Remember going on vacations to the Redwoods and staying at the cabins at "Overpacks Grove" in the…read moremid 60's....Spending a day on the Ell river.....Taking a ride through the forest on the " Skunk Train ".... Consider it the most tranquil and beautiful area of the state of California.....

I was impressed by this park because it was so beautiful, family friendly and it had immaculate…read morebathrooms! There's a little loop path that has little signs about Redwood trees, the birds nearby and the fun facts. I appreciate how there's a grassy pasture in case you bring pups (they shouldn't go on the trails). There were picnic tables around too to enjoy a meal. The bathrooms were clean and unique, I'd never seen a skylight in a bathroom.

Black Sands Beach is a beautiful beach that is secluded. We went on a busy weekend, although I hear…read morethat on non- busy weekends or weekdays you might have this place to yourself. You park and walk down to the beach. When we went the bathrooms were out of order. It's a beautiful beach to walk along and soak in the views. Tip: Don't go near the water. There are signs all over to stay 100 ft away or more from where the waves break due to the under toe.

This is a beautiful beach with some seclusion. It can feel like your own private beach since it's…read morenot crowded. It has a small parking lot, a lackluster bathroom (bring hand sanitizer ) and a hike down to the beach. The journey to the beach isn't too long and you can catch some pretty spectacular views from above. The beach itself is unique, clean, quiet, calming. Perfect for photography, lounging around, picnics but not swimming so much. Tides seem rough and there's lots of rocks here. The hike back uphill was a hard one if you're out of shape like me. The locals did it no problem though !

Avenue of the giants is a great way to drive along the freeway with a more scenic route. It was…read morebeautiful and gorgeous drive and they have stops that you can go to for view points. I suggest you go early to avoid crowds if you want to get to every site and not have toooo much traffic. Also Make sure to get the map at the first stop so you can read about each stop and decide which ones ha wanna go to.

Bow-legged and bald standing 68 inches tall with a 32 inch 4-pack belly and 73 years young - I am…read morein awe walking among giants over 300 feet tall, 10-20 feet in diameter and living about 2,000 years. Wow! What a comparison! Me and a redwood tree! It so humbling and awe-inspiring! Looking up and gazing away in quiet wonder! Blows me away every time! These redwoods are the oldest and largest living organisms on earth. Hit all the cool loops like Druary-Channey, Women's Club (no redwoods ever logged), Rockefeller loop and Founders Grove - all short hikes and an abundance of large redwood trees up and down the 40 mile Avenue.

Scenic views. We recently had the pleasure of staying at…read morethe Benbow KOA RV resort, and if offered a convenient and scenic location. As an added bonus, the resort is situated mere steps away from the majestic Avenue of the Giants, making it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding natural beauty. Our cabin was located right on the golf course, offering breathtaking views and a peaceful atmosphere. The resort's proximity to the Benbow Historic Inn, where we attended a wedding, -- was also a huge plus. The Benbow KOA RV resort is a nice stop for anyone seeking a relaxing getaway amidst nature's splendor.

As a woman traveling alone, just trying to make my way home on a solo mission, I definitely didn't…read moreplan the hours right. I got completely lost in the magic of those towering redwoods , which honestly, I didn't mind one bit. The camp I originally planned to stay at ended up being closed for the season, and by then I was tired... but also a little nervous to camp alone in the forest. Then I stumbled across this place, and let me tell you, what a gift. The people were so friendly and accommodating, and the whole atmosphere just felt safe and peaceful. The bathrooms and showers? So clean. The other campers? Quiet and respectful. I didn't end up using the pool or hot tub, but I peeked in while pulling up, and it looked calm and cozy , the kind of place you can actually unwind. I felt so comfortable that I slept like a baby. Woke up feeling thankful , truly thankful , for the kindness of strangers and the little moments that make solo travel so worth it. I'll definitely be back... next time with my family.

No other Redwoods campground compares to this place. It really is the best when you factor in…read morelocation, proximity to the river across the street, the peaceful atmosphere, the large private, spacious campsites and scenic beauty of the grounds and of course the gracious, kind and accommodating staff. I absolutely love and adore every stay we spend here. It feels like home. Nearby stores and restaurants too, so it's just perfect in every way. Our last stay Cheyanne was a doll to us, and the boys too. Don't hesitate to stay here- there's not a bad camp site on the property.

We had campsite 138. It says it can fit 8 people. It was pretty crowded for our group of 7…read more There were two trees in the middle of the site taking up a good portion. Bathrooms were a slight uphill walk from the site with running water, so so on cleanliness. Potable water were by each site maybe two sites per faucet. 138 is furthest from the entrance about 0.7 miles from the camp site entrance. $10 for wood bundle which you buy by the campsite entrance. A lovely camping weekend. Pretty private because the redwood trees block the view between sites and we were lucky that the neighboring sites were empty most of the weekend.

Beware. Cabin smelled like a combination of old man's BO and wreaked of 30 years of cigarettes…read moresmoke. Even though it said no smoking, the rug, the drapes, everything wreaked of musty old man who is a chain smoker. They charged $250 a night. THIS IS a Place to camp or bring your RV. DO not go to the cabins. A great summer place for kids with Kareoke at night- should be a high review, b/c the staff is great and the out door kitchen is lovely.- Alas. There is a reason this is rated a one star motel.

We just got married up at the Redwood river Resort in June 2025. It was the perfect weekend. The…read morestaff went above and beyond to accommodate us and make sure everything went smoothly for our perfect weekend. We are excited to come back every summer to celebrate. A huge thank you to Amanda who helped coordinate everything from rentals, florist, caterers, and set up and breakdown all of our decor. Would 11/10 recommend if you are looking for a camp ground style wedding!

Such a wonderful and clean campsite. The are was so close to all of the beautiful redwood trees…read more Staff was so kind and helpful. We will definitely be back!

We traveled the coast highway PCH1 from San Francisco to the Redwoods National Park staying at…read moremultiple RV parks along the way. Giant Redwoods RV park was one of the best. So good we stayed 2 nights instead of moving on to Eureka. The lovely park caretaker lives on property and ensures everything goes smoothly and late arrivals no problem. It lays alongside the South Fork Eel River and amongst giant redwoods. Showers and bathrooms very clean. Setting is fabulous. Just look.

The site was clean and the people there were not rowdy. We had the lot near the entrance so there…read morewere some noises from people going in and out. We did not experience any mosquitoes, especially when we were fairly close to the river. The river is very relaxing. The water moved pretty slowly for small kids to play. There were enough shallow areas to explore around the river. There were a couple cool rock formations to climb. The rock faces were smooth to find sliding areas. The dirt ramp going down to the river is not very steep, compared to other spots to access the river. There are river rocks, but it's an easy walk. The river's edge wasn't steep so it made it easy to sit and dip your feet. Water shoes are recommended, but not required. Cons: the site did not have as many trees as other sites. It can get sunny during the afternoon. The less foliage did not it good for stargazing. The river was slow moving so there were some spots with green algae. There were plenty of warnings posted.

This is one of my favorite camping spots as it is easy to book, the sites are beautiful, the staff…read moreis helpful and it has great river access. Bring your paddle board or river float!

I love this peaceful rustic little resort. Our 2nd visit was just as great as the 1st! Definately…read morefamily friendly, great amenities and staff. Awesome Customer Service. Beats any regular motel stay or campground hands down.

Purposefully set up to stay here driving from PHX to Bend with my dog. I thought it would be…read morenestled in the trees and have nice river trails and places to take my dog for half a day. I was really looking forward to it. You remember the camp in the Friday the 13th movies? That is luxurious compared to this place. There were a few sketchy people hanging around campgrounds, possibly sharpening the hatchets on the leathery skin of their last kill. They looked hungry, and one of them was playing the banjo, so I went straight to my room with my dog and locked the door. I walked in to the room and received a welcome facial of web scrubbing from the Resort Spider Staff. As I walked around the room, I kept getting the treatments and all I could think was that I hope they don't charge by the web. I didn't realize that among the numerous spa amenities other than web facials was a Suana AND it was located in my room. Well, it WAS my room. So I immediately turned on the HVAC but also opened the window. Well, opened is a loose term, and so was the window. It immediately fell out of the opening and onto the floor. Luckily it did not break, so I scooped it up and tried to fix it. Instead, I just leaned it up there so that the Spiders could go home for the evening after a long days work. I noticed an upgrade to make the stay even more luxurious. The backside of the room had a sliding glass door out to a patio that overlooked a grassy garden and play area. I am sure that is what it was meant to be. So I opened the door and it decided it was jealous of the window, and wanted to show me that it too could fall out of the opening. I caught it and closed it back up, I think... The patio was spacious, in that it was outside, uncovered, and housed what looked to be the deignated smoking area for the property. BONUS! Right on my own patio. If I smoked, I would be in heaven, and not just because I died from smoking. The 'grass' field, at least I think it was at one time, now filled with dead weeds and possibly a rattlesnake family, did have some games such as 'lawn machettes', and 'guess who's buried there?'. Later, I took my dog down to the rivertrail. Never found it, but he enjoyed walking along the dry river bed rocks. I know this because he told me he loved it. Or it could have been him crying because his feet hurt, but who knows. I don't speak dog. Nevertheless, I ucked in my dog for the night, said good night to the spiders and bugs, and went to sleep. When I got up in the morning, I was still alive, and so was my dog. We decided to get out of dodge. Mostly because I own a Subaru and the leather skinners were driving the dodge.

Grr. Oh Yelp, why dost thou load my photographs backwards? I wanted to tell a story …read more.. Just back from a beautiful weekend on the Humboldt/Mendocino Coast. Back to what appears a rainy day in the Bay Area. In late June. Wtf. This walk was as splendid as the last. Different, as I had a hiking buddy this time, different as I left the water filter on my bed at home and had to beg other hikers for the use of theirs. Different in those respects but similar in many others. Tips: 1. Bring the bear can for the food. I still don't think you need it if you think about what you're doing before you do it but the rangers don't agree and as we saw two this trip and they are serious about the bears you may as well bring it along. I hate bear cans. 2. Time your walk so you can stay at the best campsites. I like Big Flat the best of all. It's about 17 miles in from the northern trailhead, so either: a) start early and walk all the way there in one day, or b) start late, spend the first night at the lighthouse (3 ish miles), and make a more leisurely day of it to the sweet driftwood shelters that will serve for your Big Flat dwelling on day 2. 3. Time the tides. I don't fret too much over them but it pays to have a general sense of when they'll be high. Some spots are tough to traverse at high water. And some of the tough spots at high water are comprised of stones the size of bowling balls that when wet and when you're in a hurry because of sneaker waves can be a real pain to get across. Literally. 4. Watch for the rattlers in the grass; don't tree your food. 5. Pack a little tequila for the gloaming. About 280 miles from Temescal to the mouth of the Mattole (north trailhead). Less to Shelter Cove. You can take two cars and shuttle around (if you have company) or park at Shelter Cove and arrange for a shuttle to take you north (you'll be hiking back to your car at SC). A couple of years ago I paid 50 clams for a solo trip from SC to the put-in. Takes about an hour and a half to get around. The Lost Coast is about as far in miles and time as Yosemite Valley. In all other respects, it's a world apart. We're blessed to live in such a wonderful place. Take it all in.

I went backpacking this Memorial weekend. It was an unforgettable experience…read more Lost Coast. First time I heard the name, I imagined a very desolated and abandoned coast. I got a picture in my mind the ocean sitting with sadness. I went there and found my image was not so wrong. There were a lot of driftwood on the beach as if it was abandoned by somebody. Scattered woods looked in grief. However, right next to the beach with dead trees, steep hills with lush green reside. What a contrast. The other side is Pacific Ocean. Ocean is powerful and strong. Reflecting the sun, the ocean was very shiny. So beautiful. I was able to see whales, sealions, and sea otters. Beauty and sadness exist on the same page. Actually the naming is from depopulation in 1930. Now many backpackers are attracted by the pretty scenery. In terms of difficulty of backpacking, I would say it is very different from doing in the Eastern Sierra. Hiking on the sandy and rocky beach requires another muscles. Overall, this Memorial Weekend was memorable.