portola redwoods state park camping

Redwood National And State Parks is a usa National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is located on the North Coast of the state of California. The park protects several groves of massive redwood trees, which can live for 2000 years, grow to heights of up to 367 feet, and be as wide as 22 feet at the base of the trunk. Created by Congress to protect lands adjacent to three California state parks (Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park) in 1968 with the creation of Redwood National Park.In 1994, the CaliforniaDepartment of Parks and Recreation  and the National Park Service agreed to jointly manage the four-park area for maximum resource protection.

The trails are especially beautiful in the early morning hours or on days of light to medium fog. In the early morning, the sun's angle through the trees produces long beams of light, creating a dramatic theatre of light and shadow and ever-changing shades of green. In the light fog, the forests become a dreamscape of incredible mystery and beauty.

    * Hiouchi Information Center, US Highway 199 at Hiouchi, Phone (707) 458-3209. Open from mid-June to mid-September, 9AM-5PM. Closed in the winter. Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs held in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, across the street. Programs occur during the summer season. Redwood National and State Parks' Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Inside: Coast redwood, wildlife, and preservation history exhibits. 12-minute film on the redwoods. Outside: "Trees of the coast redwood forest" pace with waysides. Book store, picnic area, and restrooms.

    * Jedediah Smith Visitor Center, US Highway 101 at Hiouchi, Phone (707) 465-2144. Open from May 20 to September 30 from 9AM-5PM. Open winters on Friday/Saturday/Sunday from 10AM to 6PM. Closed in the winter. Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs occur during the summer. Redwood National and State Parks' Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Coast redwood, history, and wildlife exhibits. Nature museum, gift shop, campground, dump station, picnic area, and restrooms. Many trails start here.

    * Crescent City Inerformation Cent, 1111 Second Street, Crescent City, Phone: (707) 465-7306. Open March - October from 9SM-5PM. Open November - February from 9AM to 4PM. Closures: Thanksgiving, December 25th, and New Year's Day. Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Gift shop, picnic area, and restrooms.

    * Prairie Creek Visitor Center, just off US Highway 101, along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, Phone: (707) 465-7354. Open daily March - October from 9AM-5PM. Open W-Su November - February from 10AM-5PM. Closures: Thanksgiving, December 25th, New Year's Eve, and Easter. Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs held in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park during the summer season. Redwood National and State Parks' Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Coast redwood forest, wildlife, and history exhibits. Video room available. Nature museum, gift shop, campground, dump station, picnic area, and restrooms. 70 miles of trails begin here.

    * Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center, US Highway 101 at Orick, Phone: (707) 465-7765. Open March - October from 9AM-5PM. Open November - February from 9AM-4PM. Closures: Thanksgiving, December 25th, and New Year's Day. Patio talks and coast walks occur during the summer. Redwood National and State Parks' Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here. Many exhibits in the visitor center on coast redwoods and watersheds: early technologies! kid friendly! Video room with many films available. Gift shop, picnic area, and restrooms.

Camping

There are no campgrounds within Redwood National Park, but the nearby state parks do have campgrounds:

    * Mill Creek Campground, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Ph: (800) 444-7275. Open from May 1 to August 14. Mill Creek campground is located 7 miles south of Crescent City on US Highway 101. 145 RV or tent sites, trailer length up to 27 feet, RVs up to 31 feet. Amenities include showers, restrooms, four loop trails, hiker/biker sites, dump station, fire pits, no hookups, handicap access, ranger-led walks, junior ranger and evening campfire programs.

    * Jedediah Smith Campground, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Ph: (800) 444-7275. Open year-round. Jedediah Smith campground is located on Highway 199 at Hiouchi. 106 RV or tent sites, RV length up to 36 feet, trailers up to 31 feet. Facilities/amenities include nature center, bookstore, no hookups, showers, restrooms, river sites, picnic area, many miles of trails, hiker/biker sites, dump station, fire pits, handicap access, ranger-led walks, junior ranger and young naturalists programs, and evening campfire programs. There is a group site for 50. For site-specific information, call (707) 464-6101 ext 5113.

    * Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Open year round. Camp along the windswept Pacific Ocean with the coast redwood forest as a backdrop. To reach Gold Bluffs Beach campground travel three miles north of Orick on US Highway 101, the turn west on Davison Road and continue for four miles (gravel road). 25 RV or 29 tent sites, trailers prohibited, RV length up to 24 feet and 8 feet wide. Amenities include solar showers, restrooms, access to over 70 miles of trails, Fern Canyon, hiker/biker sites, fire pits, no hookups, ranger-led walks, junior ranger and evening campfire programs.

    * Elk Prairie Campground, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Ph: (800) 444-7275. Open year round. Elk Prairie campground is located 50 miles north of Eureka, CA on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway just off US Highway 101. Sites: 75 RV or tents, trailer length up to 24 feet, RVs up to 27 feet. Facilities/amenities include nature center, bookstore, no hookups, showers, restrooms, picnic area, over 70 miles of trails, hiker/biker sites, dump station, fire pits, handicap access, ranger-led walks, junior ranger and evening campfire programs. For site-specific information, call (707) 464-6101 ext 5301.