Redwoods vs Sequoias or Both?

[misse336]

We are reimagining our California trip that was supposed to take place in June, 2020 for June 2021.

We have sadly come to the realization that cutting out the southern portion of CA will be probably be needed due to timing and DL/CA still not being open. We still plan to do SF/Alcatraz, Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park. We hope to do the southern part of the trip at a later date.

With SF, Yosemite and Sequoia NP as an itinerary, is going to Redwood National Forest too similar of an experience to visiting the Sequoia National Park? They're pretty far apart in distance and I want to make the best use of our time in CA.

Also, we were planning a beach weekend towards the southern part of the state before Disney. We'd still like to visit a beach since we've only ever visited beaches on the north coast of the United States - which beach would everyone recommend based on the places we plan to visit?

Any other recommended sites that are "must do" based in the Northern area of California?

 

[bcla]

I'd just point out (for search results) that there is no Redwood National Forest. There are old growth redwoods as far south as Big Sur, although that might be difficult with the part of CA-1 currently wiped out.

If you really just want to see sequoias, you can fit that into a visit to Yosemite. They have a few sequoia groves, with the star attraction being Mariposa Grove.

There's Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, although that gets tricky now because of the required reservations for the shuttle or parking. If you're willing to walk in or someone just drops you off, you won't need a reservation. If you want to see redwood trees, they're planted all over San Francisco, although they won't typically be old growth.

Maybe Point Reyes National Seashore?

http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Marin/PtReyes.html

 

[misse336]

Ooops, sorry meant Redwood National Park (not forest).

We do want to go to Sequoia National Park, just not sure if we also need to do Redwood National Park since it is so far north. I will look into the Muir Woods as an alternative.

I looked into Point Reyes National Seashore a little bit. I hadn't come across that one before. It looks beautiful. It mentions that it is not as great for swimming though as it's rough. Have you found that to be the case? Would it be ok for swimming for kids? Another one I came across that appeared to be close to the area we will be in and still looks less touristy is Stinson Beach. Any reviews on that one? It says that the surf is gentle so it's good for swimming.

 

[Rolem]

I usually hit up Pt Reyes once a month for a long hike day (I live about 1.5 hrs outside of the park). A big portion of the park is closed due to the Woodward Fire from last August. I would monitor their website for up to date info. Limantour beach is open which is a really nice beach. I would advise not to swim here. They have riptides, sharks and it's really cold.

Redwood NP is way up the coast from the bay area. Pretty but a really really long drive. Yosemite has the Mariposa grove which will get you up close to some of the big trees. You can also check out Calaveras Big Trees which is a state park. Sequoia is pretty and it is not as convenient as Yosemite. Muir woods is very crowded and frankly there are similar hikes up the coast. The Pomo Canyon trail south of Jenner is a nice hike without the crowds. You will start the hike at Shell beach.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

If you want to see Redwoods and the beach, head south after SF and stop at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, then spend some time at Santa Cruz.

 

[cruisehopeful]

If you want to see Redwoods, I would just add on Muir Woods while staying in SF. Stinson Beach isn't far from Muir Woods, so you could do both in one day. Keep in mind that the water will be very cold.

 

[Kittyblue]

If you want to see Redwoods and the beach, head south after SF and stop at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, then spend some time at Santa Cruz.

I was going to say this also.

 

[Chemist]

I was going to say this also.

Third that.
Its a lot easier to manage than Muir Woods, crowds, parking, etc.

Natural Bridges State Beach is one of the most beautiful.
Santa Cruz City Beach (where the boardwalk is) is fun, but can be crowded, traffic hard and parking $. (Would not go there on a weekend)
We also like New Brighton (can be sea-weedy, but because of the kelp beds we often see cool wildlife), and Manresa (which is a bit further of a drive).

 

[Lumpy1106]

If you want to see Redwoods and the beach, head south after SF and stop at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, then spend some time at Santa Cruz.

The train ride is fun too. If you want to see elephant seals you can stop at A`no Nuevo and hike out to the rookery. https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523

 

[bugsmama]

Ooops, sorry meant Redwood National Park (not forest).

We do want to go to Sequoia National Park, just not sure if we also need to do Redwood National Park since it is so far north. I will look into the Muir Woods as an alternative.

I looked into Point Reyes National Seashore a little bit. I hadn't come across that one before. It looks beautiful. It mentions that it is not as great for swimming though as it's rough. Have you found that to be the case? Would it be ok for swimming for kids? Another one I came across that appeared to be close to the area we will be in and still looks less touristy is Stinson Beach. Any reviews on that one? It says that the surf is gentle so it's good for swimming.

Stinson Beach is great but can get crowded. The water is cold but there isn't usually a serious undertow or crashing surf. Much of the beach along Point Reyes is too rough for swimming, has a treacherous undertow, and I wouldn't let my kids go in past their knees. Limantour Beach is an exception - it's fine for swimming (but the water is cold!) Here's a good description: https://www.marinmommies.com/explore-family-friendly-limantour-beach-point-reyes

 

[sndral]

...
Also, we were planning a beach weekend towards the southern part of the state before Disney. We'd still like to visit a beach since we've only ever visited beaches on the north coast of the United States - which beach would everyone recommend based on the places we plan to visit?
...

I’m not sure what the ‘north coast of the United States‘ means, what springs to my mind are the beaches in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean since that’s as north as you can get. There are beaches in the Northern part of the country on both the east and west coasts. I assume you mean you’ve not visited the beaches in central California on the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco is actually on the ocean (and the bay.) Here’s a list of beaches to consider that are in/near San Francisco https://www.californiabeaches.com/best-beaches-in-the-bay-area/
I lived near Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County when I worked in SF and there are a number of beaches there which are described in the link.
A bit further afield & a longer drive from SF are the beaches in Santa Cruz, I personally like Capitola’s beach & Seacliff State beach mostly because we always vacationed there in the summer & spent lots of time on those beaches. Here’s a guide to Santa Cruz beaches https://familydestinationsguide.com/best-beaches-in-santa-cruz/
Just keep in mind the beaches in the middle part of California are very different from SoCal beaches, the water is much colder, the surf can be more treacherous, & our weather tends to be cooler in the summertime than it is down south.