Image capured a brisk fall morning at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. A few whispy morning clouds coveing the sky with the sun rising on the left side of the image.

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North Coast & Redwoods

This is not the legendary California of the Beach Boys' song – there are no palm-flanked beaches and very few surfboards. The jagged edge of the continent is wild, scenic and even slightly foreboding, where spectral fog and an outsider spirit have fostered the world’s tallest trees, most potent weed and a string of idiosyncratic two-stoplight towns. Explore hidden coves with a blanket and a bottle of local wine, scan the horizon for migrating whales and retreat at night to fire-warmed Victorians. As you travel further north, find valleys of redwood, wide rivers and mossy, overgrown forests. Expect cooler, damper weather too. Befitting this dramatic clash of land and water are its unlikely mélange of residents: timber barons and tree huggers, pot farmers and radicals of every political persuasion.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
North Coast & Redwoods
Famous for some of the world's best virgin redwood groves and unspoiled coastline, this 14,000-acre section of Redwood National & State Parks has…
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
North Coast & Redwoods
Along Hwy 101, 53,000-acre Humboldt Redwoods State Park protects some of the world's oldest redwoods and has three-quarters of the world's tallest 100…
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
North Coast & Redwoods
The northernmost park, Jedediah Smith is 9 miles northeast of Crescent City (via Hwy 101 north to Hwy 199 east). The redwood stands are so thick that few…
Redwood National Park
North Coast & Redwoods
This park is the southernmost of a patchwork of state and federally administered lands under the umbrella of Redwood National & State Parks. After picking…
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
North Coast & Redwoods
Marked by steep canyons and dense woods north of Klamath, this park contains 15 miles of hiking trails and several old logging roads that are a mountain…
Klamath River
North Coast & Redwoods
The mouth of the Klamath River is a dramatic sight. Marine, riparian, forest and meadow ecological zones all converge and the birding is exceptional. For…
Sequoia Park
North Coast & Redwoods
A 67-acre old-growth redwood grove is a surprising green gem in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It has biking and hiking trails, a children’s…
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
North Coast & Redwoods
This pristine wildlife refuge protects wetland habitats for more than 200 species of resident birds and their feathered friends migrating annually along…