Redwood National Park

The coast here is beautiful but not for swimming. Gold Bluffs Beach, Enderts Beach and the coves around Trinidad are wide, wild and often empty. The Pacific stays at about 10-13°C even in late summer, though, and sneaker waves and strong currents make the open shore dangerous. People walk the sand, look for driftwood and watch the surf. Few go in deeper than their ankles.

The real swimming is inland. In July and August the Smith River near Jedediah Smith Redwoods runs clear and green over gravel bars, and its calm pools are a lovely place to swim after a hike. Apart from that, water plays a scenic role here and not much more.

Around the park itself, eating is simple: diners, burger stands, smoked-fish shacks and the odd seafood place in Crescent City, Klamath and Orick. Most visitors pack a picnic for the trails. The better food is at the southern edge, in Arcata and Eureka. Humboldt Bay oysters, Dungeness crab in winter and spring, and produce from the surrounding farms supply a small group of good restaurants. The Arcata farmers' market on the plaza is a pleasant Saturday stop.

The two towns also have a solid craft-beer tradition and plenty of relaxed cafés. Trinidad, a fishing harbour on a headland, is the place for fresh fish by the water. Visitors should expect honest, local cooking and not much depth or range.

This region is not built around cultural sights. The redwoods are the reason to come, and the man-made sights are modest. The richest heritage belongs to the Yurok, Tolowa and other peoples who have lived on this coast and its rivers for thousands of years. At Sue-meg State Park, north of Trinidad, a rebuilt village of plank houses and a dance house gives a sense of that culture.

In Crescent City you can walk out at low tide to Battery Point Lighthouse. Trinidad has a small memorial lighthouse above its harbour. Eureka has the most architecture: an Old Town of restored Victorian commercial buildings and the ornate Carson Mansion, one of the most elaborate Victorian houses in the country. All of it is pleasant for a half day. None of it is the purpose of the trip.

Evenings near the park are quiet. In Klamath, Orick and Crescent City there are a few taverns and not much after dark, and in the campgrounds the night belongs to campfires and stars. If you want a drink with company, drive south to Arcata, where the university keeps a handful of bars and brewpubs busy around the plaza, or to Eureka's Old Town. Neither will keep you out late, and nobody comes to this coast to go out.

This is the home of the tallest trees on earth. Old-growth coast redwoods rise past 100m in groves where the light comes down green through fog. Stout Grove beside the Smith River, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, the remote Tall Trees Grove and the Boy Scout Tree Trail are the classic walks. Fern Canyon, with its walls hung with ferns, is unlike anywhere else. The Coastal Trail runs above surf, sea stacks and driftwood beaches.

Herds of Roosevelt elk graze the meadows near Orick and at Gold Bluffs. Grey whales pass offshore in winter and spring, and the Klamath estuary draws seabirds and sea lions. You can kayak the Smith River and stop at the tide pools around Trinidad. Summer brings fog, the wettest months fall in winter, and autumn is often the clearest time to visit.

Outings from the park are to small towns, not major destinations. Trinidad, a fishing village on its headland, is easy from the southern end. Arcata and Eureka, about an hour south, offer a university town with a lively plaza and a waterfront Old Town. Ferndale, further south across the Eel River valley, is a well-kept dairy village lined with Victorian storefronts and painted houses, and it is the prettiest town on this stretch of coast.

To the north, the road crosses into Oregon to Brookings and the harbour towns of the southern Oregon coast. Those are pleasant drives, with no wine country or heritage site of the first rank within easy reach.

For families who like being outdoors, this is a classic road-trip park. The flat loop trails through the big groves suit small legs, and Fern Canyon is a favourite for scrambling over logs and wading the creek. Children usually love spotting elk in the meadows, and the visitor centres run ranger walks and Junior Ranger activities. Near Klamath, a long-established roadside attraction pairs giant carved figures with a gondola up into the forest. Eureka's small zoo has a walkway through the redwood canopy.

The limits are real. The ocean is cold and sneaker waves make the beaches unsafe for paddling, so children need watching on the sand. Rain and fog are common, and there is little to fall back on indoors.

You need a car here. The parks run for about 70km along the coast, linked by US-101 and the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, which winds through old-growth forest and is a sight in itself. Traffic is light and the main groves are a short drive from one another. Some of the best places are at the end of slower roads, though: the gravel Howland Hill Road through Stout Grove, and the unpaved road to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs, which can involve shallow creek crossings.

A regional bus runs along the coast, but it does not reach the trailheads in any useful way. Crescent City in the north and Trinidad or Arcata in the south make good bases at each end.

Shopping is a sideline. Along US-101 near the park, roadside stalls sell redwood burl carvings, furniture and chainsaw sculptures, often large enough to need shipping home. Eureka's Old Town has a few streets of galleries, bookshops and antique stores. Arcata's plaza adds outdoor gear and local crafts, and both towns sell work by Native artists, especially basketry and jewellery. Beyond that, expect park gift shops and supermarkets.

For the American West, this is a reasonably priced area. Entry to the national park is free, the state park campgrounds in the redwoods are inexpensive, and motels in Crescent City and along the highway cost far less than lodging near the big-name parks. Lodging inside the park is mostly campsites, so in the summer peak the rooms that suit you can fill early and cost more.

Eating out costs what it does elsewhere in the United States, with fewer cheap options than in a city. A hire car and fuel are unavoidable expenses, since nothing works without one. Camping and picnicking keep a stay economical.

There is very little to attend near the park itself, beyond ranger campfire talks in summer. The modest local scene sits an hour south. Arcata's university hosts touring acts, concerts and student productions during term, and Eureka has a small symphony, community theatre and a few small rooms for live bands. Anyone who wants an evening of music or theatre on this coast will find something occasional and local, not a season worth planning around.

This is a place to slow down, not to be pampered. There are no thermal springs or established spas. Arcata has some private hot tubs and saunas you can rent by the hour, and a few lodges offer massage. What the region does offer is calm. Hours on soft forest trails, the hush of the old-growth groves and evenings with no traffic noise have a deeply restful effect. Many visitors treat a walk through the giant trees as their own form of forest bathing.

If you want steam rooms, treatments and a spa to retreat to, you will be disappointed. If you are happy to unwind with quiet and a slow pace, this coast works well.