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Redwood Parks & Mendocino Camping

Where to Overnight on Your Scenic Drive

Summer camping in state parks along your Mendocino and redwoods scenic drive can be idyllic. You’ll avoid the swarms of insects and the stifling night heat and humidity that mar camping in much of the U.S. Nor will you likely face heavy rainfall between early May and late September, which is almost unknown along this coast.

California state parks

We mention California’s state parks because no national, provincial, or state park system in North America does more to give campers a wilderness experience than California does. You can drive to your campsite, but you’ll be in nature.

You won’t find mowed lawns, landscaped gardens, golf courses, and other trappings of suburbia. You’ll still enjoy washrooms and showers, though, at most sites.

Note that coastal redwoods need marine air to survive. That means there can be fog at night, as well as cool temperatures. Be prepared for cool summer weather.

Also note that Redwood National Park has no campgrounds. Use the nearby state parks described below.

Suggested overnights

For a 3-day drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Redwood National Park, suggested overnights are

• Van Damme or another state park along the Mendocino coast, and then
  
  
• A state park adjacent to or near to Redwood National Park, such as Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park or Patrick’s Point State Park.

Additional night

With an additional night, add Humboldt Redwoods State Park before your overnight in the Redwood National Park area.

With another night, add a second night near Redwood National Park.

Marin scenic drive campsites

If taking the Marin County scenic drive prior to the redwoods and Mendocino one—which we hope you will—book a site at Samuel P. Taylor or Mount Tamalpais state park off Highway 1, instead of in Santa Rosa.

Booking your campsites

Most government campgrounds in California are reserved through Access America. This provides campground diagrams to help you book specific sites.

For best chance, reserve in advance. You'll find extremely heavy demand for state park campsites anywhere near Highway 1 or U.S. Highway 101.

Note that dogs are permitted in most California state parks and at their campsites, but not all. Be sure to check if this is a concern.

Camping in Humboldt Redwoods State Park

We want to motivate you to add at least a night for time to camp in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

No local motel can match the experience of camping in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The sites are gorgeous.

In the Burlington and Hidden Springs campgrounds along the Avenue of the Giants, you’ll set up tents under giant trees. Burlington is open all year.

Because the Albee Creek campground was once part of a farm, you’ll have a choice of treed or cleared sunny sites. Located 5 miles west of the Avenue of the Giants, Albee enjoys the quietest location.

At Albee Creek, late summer visitors enjoy apples from an old orchard. However, the ripening fruit can draw flies to the adjacent sunny camping area.

Like other state parks in the area, these camps are booked through Reserve America—if you’re not too late.

If sold out, you may find a site in the Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, where there’s less demand.

Camping along the Mendocino coast

Van Damme State Park has especially nice campsites, but any state park along the Mendocino coast mentioned in the scenic drive, other than Mendocino Headlands State Park, will work.

Although an airport for small planes is nearby, the easy access to the town of Mendocino makes Van Damme an ideal location.

Even in the summer, this coast gets cool at night. Be prepared, in order to sleep well.

Camping in the Redwood National Park area

Redwood National Park offers no campgrounds, but you’ll find wonderful sites in the adjacent state parks.

Try for campsite at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. This is the most ideally located.

On the other hand, you really can’t go wrong with sites at any of the state parks in the area, which—in order of preference—include Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Patrick’s Point, and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.

Again, book the state park sites through Reserve America.

As an alternative, try Humboldt County parks in the area, such as Big Lagoon County Park and Clam Beach County Park.

There are also private KOA campgrounds in the redwoods at Crescent City and one between Arcata and Eureka, just two miles south of Arcata.

Go on Part 1: Introduction to redwoods and Mendocino scenic drive, and start your redwoods and Mendocino scenic drive!

Part 1: Redwood and Mendocino scenic drive introduction,
Part 2: Directions from San Francisco to Mendocino,
Part 3: Mendocino scenic drive,
Part 4: Avenue of the Giants scenic drive,
Part 5: Avenue of the Giants scenic drive (continued),
Part 6: Scenic drive from Avenue of the Giants to Arcata,
Part 7: Arcata travel guide – what to do,
Part 8: Humboldt and Mendocino counties in depth,
Part 9: Scenic drive from Arcata to Redwood National Park,
Part 10: From Redwood National Park to San Francisco,
Part 11: Motels and hotels along your redwood scenic drive,
Part 12: Camping along your redwood scenic drive, and
Part 13: Mendocino and Redwood parks airport choices.