Redwood National Park Tours

8:30 AM   Pick Up

Complementary pick up at your hotel in San Francisco downtown or in the Fisherman’s Wharf. Pick up outside of San Francisco is  also available. Your tour guide will drive through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County and California Wine Country on the way to the Redwood National Park located 4 hour driving north of San Francisco. You will drive through San Rosa, the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Mendocino County. In about 2 hours, you will get to Hopland located south of Ukiah where you will enjoy a break for breakfast or coffee.

10:30 AM:

A break is now scheduled in Hopland or Ukiah for coffee or and breakfast. Hopland is located in Mendocino County, about two hours' drive from San Francisco along the redwood highway ( U.S. Route 101.) Hopland lies along the Russian River and not far from Clear Lake, California's largest natural lake. Hopland is a pure countryside rustic farming village style.  The federally recognized Hopland Band of Pomo Indians operates the 40,000 sq Hopland Sho-Ka-Wah Casino and Bingo since 1996 to fund  the natives’ health, educational and social benefits. Hopland is  also home to  Mendocino Brewing Company and the infamous Fetzer Vineyards yet produces one of the most elegant and smooth wines comparing to their affordable labels.
Ukiah is considered as  #1 best small town to live in California but  unknown for many locals and visitors. It’s home to the Vichy Springs , known for their champagne baths and claim to have the only naturally carbonated hot springs in North America. Visited by many famous figures back in the 19th century  including the American Author, Jack London .  Just east of Ukiah, you can visit the  City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere. North of Ukiah, you can see the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, a community in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism.

Our Next stop is scheduled at Leggett, located 80 miles north of Hopland and home to the Giant Redwoods.

12:30:visit Leggett's world famous  Drive-Thru Tree

Leggett is located on the South Fork of the Eel River in Mendocino County, about 80 miles north of Hopland and 90 miles south of Eureka. This is one of the highlights of your adventure. You will now visit Leggett’s world famous Drive-Thru Tree known as the  Chandelier Tree because of the enormous branches balanced on both side of its massive trunk. Chandelier Tree is a 315 foot (96 meters) tall with a 6 foot (1.83 m) wide by 6 foot 9 inch (2.06 m) with a wide hole cut through its base to allow a car to drive through since 1930s. It reminds us of the tunnel tree in Mariposa grove of giant sequoias yet, this redwood tree is much larger than the sequoias tunnel tree that stands next to the Grizzly Giant tree. Alongside the road, you can picture the tall sword ferns and the giant horsetails (ancient survivors of the Paleozoic Era).

13:30 – 14: 30 PM   Confusion Hill - the Home of Mystery

Time for lunch and then enjoy a guided tour within the Mystery Spot known as “Confusion Hill” (optional). Confusion Hill is now listed as a California State Point of Historical Interest. You can see the world famous gravity house, the redwood shoe house. Confusion Hill is a roadside attraction located in Piercy  78 miles South of Eureka. This attraction includes what is dubbed as a "gravity house," a structure built to give the interior visitors tilt-induced optical illusions, similar to the perspective on the gravity hill and Santa Cruz Mystery House. Visitors experience the need to stand upright when they actually already are due to this optical illusion. This  guided tour may also include a side trip  through the 1½ mile narrow gauge railway which was built in a switchback layout along the side of a steep hill.

15:00 – 16:30  Other Parks & Points  of Interest

Depending on the schedule and time, your driver may offer you a side trip to one of the following sights:

Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve contains the beautiful Frank and Bess Smithe Grove of redwoods. The site was formerly a private resort. The park features a 60-foot waterfall, picnic area, fishing and swimming in the south fork of the Eel River.
Richardson Grove State Park is located at the southernmost border of Humboldt County, 75 miles south of Eureka, California. Many refer to this site as  home to the 9th largest tree of all remaining Coast Redwoods. The park is named after Friend Richardson, the 25th Governor of California between 1923 to 1927.
The well known Phillipsville's Famous One Log House has been moved to Bear Valley, near Richardson Grove State Park, and remodeled. It’s a giant redwood log that's been hollowed out and furnished with a secondhand bedroom set.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is located 30 miles south of Eureka and home to the largest contiguous remaining old-growth redwood forest in the world and famed for its coast redwoods  growing to over 106.7 meters (350 ft). It is home to the 4th tallest measured living redwood, the Stratosphere Giant, which was measured at 370 ft in 2004. Today, the tallest redwoods is the Hyperion redwood tree which measures 379.1 feet tall! Unbelievable but true!  This  information was provided and based on Humboldt State University Professor Steve Sillett who informed  Reuters about this record-setting tree.
Fortuna is a city located south of Eureka which means “fortune or chance” in Spanish. The name was chosen when settlers who felt fortunate to live there thanks to its proximity from the forests, the river and the valley.

16:30 – 17:30    Visit Eureka & Hotel Check-In

Eureka comes from the Ancient Greek: "I have found it". Eureka is the main city of Humboldt County situated in the heart of Redwood National Park. Eureka is home to hundreds of significant Victorian homes, including the famous Mansion, built back in 1886.  
  
History- Due to the geography of this second largest bay in California and the bravery of its indigenous, Eureka and the bay remained undiscovered until the 1800s when the Russians mariners got there from Alaska. In 1850, the settlement of Eureka was officially founded by the Union and Mendocino Exploring development companies. The Native Americans paid the highest price of this intrusion by settlers and today are reduced to a small portion of the population.

The discovery of Gold in 1850s in the Trinity region located north of  Eureka  guaranteed Eureka's development as the primary city on the bay thanks to its vital  location on the Humboldt Bay and its natural deep shipping channels.

17:30  Hotel Check-In

Your tour guide will assist you with checking-in at your hotel. We will ensure we do our best to book the best hotel or motel in the required and best location. Please take in consideration that when you travel to the wild west national parks, you may want to lower your expectations regarding fancy hotels as part of this exciting adventure. There are no 5 star Ritz Carlton nor Four Seasons hotels up the forests. However, there are a number of 2 and 3 star hotels and motels providing all major amenities and services in great location.

We will provide you with your hotel information after booking your tour as we will not be able to confirm your hotel before booking your required room. This will depend on hotels' availabilities. There is 99% chance to find a good hotel or motel as long as we receive your reservation ahead of time.  

Point of interests in  Eureka & the annual cultural events: Some of the famous attractions are the Clarke Historical Museum, the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum, the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, the Sequoia Park Zoo, Humboldt Botanical Garden, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As for cultural events, visitors can see the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival in March. In April, the Rhododendron Festival, in May, Kinetic sculpture race, in  June, the Redwood Acres Fair and Rodeo, in July, the Fourth of July Celebration, in September  the Blues by the Bay, in August, the Organic Planet, Oysters and Ale Festival. In November, the Mushroom Fair and ends in December with the Christmas Truckers Parade.

 

9:00 AM: Breakfast and Hotel Check out. After breakfast, we will leave the hotel between 9: 00 and  9:30 am and head towards the world famous Avenue of the Giants

10: 00 AM- 2 PM- Discover Avenue of the Giants

This is the highlight of your adventure. Join us and enjoy this unique and scenic drive for over 30 miles off highway 1 to walk and hike to some of the largest redwoods in the world. The southern entrance to the Avenue of the Giants is just north of Garberville, and the northern entrance is south of Fortuna located south of Eureka. Our tour guide will escort you to the most famous groves of giant redwoods located within this large stretch of the 30 miles off California route 101, known as “Avenue of the Giants”.  Some of the most famous groves you will be visiting are:

The Immortal Tree that has survived lightning strikes and flood is over 1000 years old and 250 ft tall(but was much taller before). This immortal redwood tree is situated in the northern half of the Avenue. The redwood Immortal Tree stands by the gift shop and parking lot. We call these trees redwoods because their bark are reddish and very thick. The bark protects them from disease, fire and termites (thanks to the tannin found in the bark).

Founder's Grove where our tour guide will walk with you to show you the largest and tallest trees of this Avenue of the Giants including the Founder's tree (346 ft. tall) and the Dyersville Giant (370 ft. tall) which fell down in 1991. These giant and massive trees have a shallow root system. Any strong storm can effect and destroy these trees.

Drive Through Tree - Avenue of the Giants offers visitors a unique opportunity to drive through a tunnel tree. The hollow base of the giant tree has an opening that was carved on both sides to allow a car to pass through like the Chandelier tree. There are fees applied to drive through all these redwoods but they are included within our travel package. 

The famous Tree House- believe it or not but this amazing tree house is actually a house built within a giant redwood tree! This amazing tree house is visible from the road. An optional guided tours may be offered to visit it. The front of this tree house is entered through the hollow trunk of a still living tree. The front door and windows are clearly visible to visitors who go by and the rest of the house adjoins the rear of the tree in a more traditional style.

The Eel River and the South Fork The Eel River is the third largest river in California after Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers that runs through Central valley. Eel River carves deep down into the canyons, through flat valleys, and  run along the majestic and ancient redwood forests. The Avenue of the Giants follows the South Fork of this river, but also features the branching of the South and Main forks to its north.

The Shrine Drive-Thru Tree in Myers Flat, visitors can drive through a tight tunnel carved into a naturally angled opening in the trunk of this massive redwood.  

Rockefeller Forest of giant redwoods - A hike may also take us to Rockefeller Forest of giant redwoods that occupies 10,000 acres of redwoods and natural wonders. Take a hike with our tour guide to one of the many trails in this picturesque forest home to the second, fourth and 6th tallest redwoods of all redwoods trees. They are from these towering trees that the Avenue of the Giants takes its name. The drive will also winds alongside the scenic Eel River, and go through small towns  such as Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Burlington, Weott, Englewood, Redcrest and Pepperwood.

The coastal redwoods have a conical crown, with horizontal to slightly drooping branches. The bark is very thick and red which gave these trees the name “redwood trees”. The root system is composed of shallow, wide-spreading lateral roots up to 150 feet. “Sequoia Sempervirens” is the scientific name of these coast redwoods - the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family “Cupressaceae”. It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living 1000–2500 years or more. This species includes the tallest trees on Earth we will be seeing here in the Avenue of the Giants. Some reaching up to 116 meters (379 ft) in height and up to 7.9 meters (26 ft) diameter at breast height.

2:45 PM   Confusion Hill - the Home of Mystery

After Lunch that may take place along Avenue of the Giants in one of its local rustic restaurants, your tour guide will start driving you back to San Francisco on the same highway (101 south). If your tour guide skip this optional side trip to Confusion Hill on the way up to Redwood National Park , he or she may add  it on your tour on the way back to San Francisco. “Confusion Hill” is an optional tour to visit this attraction located in Piercy, 78 miles South of Eureka

4:00 PM – California Wine County

 An optional wine tasting side trip may take you to one of the wineries or boutique wineries located within Mendocino or Sonoma County. Your tour guide will talk to you and see the kind of wine you like before choosing the required winery. This will also depend on time and itinerary of your Redwood National Park tour.  You may also require a tour of breweries within Mendocino County as well.

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM  Golden Gate Bridge Sky View Overlook   

Return to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge where a great photo stop is scheduled at Marin Headland overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay area. Thanks to its astonishing colossal architectural and engineering dimensions, the Golden Gate Bridge becomes the most photographed bridge in the World. These spectacular and sweeping views over the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay have drawn millions of tourists from all over the World. The Golden Gate Bridge inspired Hollywood most famous movies, such James Bond, in a "View to Kill" and much more.

Day 3- Five Star Trees -The king of all Conifers

Want to spend  quality time rather than rushing to get back to San Francisco? We highly recommend the three day tour to see the real natural wonders of northern California, visit Klamath’s hidden natural wonders , the Trees of Mystery, the stunning  hidden redwood parks where  “Star wars’ & “Jurassic Park” movies were filmed! We recommend that you invite friends or relative of  yours to make this tour more affordable and more interesting. Indeed, more people you have in your party less you pay!

Day 2- Eureka- Klamath-Trees of Mystery- Crescent City

9:00 AM- Breakfast and Hotel Check out. After breakfast, we will leave the hotel between 9: 00 and  9:30 am. On  this second day adventure and  instead of heading back to San Francisco, we will first visit the famous  Avenue of the Giant ( as shown above) and then travel to Klamath to marvel at the Trees of Mystery. Afterwards,  we travel north to  Crescent city where we will overnight at one of  the local hotels in town or at a charming beach hotel (depending on availabilities).  In other words, your second day adventure will take you to the following sights and point of interests:

Avenue of the Giants- This is the highlight of your adventure. Join us and enjoy this unique and scenic drive for over 30 miles off highway 1 to walk and hike to some of the largest redwoods in the world. Our tour guide will escort you to the most famous groves of giant redwoods located within this large stretch of the 30 miles off California route 101, known as “Avenue of the Giants”(see day 2 for more information).  

-Patrick's Point State Park - Patrick's Point State Park is located south of Humboldt Lagoons State Park and 25 miles north of Eureka. It’s home to many tree species including coastal redwoods, hemlock, pine, spruce, fir , red alder but also a wildflower meadows with a shoreline that consists of sandy beaches and sheer cliffs against the Pacific Ocean.

1:30 – 4:30 PM Lunch -Klamath Wonders & the Trees of Mystery

After lunch, we will travel to Klamath’s Trees of Mystery, a tourist attraction located in private lands within the Redwood National and State Parks.  Our guided tour will start with the famous 49 foot tall statue of Paul Bunyan and a 35 foot tall Babe. Constructed largely from wooden beams, chicken wire and stucco, the current Babe was built in 1950 and the current Bunyan was built in 1961 but the first one was conceived in 1946 and destroyed by rain that winter. Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack who is usually believed to be a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill.

Inside this majestic park a guided tour will take you through the park’s unique flora and fauna including some of the largest redwoods in North America such the famous 2000 years old Brotherhood Tree! It was named for the hope for the brotherhood of man. This massive tree is over, 20 feet in diameter, 62 feet in circumference and 298 feet tall.

Our second guided tour is an exciting adventure on the aerial tramway that will take us a breathtaking view point. A Vertical rise of 571 ft will take us to the top to enjoy the sky views over the Redwoods National Park. At the end of this trail, you can visit the Trees of Mystery gift shop and museum which is the largest private collections of Native American art, crafts and tools in the World.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Visit & Overnight in Crescent City

After our guided tour in Klamath, we will travel north to Crescent City where we will overnight. Crescent City is the northernmost major city in California located south of Oregon. It was named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city. Crescent City is the site of the Redwood National Park headquarters.
Battery Point Light – Free time at the beach in Crescent City before or after checking-in at your hotel. You may take a walk to get close to the historic lighthouse located in Crescent City. Capture the beauty of the Pacific Ocean rugged coastline around the lighthouse and admire its brick tower. This 45 ft tall cylindrical brick tower was founded back in early 1850s. It was one of the first lighthouses on the California coast and home to a Museum displaying maritime artifacts, photos and historical documents. When tides allow, some visitors adventure to visit and climb into the light tower.

9:00 AM- 2 PM Full four hour adventure to discover California Hidden Redwoods

Breakfast and Hotel Check out. After breakfast, we will leave the hotel and head towards the world famous Redwoods State Parks federally managed and preserved. They are home to the best, largest, tallest and most unknown giant redwoods to many locals and visitors. There are a number of trails and parks within these wild reservations and wilderness and giant redwoods that would keep us busy for weeks! Your tour guide will offer  you the best combination tour that may include one, two or more of the below parks and sights taking into account that you will have to drive back to San Francisco for  5 hours at least. But this will be a nice and smooth drive with lots of spectacular photos stops. We will visit some of the below parks and sights today:

Tour # 1:  
-Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park, established in 1929, was named after the noted fur trapper Jedediah Smith, who visited its location during an 1826 expedition. It is located about 10 miles east of Crescent City. The park is one of three  famous State Parks cooperatively managed as part of Redwood National and State Parks. This park has several hiking trails including  Reed Discovery Trail and Stout Grove Trail. Stout Grove near Howland Hill Road is home to 'Stout Tree', the largest in the stand. Not far, Mill Creek flows through the park and merges with the Smith River near the campground.

Tour # 2:

-Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park is one of the three unique States Parks federally  managed and preserved located in Northern California (close to Oregon). This beautiful park which was established in 1927 consists of  6,400 acres with approximately 50% old-growth coast redwood & 8 miles of wild coastline. The park was designed as a World Heritage Site & Biosphere Preserve by the United Nations in 1980s. In 2007, the Mill Creek was added to Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and increased its size by 25,000 acres. This elevates  Del Norte park to the 5th largest in the State Park system  and thus increasing the preserved redwoods parks. In 2008, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed to close this unique park (due California's deficit ). It has since been rescinded following public outcry. Governors should first visit this park before they come up this kind of ridiculous projects of law to destroy these unique and ancient trees.  President Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir stood firmly and courageously against  lobbies when they declared these ancient trees as national monuments back in 1906.

Tour # 3:

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park - Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a state park, located in Humboldt County. (80 km) north of Eureka. We may visit this
Creek Redwood State Park and take a hike to Atlas Grove to picture the Iluvatar tree, the largest tree in the park, and the third largest redwood in the World. The location of this Atlas Grove's Iluvatar is undisclosed to protect its sensitive ecosystem as well as the location of Big Tree, Corkscrew Redwood and the Cathedral Trees. You may also check out  some infamous redwoods including  Godwood Creek , the Giant and Gemini. They are  over 340 feet (100 m) high. Did you know that the meadows along the Newton B. Drury scenic parkway is home to Roosevelt elk and  considered as a centerpiece of the park! It’s located near the information center and campground. Among the other popular sights in the park are Fern Canyon and  the Gold Bluffs Beach
                                               

Tour # 4:  

Our optional driving tours - No matter which highway our tour guide will take , you will get to  the picturesque  Klamath home to a unique fauna and flora but also  exceptional drives and hiking trails. An optional drive may take us to the  infamous Stout Grove- Howland Hills road. It starts on the east side of Crescent City and winds about 11 miles back through huge groves of redwoods, finally ending at slant bridge on highway 199.Towards the North end, we may  cross the Smith River, one of the west’s Scenic and Wild rivers where you can picture giant redwoods from the car.  This will depends on  time, weather and road conditions. 
-In Klamath itself, a great drive is along the Coastal Drive. The trail leads south across the 101 bridge where we turn west to exit. This drive is part paved, part gravel but wide and smooth as we drive 4x4 SUVs. You will enjoy the fantastic vistas of the ocean  that will profiles through the horizon as we head west.
 -Another ride or hike may take us to the beautiful Enderts Beach located 3 miles  south of  Crescent City. We will make a photo stop at the vista point prior to the parking lot. The hiking trail will take us  downhill from the parking lot. Quickly, you'll have great views of the Pacific Ocean below to the right. Further down the trail, you'll walk through tunnels formed by trees. you may  see  gray whales in the bay. Klamath River overlooks and leads to the dramatic views  over the ocean. This makes a great spot whale watching
-Travel Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Not even the Avenue of the Giants can beat this! A 10-mile scenic drive through ancient redwoods. Stop and walk an 1/8 of a mile to Big Tree Wayside; you'll see why! Watch for Roosevelt elk grazing  Prairie. Beware of adult elk ! They are as big as a horse and capable of causing great harm! They can be very aggressive and dangerous!

Optional adventures - Optional adventures and trips you may add to your tour. You may need to extend your stay for one extra day or more to enjoy quality time in RDNP. You can add a hot air balloon adventure ( depending on weather), go on horseback within the forest or at the beach, take a Jet Boat adventure for a 45 mile jet boat roundtrip  & that lasts  about  2 hours. Additional fees will be required. Wine tasting and or breweries tours can also be added to your travel package. This will depend on time, your priorities and choice.

14:00 – 16:00 Other Parks & Points of Interest

After lunch, we will head south and drive through the below cities and sites:

Fortuna is a city located south of Eureka where we may stop to visit Carson Mansion.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is located 30 miles south of Eureka and home to the largest contiguous remaining old-growth redwood forest in the world and famed for its coast redwoods  growing to over 106.7 meters (350 ft). It is home to the 4th tallest measured living redwood, the Stratosphere Giant, which was measured at 370 ft in 2004. Today, the tallest redwoods is the Hyperion redwood tree which measures 379.1 feet tall! Unbelievable but true!  This  information was provided and based on Humboldt State University Professor Steve Sillett who informed  Reuters about this record-setting tree.

Richardson Grove State Park is located at the southernmost border of Humboldt County, 75 miles south of Eureka, California. Many refer to this site as  home to the 9th largest tree of all remaining Coast Redwoods. The park is named after Friend Richardson, the 25th Governor of California between 1923 to 1927.  The well known Phillipsville's Famous One Log House has been moved to Bear Valley, near Richardson Grove State Park, and remodeled. It’s a giant redwood log that's been hollowed out and furnished with a secondhand bedroom set.

Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve contains the beautiful Frank and Bess Smithe Grove of redwoods. The site was formerly a private resort. The park features a 60-foot waterfall, picnic area, fishing and swimming in the south fork of the Eel River

4:00 PM – California Wine County

 An optional wine tasting side trip may take to one of the wineries or boutique wineries located within Mendocino or Sonoma County. Your tour guide will talk to you and see the kind of wine you like before choosing the required winery. This will also depend on time and itinerary of your Redwood National Park tour.  You may also require a tour of breweries within Mendocino County.

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Golden Gate Bridge Sky View Overlook

Return to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge where a great photo stop is scheduled at Marin Headland overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay area. Thanks to its astonishing colossal architectural and engineering dimensions, the Golden Gate Bridge becomes the most photographed bridge in the World. These spectacular and sweeping views over the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay have drawn millions of tourists from all over the World. The Golden Gate Bridge inspired Hollywood most famous movies, such James Bond, in a "View to Kill" and much more.