big trees in CA

[we"reofftoneverland]

We are driving from San Francisco to Anaheim. This is a first for us. We have only been to CA once and that time we just went straight to Disneyland. Does anyone know where we can stop or detour to see big trees along the San Francisco-Anaheim route? It seems like most of them are North of San Fransisco and that will have to be a different trip! Any advice of anything else worth seeing along the way is great too. Thanks!

 

[mel2014]

My recommendation would be to visit Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park just north of Santa Cruz. It is pretty much on the way from San Francisco to Anaheim:
https://goo.gl/maps/FQViXcMN37k

Muir Woods just north of San Francisco would be another option, though that is much more crowded and would be a slightly longer detour.

 

[bcla]

Plenty of options. Big Basin Redwoods is one.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540

Henry Cowell Redwoods was mentioned, but that's next to Roaring Camp Railroad, which has a steam train ride through a privately owned old-growth redwood forest. They have a variety of steam trains that were uses elsewhere for agricultural or industrial purposes such as logging or coal mining. They have a couple of older locomotives that were used to transport sugar cane at plantations on Oahu.

https://www.roaringcamp.com

There are redwoods up and down the coast, including the Big Sur area.

Another option (kind of out of the way) would be a stop in Yosemite or Sequoia/Kings Canyon to see giant sequoia trees.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Thank you!

 

[Lynn CC]

I would take the drive from San Francisco to Muir Woods, which is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's worth the short trip & I think you will be in awe! You could stop in Sausalito on the way back for dinner. I went once & it inspired me to go way up North to the Avenue of the Giants. OMG, one could never imagine feeling so alive looking up at those trees.
Feel free to ask questions I live in the Bay Area, and although it's only been 4 years, DH and I have traveled around quite a bit here.

 

[mel2014]

One important note about Muir Woods is that they now have a parking reservation system in effect 365 days a year, so you have to book ahead of time in order to visit (there is no cell service in the park, so don't wait until you arrive to try and book parking).

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Wow, I just googled Muir Woods and it looks amazing. I also looked at the Steam Train (would be a big hit with our 3 boys) idea and Henry Cowell-- both also amazing. The day we are in San Fransisco, we are going to Alcatraz in the morning and The Disney Family museum in the afternoon. Then we are staying the night in Monterey so that we can see a bit of the Big Sur before cutting over to 101 to head to Anaheim. (It was also less expensive to stay in Monterey than San Fransisco). We were originally thinking of trying to stop some place between Monterey and Anaheim, but it looks like everything is north of Monterey. Can you tell we are from the South and do not know anything about California! So I have to reorganize this... because we definitely want to see the "Big Trees."

 

[bcla]

I would take the drive from San Francisco to Muir Woods, which is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's worth the short trip & I think you will be in awe! You could stop in Sausalito on the way back for dinner. I went once & it inspired me to go way up North to the Avenue of the Giants. OMG, one could never imagine feeling so alive looking up at those trees.
Feel free to ask questions I live in the Bay Area, and although it's only been 4 years, DH and I have traveled around quite a bit here.

Muir Woods has that reservations system now that's required for parking or taking the shuttle. Marin County now doesn't allow parking along the roads for over a mile from Muir Woods.

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/reservations.htm

I believe there are no reservations needed if you're willing to walk or bike in. I have hiked in myself from Stinson Beach.

Personally I've feel Muir Woods is kind of overrated. There are so many places up and down the coast that are comparable (or better) but Muir Woods gets the crowds because of its location. I took a brief walk at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP near Santa Cruz once, and the trees were comparable but it was a more relaxing experience. At Muir Woods (before the reservation system) I would typically drop off the rest of my party then find parking up to a mile away, or circle around that lot like a parking space vulture.

 

[Lynn CC]

Muir Woods has that reservations system now that's required for parking or taking the shuttle. Marin County now doesn't allow parking along the roads for over a mile from Muir Woods.

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/reservations.htm

I believe there are no reservations needed if you're willing to walk or bike in. I have hiked in myself from Stinson Beach.

Personally I've feel Muir Woods is kind of overrated. There are so many places up and down the coast that are comparable (or better) but Muir Woods gets the crowds because of its location. I took a brief walk at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP near Santa Cruz once, and the trees were comparable but it was a more relaxing experience. At Muir Woods (before the reservation system) I would typically drop off the rest of my party then find parking up to a mile away, or circle around that lot like a parking space vulture.

That's right I see a shuttle at the beginning of the bike path going into Mill Valley from Sausalito. I didn't know they don't allow parking anymore. It was always quite jammed.

 

[bcla]

That's right I see a shuttle at the beginning of the bike path going into Mill Valley from Sausalito. I didn't know they don't allow parking anymore. It was always quite jammed.

They do allow parking ($8 per vehicle), but it's on a timed entry reservation system. They wouldn't have made it work if they still allowed parking along Shoreline Highway. Also - commercial tours are subject to the reservation system, although the reservation is only per vehicle. I know I said Muir Woods was overrated, but it's not bad per se. However, the parking and traffic situation made it a mess.

https://gomuirwoods.com

I had the annual pass at Muir Woods. $20 for a full year (and then some depending on when in the month you got it) that allowed 4 people. That was a great bargain, especially when they increased the price to $7 per adult.

 

[hilarys]

Wow, I just googled Muir Woods and it looks amazing. I also looked at the Steam Train (would be a big hit with our 3 boys) idea and Henry Cowell-- both also amazing. The day we are in San Fransisco, we are going to Alcatraz in the morning and The Disney Family museum in the afternoon. Then we are staying the night in Monterey so that we can see a bit of the Big Sur before cutting over to 101 to head to Anaheim. (It was also less expensive to stay in Monterey than San Fransisco). We were originally thinking of trying to stop some place between Monterey and Anaheim, but it looks like everything is north of Monterey. Can you tell we are from the South and do not know anything about California! So I have to reorganize this... because we definitely want to see the "Big Trees."

The steam train is an easy stop on your way to Monterey from SF, but it sounds like maybe you are driving straight from the museum to Monterey. If that is the case it will be too late for a stop. What day of the week is that? If it is a week day, traffic will be heavy at the end of the work day unless you take highway 1 from SF which is longer than taking 101. Could you maybe rearrange to stay in SF after the museum and then leave to drive to Monterey in the morning with a stop at Roaring Camp. There is tons to do in Monterey. Not sure what your full plan is and this might take a day from something else, but it would allow you to see some great California sights.

 

[bcla]

Wow, I just googled Muir Woods and it looks amazing. I also looked at the Steam Train (would be a big hit with our 3 boys) idea and Henry Cowell-- both also amazing. The day we are in San Fransisco, we are going to Alcatraz in the morning and The Disney Family museum in the afternoon. Then we are staying the night in Monterey so that we can see a bit of the Big Sur before cutting over to 101 to head to Anaheim. (It was also less expensive to stay in Monterey than San Fransisco). We were originally thinking of trying to stop some place between Monterey and Anaheim, but it looks like everything is north of Monterey. Can you tell we are from the South and do not know anything about California! So I have to reorganize this... because we definitely want to see the "Big Trees."

I thought I'd get back to this question. Honestly - I like Muir Woods, but it was a hot mess because of the parking situation. Now it's rather inconvenient because of the parking reservation system.

A well known politician (you would know who he is) once said "a tree is a tree, how many more do you need to look at?" That's not quite how I feel, but certainly there's no one area that has a monopoly or is a can't miss. There are numerous places to see them, although the north coast of California is where the largest trees are found. If you're visiting Bur Sur, there's Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park as well as Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

Here's California State Parks' map of state parks with old-growth redwoods:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24723

This is a pretty good place to research where to find redwoods. It's not limited to one agency and has listings for state parks, NPS, regional/county parks, national forests, BLM land, etc.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Home.html

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I want to thank all of you for giving me a heads up about so many options. I cannot say enough about how helpful all of the information has been. I have a couple of guide books and Google, but did not have a real grasp of what to do about seeing trees-- you all helped me get there--THANKS!

We are driving "cross country," coming towards California from Bryce Canyon on The Loneliest Road (lol)/ highway 50 and arriving at a Springhill Suites East of San Fransisco, technically in Napa, but right off the highway. We figured out we could arrive there earlier in the day but that would not really help because I still think we would get to the different parks too late, or at least we are not sure if we would get there in time to get into the area. The next day is the day we are going into San Fransisco early and heading to Monterrey for the night. So... We have decided to drive just a bit of Big Sur the next day and then turn back North to go back up towards San Fransisco and go to the Rolling Camp railroads and take their through the Redwoods steam train. The earliest they have available is a 12:30 ride, so then we will high tail it to Anaheim. We are doing the 5 day pass at DL. And then we are taking a more southern route to stop at the Grand Canyon on the way home. Another first for us. You guys are lucky you live out there-- looks so beautiful, can't wait to see it. And wish we could fit in more.

 

[bcla]

So... We have decided to drive just a bit of Big Sur the next day and then turn back North to go back up towards San Fransisco and go to the Rolling Camp railroads and take their through the Redwoods steam train. The earliest they have available is a 12:30 ride, so then we will high tail it to Anaheim

Just a heads up - Roaring Camp has a $10 parking fee, and their lot is actually dirt. I'm not sure if you're driving a rental car where that isn't allowed.

https://www.roaringcamp.com/faq

An alternative would be to drive to the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park parking lot (N Big Trees Park Rd), which is actually closer to the train depot than Roaring Camp's parking lot. They also have a $10 parking fee, and there's an entrance to Roaring Camp from there. You could also take a quick peek at the park.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546

Here's the map that shows the state park lot right next to Roaring Camp:

https://goo.gl/maps/JevQMnXN2r72

To give you an idea, the dirt parking lot it at the top here:

https://goo.gl/maps/g943Ud8fEHE2

 

[Pixie_Dust]

There are so many places up and down the coast that are comparable (or better) but Muir Woods gets the crowds because of its location.

What are some of your favorite better locations? Anything north if Muir? Cheers

 

[bcla]

What are some of your favorite better locations? Anything north if Muir? Cheers

Again, I wouldn't say Muir Woods is bad, but logistics for visiting are complicated because of the reservations system.

I frankly haven't gone to visit redwoods further than perhaps the Sonoma Coast. I've wanted to visit the North Coast but have never done it. However, by reputation it can be anything from Humboldt up a little bit beyond the Oregon border. You can pretty much just pick any spot and you'll be able to find big trees, although the best known would probably be Redwood National and State Parks. That's a joint effort between the National Park Service and California State Parks. The federal portion has no entrance fee and I've heard that it's generally not very crowded. There are many easily accessible areas, although the best known is probably the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm

Of course the area is now dealing with marijuana tourism, but they're still trying to attract more traditional family and couples tourism.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Many years ago when I was a kid my family rafted down the Eel. It’s quite a bit north of the Bay Area but you can take the Avenue of the Giants through Miranda and Myers Flat. It parallels 101. Further north is the Trees of Mystery, which has a waking trail and tram ride.

 

[nd5056]

...

This is a pretty good place to research where to find redwoods. It's not limited to one agency and has listings for state parks, NPS, regional/county parks, national forests, BLM land, etc.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Home.html

Since you're somewhat up there, I've been eyeing the Avenue of the Giants, but not sure if I'll have enough time to go up there. What would be the fastest way to get up there and how long would that extrusion be in your opinion? Google maps shows almost 5 hrs each way and 225 miles.

 

[bcla]

Since you're somewhat up there, I've been eyeing the Avenue of the Giants, but not sure if I'll have enough time to go up there. What would be the fastest way to get up there and how long would that extrusion be in your opinion? Google maps shows almost 5 hrs each way and 225 miles.

Haven't been there but heard of it. There are a lot of similar places to see old growth redwoods up and down the coast. For something that's closer to the Bay Area but without the logistics issues of Muir Woods, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County seems to be promising. Google Maps says it's about 77 miles and maybe 1.5 hours from San Francisco. It looks like it could be a fairly quick side trip if already visiting the Sonoma wine country.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Armstrong/Armstrong.html
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450

Here's another one closer to Bodega Bay. It's privately owned by a nonprofit conservation organization but open to the public.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/GOT/GOT.html
http://landpaths.org/propertyexplorer/grove-of-old-trees.aspx
https://www.savetheredwoods.org/project/grove-old-trees/

 

[nd5056]

Haven't been there but heard of it. There are a lot of similar places to see old growth redwoods up and down the coast. For something that's closer to the Bay Area but without the logistics issues of Muir Woods, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County seems to be promising. Google Maps says it's about 77 miles and maybe 1.5 hours from San Francisco. It looks like it could be a fairly quick side trip if already visiting the Sonoma wine country.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Armstrong/Armstrong.html
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450

Here's another one closer to Bodega Bay. It's privately owned by a nonprofit conservation organization but open to the public.

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/GOT/GOT.html
http://landpaths.org/propertyexplorer/grove-of-old-trees.aspx
https://www.savetheredwoods.org/project/grove-old-trees/

Thanks, will check this out.