitor Center, Prairie Creek, and Kuchel Visitor Center have modifications in place following guidance from the CDC.
  Visitor information services and restroom facilities are still available at these locations.

The health and wellbeing of visitors and park employees remains our top priority. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers. Our operations will be flexible, continually evaluated and adjusted as necessary to ensure public health and safety. Updates on the park’s operations will be posted on this page, the Current Conditions page, and our park social media.

 

What is Currently Open and Closed in Redwood National and State Parks:

What is Open

Visitor Information:
Retail, visitor information, and restroom facilities are available at the following locations:

Hiouchi Visitor Center
Prairie Creek Visitor Center
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center

Camping:
Jedediah Smith Campground
Elk Prairie Campground
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground

For campground reservations, please visit ReserveCalifornia.

Backcountry Camping Sites:
Online applications for backcountry camping permits are available.

Trails:
All Redwood National and State Park trails
For Tall Trees Trail permits, please see Tall Trees Online Permits

Scenic Drives:
Coastal Drive
Bald Hills Road
Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway
Howland Hill Road

Find out what the Current Conditions are in the parks. (Weather, air quality, facilities, road and trail conditions).

What is Closed

Campgrounds:
Mill Creek Campground - closed for the winter

Visitor Centers:
Crescent City Information Center - closed for the winter
Jedediah Smith Visitor Center - closed for the winter

Roads:
N/A

Find out what the Current Conditions are in the parks. (Weather, air quality, facilities, road and trail conditions).

State Park Status

Three State Parks lie within Redwood National and State Parks. For the most up-to-date information regarding State Park closures and status, please see the following websites:

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Del Norte Redwoods State Park
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Status of Events, Permits, Outdoor Schools, and Cooperating Associations

For operational status of our park partner, please visit Redwood Parks Conservancy.

Commercial Use Authorizations will need to be approved for county business certification.

 

What to Expect Before Arriving:

Visitor Information, Maps, Brochures Are Available

In response to guidance from the State Health Department and to support the nation’s effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Redwood National and State Parks will temporarily limit indoor services at the park. Effective immediately, the following areas will be temporarily closed until local public health guidance changes:

• Hiouchi Visitor Center, Prairie Creek Visitor Center, and Kuchel Visitor Center

Visitor information, maps, directions, and restroom facilities will still be available at these locations.

Backcountry and Tall Trees Permits are Now Virtual

Apply for Backcountry and Trees Permits

Permits must be acquired 48 hours in advance.
Pets are not permitted on trails or in the backcountry.

Campgrounds are Reservation Only

For more information, see:
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Del Norte Redwoods State Park
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

To make a campground reservation, please go to ReserveCalifornia.

Recreate Responsibly

Redwood National and State Parks offer countless recreational opportunities for you to enjoy. With your help, these special places can be treasured by everyone while preserving them for future generations.

Protecting You: More than 300 million people visit national parks each year, as well as the communities living in or around them.

Protecting Us: Tens of thousands of NPS employees, plus volunteers, partners, and others, provide services for the safety and enjoyment of parks, including emergency assistance, facilities such as restrooms and visitor centers, transportation, and sales.

Protecting America’s Treasures: National parks are home to some of the nation’s most treasured and irreplaceable resources, including wildlife, scenery, and historic places.

The NPS encourages you to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and follow Leave No Trace principles when you visit.

• Know before you go. Visit NPS.gov/findapark for current park conditions and availability of restrooms and other facilities. Make a plan, follow the 10 Essentials, and if you are sick, stay home.
• Keep it close. Follow the state and county orders governing the open status of the area you’re considering visiting. The National Park Service is working closely with governors and state and local health departments as we increase access and services across the National Park System.
• Keep your distance. Recreate with the people in your household. Give others plenty of room whether you are on a trail, at a boat launch, or in a parking lot. Follow the CDC social distancing guidelines for staying six feet away from others. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth if you’re near others.
• Know your limits. Postpone challenging hikes or trying new activities while first responders, parks, and communities continue to concentrate on responding to the pandemic.
• Keep it with you. If you brought it, take it with you. Trash pickup and restroom facilities will continue to be limited in many park areas . Follow Leave No Trace principles.
• Keep it inclusive. Be an active part of making our nation’s parks and public lands safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities.

 

Find out what the Current Conditions are in the parks. (Weather, air quality, facilities, road and trail conditions).

 

Please Recreate Responsibly In The Redwoods

Spread out
While you're enjoying the park, we encourage you to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Pack it in, pack it out
Use trash bins or take your trash home.

Plan ahead
If your planned trail or area is crowded, please try a less crowded area.

 

Leave No Trace ethics are always important to follow. During this pandemic, national parks across the USA are stressing the importance of these ethics - no matter the place a person might be recreating at.

 

NPS

Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) is an unusual partnership of three California state parks and one national park. The way that RNSP operates, or opens / closes areas and facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic follow local, state and federal guidance. This unique partnership means that even though the public is experiencing RNSP as one destination, they way the public can recreate in RNSP during COVID-19 means different things in different geographical parts of RNSP.

We know this can be confusing if you are in Redwood National and State Parks - or thinking about how you can visit us. This webpage will convey the best and current information about what is open. However, visitors are responsible for following the state, or federal laws that govern the particular location (within the boundaries of RNSP) that they are visiting.