San Francisco to Redwood National Park: About 6 Hours, and the Redwoods Closer to the City
San Francisco to Redwood National Park is about 312 miles to the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick, the park's main southern gateway, about 6 hours on a normal drive straight up US-101. The National Park Service describes the parks generally as about 325 miles and a six hour drive, a looser round number for the same trip. You do not have to drive that far to see old growth redwoods: Muir Woods is a short trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. Our West Coast road trip itinerary works this drive into a longer loop.
San Francisco to Redwood National Park: The Drive
The whole trip is one road. From San Francisco, US-101 runs north through Santa Rosa, Ukiah and Garberville before reaching Humboldt County and, eventually, Redwood National and State Parks. The Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick, the best first stop for anyone visiting for the first time, is about 312 miles from the city, a drive of about 6 hours point to point. The National Park Service describes the parks generally as about 325 miles and a six hour drive, a rounder figure for the same trip. Either way, give yourself more time than the driving alone if you are also stopping, which you should, this drive has some of the best short detours in Northern California.
| From San Francisco to | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Kuchel Visitor Center, Orick | About 312 miles | About 6 hours |
| Redwood National and State Parks (general) | About 325 miles | About 6 hours |
| Muir Woods, Mill Valley | A short trip across the Golden Gate Bridge | Under an hour with traffic |
Making It a Road Trip: Avenue of the Giants
Around Garberville, US-101 runs alongside a 32 mile stretch of the old highway called the Avenue of the Giants, now a scenic alternate route through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It parallels 101 rather than replacing it, so you can drop onto the Avenue for the redwood corridor and rejoin the freeway at either end. This is the single best stretch of the whole drive and worth the extra half hour it takes over staying on 101. From there, 101 continues north through Eureka, the largest town on the route and a reasonable place to break the drive overnight, then on to Trinidad and the southern entrances of Redwood National and State Parks near Orick.
Closest Redwoods to San Francisco
If the full drive to Redwood National Park does not fit your trip, you can stand under old growth coast redwoods much closer to the city.
- Muir Woods National Monument. In Mill Valley, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. A parking and shuttle reservation is required for every vehicle and shuttle rider, booked ahead at GoMuirWoods.com, so do not show up without one.
- Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Near Guerneville in Sonoma County, about three miles north of town off Armstrong Woods Road. Reached from US-101 at the River Road exit in Santa Rosa.
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park. In the Santa Cruz Mountains. The park is still recovering from the 2020 CZU fire, which destroyed the historic buildings, but it is open for day use from 8am to sunset, most of the old growth trees survived, and the short Redwood Loop Trail is open. Campgrounds remain closed while the park rebuilds.
Once You Are There: Redwood National and State Parks Is Four Parks in One
Redwood National and State Parks is not one park with one manager. It is Redwood National Park plus three California state parks (Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek Redwoods), run jointly by the National Park Service and California State Parks as a single unit with a shared visitor experience. That matters for planning because entrance rules differ by section. The famous Tall Trees Grove, home of some of the tallest trees on record, needs a free reservation year round just to park at the trailhead, booked online through the Redwood Parks Conservancy, with the gate code emailed to you ahead of your visit. Do not drive up expecting to walk in.
Have Us Plan the Drive
Tell us your dates and whether you want the full run to Redwood National Park or a shorter stop at Muir Woods or Armstrong Redwoods, and we will build the stops around it. Planning is free.
Keep planning with West Coast National Parks Road Trip and West Coast Road Trip Itinerary.
San Francisco to Redwood National Park: About 6 Hours, and the Redwoods Closer to the City FAQs
About 312 miles to the Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick, the main southern gateway, about 6 hours up US-101. The National Park Service rounds the general trip to about 325 miles and six hours.
Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. It requires a parking and shuttle reservation booked ahead at GoMuirWoods.com.
The coast redwood range runs roughly along the California coast from the Big Sur area north through Humboldt County. Redwood National and State Parks itself is entirely in California; a small stand of old growth coast redwoods also grows just over the state line in southern Oregon.
A 32 mile scenic alternate to US-101 through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, lined with old growth redwoods. It runs parallel to the freeway, so you can join it and rejoin 101 at either end.
Yes, for day use from 8am to sunset. The park is still recovering from the 2020 CZU fire, campgrounds remain closed, and trails are reopening gradually, but the short Redwood Loop Trail is open and most old growth trees survived.
Yes. A free Tall Trees Trailhead reservation is required year round just to park there, booked online through the Redwood Parks Conservancy, with the access gate code emailed to you before your visit.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is West Coast Road Trip: The Ultimate 14-Day Pacific Coast Itinerary (14 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
