We first walked into Redwood National Park in 2010, and it rearranged something in us. These are the tallest living things on Earth, some of them more than 300 feet tall and older than the Roman Empire, and standing beneath them does the same thing to a person that the Grand Canyon does. You look up, and you keep looking up.
We have gone back more times than we can count, spending weeks photographing the groves, the coast, and the light that filters down through the fog. Photos cannot really carry the scale of these trees, but they get closer than words do. Here are 20 of our favorite frames from the park, with a short note on where each was made and how to find it. If you are planning a trip, start with our full Redwood National Park guide.
Watch Our Redwood Film
We shot this three-minute film across several visits to the park, and it covers many of the same locations in the photos below. Consider it a quick virtual escape from your desk, and a scouting trip for your own visit.
20. Foggy Mornings in the Groves
Fog is not just atmosphere here, it is a water source. Coast redwoods pull a large share of their annual moisture straight out of the marine fog that rolls in off the Pacific. Catch it in the morning with sunbeams cutting through the canopy and you get the shot the park is known for.
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19. Off Highway 101, Crescent City to Klamath
The stretch of Highway 101 between Crescent City and Klamath runs through one grove after another. Pull-offs and unmarked trails branch off the road constantly, and most of them lead somewhere worth the stop. Slow down and take a few.
18. Sunset at Wilson Creek Beach
Wilson Creek Beach is one of the best places in the park to watch the sun drop into the Pacific. At low tide the pools left behind mirror the sky, and they are good hunting for starfish while you wait for the light.
17. A Dry Day in the Bald Hills
The Bald Hills are a remote, lightly visited corner of the park that feels nothing like the groves. Up here the forest opens into rolling oak savanna and sweeping views, a useful reminder that Redwood protects far more than just its namesake trees.
16. Sunbeams in the Tall Trees Grove
The Tall Trees Grove holds some of the tallest redwoods on the planet, and reaching it takes a little planning. You will need a free permit, available 24 to 48 hours ahead through the National Park Service. It is one of the few places where the crowds thin and the trees do all the talking.
Distance: 3.3 miles roundtrip, about 800 feet of elevation gain. Time: 3 to 4 hours.
15. Sunset at Gold Bluffs Beach
Gold Bluffs Beach takes its name from the golden cliffs that rise above the sand. The campground here is the only one in the park set right on the beach, and falling asleep to the surf is the kind of thing you remember for years. Keep an eye out for the resident elk herd and, in season, migrating whales offshore.
14. Morning in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods
For a lot of visitors, Jedediah Smith Redwoods is the first taste of the park, and it sets a high bar. It sits along the Wild and Scenic Smith River on the north end near Crescent City, with a campground, a swimming hole, and the famous Stout Grove all close at hand.
13. Hazy Day at Crescent Beach Overlook
Crescent Beach Overlook is a quick roadside stop on Highway 101 with a wide view of the Pacific. It is the ideal place to get out of the car, stretch, and grab a frame on your way through the north end of the park.
12. Snack Time at Elk Meadow
Elk Meadow, just outside Orick at the head of Davison Road, is the most reliable spot in the park to see Roosevelt elk. It also makes a handy launch point for Gold Bluffs Beach, Fern Canyon, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and the Bald Hills.
11. The Boy Scout Tree Trail
The Boy Scout Tree Trail is one of the finest hikes in the park, winding through old-growth groves off Howland Hill Road just below the Stout Grove. It rewards the effort with some of the largest trees most visitors will ever stand next to.
Distance: 5.3 miles roundtrip, about 750 feet of elevation gain. Time: 3 to 4 hours.
10. Avenue of the Giants
The Avenue of the Giants is a 31.5-mile drive threading through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, about an hour south of Eureka. It is not part of the national park, but it sits close enough and runs through trees grand enough that we include it anyway. Budget a full day, because you will stop constantly.
9. The Narrow Trails of Stout Grove
The Stout Grove is among the most photographed stands of old growth anywhere, and its short interlacing trails make it easy to wander. Tucked into Jedediah Smith Redwoods north of Crescent City, it packs a remarkable density of 300-foot trees into a compact loop.
8. Looking Up in Lady Bird Johnson Grove
The Lady Bird Johnson Grove is one of the great old-growth groves on Earth, sitting around 1,000 feet above sea level near Orick. It is among the most popular hikes in the park for good reason, and the easiest place to crane your neck straight up into the canopy.
Distance: 1.3 miles roundtrip, little elevation gain. Time: 1 to 2 hours. An easy walk for all ages, and Redwood Creek Overlook is just down the road for sunset.
7. A Cloudy Day at Stone Lagoon
Stone Lagoon sits on the coast, separated from the open ocean by a thin ribbon of sand. It is a reliable spot for migratory birds, and on an overcast day the water turns a deep turquoise that photographs better than the brightest sun.
6. A Hiker in the Humboldt Redwoods
The Humboldt Redwoods are not inside the national park, but they are close enough and grand enough to earn the drive. Inland and drier than the coastal groves, the trees here run noticeably redder, which is where the redwood got its name in the first place.
5. Sunset at Redwood Creek Overlook
Redwood Creek Overlook is, hands down, the best sunset spot in the park. Perched more than 1,000 feet above the coast, it often catches cloud inversions that pour through the groves below as the light goes gold. It pairs naturally with Lady Bird Johnson Grove just down the road.
4. A Fallen Giant in Stout Grove
Even on the ground, these trees command attention. A fallen redwood in the Stout Grove becomes its own landscape, a downed trunk you can walk the length of. The road in is unpaved but fine for two-wheel drive, and the mosquitoes can be pesky in early to mid summer.
Distance: 0.7 miles roundtrip. Time: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
3. Fern Canyon
Fern Canyon is the spot you have probably seen without knowing it, since it appeared in the Jurassic Park franchise. Walls 50 feet high drip with ferns from top to bottom while a creek runs through the floor. It is short, strange, and unforgettable.
Distance: 1.1 miles roundtrip. Time: 1 to 2 hours. It pairs well with Gold Bluffs Beach just down the road.
2. Sunset Light in Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Come back to Lady Bird Johnson Grove late in the day and it becomes a different place. The last sunlight slips sideways through the trunks and turns the whole grove warm. The walk is short and gentle, which makes it an easy one to time for golden hour.
1. The Stout Grove at Its Best
If we had to send you to one place in the park, it would be the Stout Grove. Compact, ancient, and almost impossibly photogenic, it is the single best concentration of giant old-growth redwoods we know. Stand still in it for a minute and the rest of the trip falls into place.
Distance: 0.7 miles roundtrip. Time: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
The 10 Best Photo Spots in Redwood National Park
- Stout Grove
- Lady Bird Johnson Grove
- Fern Canyon
- Redwood Creek Overlook
- Gold Bluffs Beach
- Avenue of the Giants (Humboldt Redwoods State Park)
- Tall Trees Grove
- Crescent Beach Overlook
- Boy Scout Tree Trail
- Elk Meadow
Further Reading
Planning a visit? Start with our full Redwood National Park guide for where to stay, what to see, and how to plan your days, and our roundup of the best hikes in the park.
What to Bring to Redwood
Gear we recommend for Redwood. Affiliate links support our work at no cost to you.
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More Than Just Parks Film Watch our 4K film of Redwood We spent weeks in Redwood, one of our favorite public lands destinations, capturing it the way it deserves. Take a few minutes and see it for yourself.
