Here’s our simple roadtrip itinerary for visiting The Redwoods, the northern California Coast, and San Francisco in only 4 days! This roadtrip itinerary is roundtrip from San Francisco to Redwoods and back.
Hey folks! I’m at a stage in my life where traveling is becoming something I really treasure. I love the adventure of seeing new places and cultures, but mostly I love the beauty that can be found in so many areas of this world. So I’m going to be posting a lot more travel info (maybe you’ve already noticed many of my travel tips already being posted more often, but get ready for more! A couple months ago, we were able to visit Northern California for our spring break. We did not have even a full week to give this California roadtrip, so we figured out a way to see as much as we could in only 4 days. To save time, we flew to Oakland, California and started our road trip there by renting a car. We were able to see California wine country, the Avenue of the Giants and the Redwoods, the northern California coast, and San Francisco (including Pier 39 and Alcatraz!). We had a blast and loved every minute! So here’s my best tips for a quick 4 day itinerary from San Francisco to the Redwoods and back in 4 days (not including flight times).
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What to take on a roadtrip from San Francisco to Redwoods National Park?
Here’s some simple but important things you will want to consider taking with you while you roadtrip along the Northern California coast to the Redwoods:
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A good backpack. Get a sturdy backpack for holding supplies and for hiking. Makes getting in and out of the car to see sites easy and quick. This is my favorite travel backpack for women by Day Owl right now. I also really love my Osprey hiking backpack for traveling.
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A good coat or jacket. You need covering for wind and rain. It can be very wet and cold in the Redwoods and it’s definitely windy. Layers are helpful too as temperatures may change a lot. Bring a poncho or a raincoat, or get at good coat that is both windproof and waterproof such as this Columbia rain jacket for women which is what I used.
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Sunscreen. It can be nice and sunny on those California beaches. I use this Neutrogena travel sunscreen for my face. It’s lightweight and has great protection.
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Snacks and water. The driving can be long and some towns and cities do no have ideal restaurants or stores that are easily accessible. Good to have extra just in case
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Your camera. You are going to take a million pictures of all the beauty you see. Be prepared to have your camera handy.
How to explore Northern California in 4 days!
First of all, here’s a quick overview of our total roundtrip itinerary in northern California:
You may have already seen my post about Southern California and 9 Things To Do in San Diego with Teens, so now here’s some info about Northern California. This our April 2023 itinerary for exploring Northern California in only 4 days! This includes the Redwoods National Park, The Avenue of Giants, wine country, the coast, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Pier 39 in San Francisco! We started in Oakland and drove all the way up to Redwoods National Park and then we drove back down to San Francisco where we ended our trip. I’m not counting the travel days that we took to get to California from Utah. We decided to fly there with some cheap flights on Southwest Airlines. It was a quick, direct flight for us and so we arrived in Oakland in the late afternoon. So, once you are in northern California, you can get in a bunch of fun sites, if you follow these easy tips and our specific itinerary. And even if you don’t want to follow our exact path, you can use these travel tips as a guide to get as much in as possible–and still enjoy the journey!
Northern California Roadtrip Itinerary:
Fly in to Oakland, CA. Get groceries for road tripping, like some healthy snacks and water for the car. Then get a good night’s rest because you’ll be driving a lot the next day.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Oakland Airport-Alameda off Harbor Bay Parkway near the Oakland airport. It was clean, and updated, and located conveniently nearby the airport, rental car drop off, and a Costco.
Day 1: Drive Through Wine Country & Avenue of the Giants
Wine Country: We woke up first thing and the morning and started driving at 8:00 a.m. We wanted to drive through wine country on this first day, so we took Highway 101 from Oakland. This route goes through Petaluma and Santa Rosa. You will drive through beautiful vineyards of the California wine country and end up arriving at the Avenue of the Giants which is full of Redwoods.
Avenue of Giants: It takes about 3.5 hours to arrive at the Avenue of Giants, also called Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The Avenue of Giants is a place where you will definitely want to spend some time. It’s a 32 mile scenic drive right through redwood forests. There are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the beauty of those majestic trees. You will want to take time to walk through some of the groves there, such as Founders Grove Trail (.5 miles), Bull Creek Flats (3.5 miles), and the Visitor’s Center (complete with restrooms).
McKinleyville, CA: After you’ve seen all you want in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, continue your drive for another 1.5 hours on highway 101 to McKinleyville, CA. This is where we stayed the night at the Holiday Inn Express Arcata/Eureka Airport right off the highway there. You can stay in any of the towns leading up to this area. We chose this one because it was the closest chain hotel to Redwoods National Park that we could find (and still earn some hotel points).
Day 2: Redwoods National Park & Trees of Mystery
On our second day of the road trip, we had breakfast at our hotel and then headed out to see as much as we could of Redwoods National Forest. We left all our items in the hotel and we had planned to come back and stay in the same hotel that night.
Drive to Redwoods National Park: The drive alone to the Redwoods National Park is gorgeous in and of itself. The Redwoods National Park is free and did not require a pass or a fee when we visited. We simply drove on in. The entrance is give or take about 30 minutes from our hotel. It was pouring rain for us this day, but we just put on our rain gear and set out for adventure.
Hike Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail: This is a great place to stop and get a fresh view of the Redwoods early in your trip. It’s about a 1 mile loop and only takes 30 minutes or so to complete. Full of beautiful trees of course! Even in the rain it was beautiful.
Visit the Trees of Mystery Park: The Trees of Mystery are near Klamath, CA. Simply continue your drive along Highway 101 and enjoy the scenic views. You can stop at other places along this route, but I highly recommend leaving plenty of time for the Trees of Mystery by going there first and catching whatever missed on the way back. The Trees of Mystery is a great way to experience the Redwoods in various ways. This park has several unique redwood trees in various formations and shapes that are incredible to see. The main attraction is the Canopy Trail where you can walk on elevated platforms and bridges up high among all the redwoods! I’m pretty dang scared of heights and so this was a bit of challenge for me, but everything felt very safe and secure and my family loved it.
It’s also home to the Brotherhood Tree which is one of the oldest living things still alive on this earth. it is 297 feet high. They park has a gondola right that takes you right above all the trees and plenty of places to sit and just enjoy all the beauty. There’s also It has a nice walk through the trees down below, complete with wood carvings like you’ve never seen before. You’ll find clean bathrooms, a very large gift shop full of homemade fudge, and the largest talking Paul Bunyan statue that you’ve ever seen. The cost for the park is basically $13-$25 per person depending on your age. Worth the price if you as me. I loved this park.
Golden Bluffs Beach & Fern Canyon Trail: After visiting the Trees of Mystery Park we still had 4 good hours of daylight left. On our drive back to McKinleyville, we stopped at some other unique places in the other parks like the Golden Bluffs Beach. It has a campground with restrooms there and just a great view of the ocean and the trees in the same rugged landscape. Nearby is the Fern Canyon Trail (known for being a location in the Jurassic Park movie), which is a 1 mile or so trail that takes you to a beautiful fern-filled river area. We also passed a bunch of elk along the way. Certain times of the year, you will need a permit to go on this trail.
If have time, hit any other groves or trails that look interesting to you as you drive back to stay at same hotel in McKinleyville, CA for the night. We opted for dinner in the town of Eureka, not far from the hotel, and ended up watching the sunset on the coast afterward.
Day 3:
Chandelier Drive-Through-Tree Park: In the morning, leave the Redwoods area and drive on back to south to San Francisco along the Shoreline Highway which runs along the coast. You’ll drive through windy forest roads full of redwoods on Highway 101 until you get to Leggett, CA where the road meets up with Highway 1 which runs right along the Northern California coast. If you have time, take advantage of one the the Drive-Through-Tree sites that you see along the way (there are many). We did the Chandelier Drive Through Tree in Leggett. It will cost to go through, but it’s kinds fun to do. Make sure your car fits before you go through though! We saw people knock off their sideview mirror on their car trying to get through.
Shoreline Highway: Drive along the coast on Highway 1 for as long as you desire. At any point, you can find a route to head back to Highway 101 should you get tired of the windy, coastal road. You will see beautiful coastal cliffs like Glass Beach, and quaint coastal towns like Fort Bragg, CA. If desired, detour back to Highway 101 through wine country and stop in Santa Rosa, CA or Petaluma, CA. We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Petaluma, CA that was an old silk mill converted into a gorgeous modern hotel. We loved this hotel! Very unique! You could also just continue driving along the coast and find somewhere to stay the night along the shore.
Day 4:
Golden Gate Bridge: Drive from Petaluma, CA and over the Golden Gate Bridge, stop to take pictures! There’s a couple of places to stop along the way to get a good view of the bridge.
Pier 39: Park your car at Pier 39 and enjoy a little bit of San Francisco. The best time to park is earlier in the morning. While there visit Ghiradelli Square, get some sourdough bread at a bakery like the Boudin Bakery and Cafe, watch the sea lions, and have lunch at the Fog Harbor Fish House (if you want something a little more fancy), etc. There is so much to see just wandering around. When we went in the spring it felt fairly safe and family-friendly, but it was very cold too so less people were around. I’ve heard summer can be a different story. Just keep a good eye on your kiddos as it can be a busy place.
Tour Alcatraz: From Pier 39 you can take the tour to Alcatraz Island very easily. It’s best to get your tickets ahead of time as you have to take a boat ride out the the old prison. It’s a national park and requires plenty of walking. We loved the Alcatraz tour! Very interesting and worth the time.
Drive back to Oakland, CA for the night and stay in the same Hampton Inn and Suites hotel near the Oakland airport.
Return rental car and fly out of Oakland airport the next day.
***And now that you’ve visited Northern California, how about visiting Hawaii? Read all about the BEST APP for DRIVING THE ROAD TO HANA in Maui.
***You’ll also love the Shaka Guide App for more roadtrips guides!
