Redwood National Park or Zion?

Neither place is for a beach vacation, but the water works differently in each. The redwood shore at Gold Bluffs and Enderts is wide and beautiful. It is also too cold and too dangerous to swim, so people walk it and leave the swimming for the clear pools of the Smith River in high summer.

Zion has no coast at all. Its swimming is at Sand Hollow reservoir near Hurricane, where the red-sand shores and warm water from June to September make a good afternoon after a hot morning on the trails.

Food is simple in both places, and the difference lies in what you eat. Around the redwoods the better tables are at the southern edge, where Humboldt Bay oysters, winter crab, farm produce and craft beer in Arcata and Eureka give meals some local character.

Zion has no regional cooking to speak of. Springdale's burgers, pizza and Southwestern plates are there to fuel the next hike, and Utah's liquor rules mean dinner rarely turns into a long evening.

In both places the scenery is the point and the human sights fill only a few hours. What differs is the history. On the redwood coast it is Native heritage at the rebuilt Yurok village of Sue-meg, plus the Victorian Old Town and Carson Mansion in Eureka. Around Zion it is the Human History Museum, rock art, the 1930 cliff tunnel, the Grafton ghost town and the pioneer temple in St. George.

Both are early-to-bed places, but the redwood coast has a little more after dark. Students at the university keep a few bars and brewpubs around Arcata's plaza going, about an hour from the groves. Zion's Springdale goes quiet soon after dinner, and the best thing to do at night is look at the very dark desert sky.

Both are among the great landscapes of the American West, and they could hardly be more different. The redwood parks are soft and green. You walk flat trails through groves of trees over 100m tall, see the fern walls of Fern Canyon, watch elk in the meadows and follow a coastal trail above the sea stacks.

Zion is vertical and bare. Sandstone walls rise 600m, you wade upstream through the Narrows or cross the exposed ridge of Angels Landing, and there are slot canyons to explore with Bryce within reach. Pick the forest for gentle immersion and the canyon for adrenaline and big views.

The redwoods have the better towns within a drive. Trinidad's harbour headland, Arcata's plaza, Eureka's waterfront and Ferndale's painted Victorian main street make easy, varied outings, and the harbour towns of southern Oregon lie to the north.

From Zion the best outings are other parks rather than towns. The human stops are smaller: St. George's pioneer centre, Kanab's film-set past and the ranch fort at Pipe Spring. Las Vegas is too far for a comfortable day.

Both work for families who like being outside, and the difference is in the kind of walking. The redwood groves have short, level loops that even young children can manage. In Fern Canyon children can climb over fallen trunks and splash through a shallow creek, and the meadows near Orick are a reliable place to see elk. The weak spot is a wet day: the sea is too cold and rough for paddling, and there is little indoors to retreat to.

Zion is slightly easier to organise. The free shuttle drops you at each trailhead, older children can cycle the Pa'rus Trail, and the Riverside Walk finishes where the river is shallow enough to paddle in. The famous cliff routes such as Angels Landing are not for young children, and in high summer the open trails are too hot for them after mid-morning, so spring and autumn suit a family better.

You will want a car for both, but Zion lets you put it away for the main event. Its free shuttle runs up the scenic drive to every trailhead, and a second shuttle links Springdale's hotels to the park entrance. The redwood parks stretch about 70km along US-101 with no useful bus to the trailheads, and gravel roads lead to Stout Grove and Fern Canyon. The Newton B. Drury Parkway does make the driving a pleasure in itself.

Shopping is a sideline in both. The redwood coast sells burl carvings and chainsaw sculptures by the roadside, with bookshops and Native basketry in Eureka and Arcata. Zion's version is canyoneering gear hire, landscape photography and Southwestern pottery in Springdale, plus outlet malls in St. George.

The redwood coast is the cheaper of the two. Park entry is free, campsites in the groves are inexpensive, and Crescent City motels cost far less than rooms near the famous parks. A hire car and normal American restaurant prices are the main expenses.

Zion is cheap once you are there, with free shuttles and free trails. The problem is a bed: Springdale is expensive from spring to autumn, so saving money means staying in Hurricane or St. George and driving in, or coming in winter.

Zion is clearly ahead here, which few people expect. In summer, Broadway musicals play outdoors at Tuacahn against the red cliffs near Ivins, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs a long repertory season in Cedar City. Springdale adds concerts and films in its small amphitheatre.

Near the redwoods, the evening entertainment is mostly ranger campfire talks. Arcata's university and Eureka's small symphony offer occasional local shows, but nothing worth planning a trip around.

Zion offers more if you want to be looked after. Destination spa resorts among the red rock near Ivins combine treatments with yoga and guided hikes, and some Springdale lodges have spas and pools looking onto the canyon. The park itself can be crowded and demanding, though.

The redwoods have no spa culture beyond rented hot tubs in Arcata and the odd massage. What they offer instead is a deep, quiet calm: slow walks through the hushed old-growth groves are a natural form of forest bathing.