Redwood trees grow naturally only along a narrow strip of the Pacific Coast, stretching roughly 450 miles from southwestern Oregon down to the Santa Lucia Mountains in southern Monterey County, California. If you want to stand among the tallest trees on Earth, that coastal belt is where you’ll find them. But “redwood” actually refers to three distinct species found in very different places, and significant groves have also been planted overseas.
Three Species, Three Locations
When most people say “redwood,” they mean the coast redwood, the tallest tree species on the planet. These grow up to 400 feet tall and thrive in the fog belt along the California and southern Oregon coastline, rarely more than 30 or 40 miles inland. Their range is entirely dependent on coastal fog, which provides moisture during dry summer months.
Giant sequoias are the other California redwood, and they grow in a completely different environment. You’ll find them only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, roughly 150 miles inland at elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. They’re shorter than coast redwoods (topping out around 300 feet) but far more massive, with trunk diameters reaching 40 feet and bark over 30 inches thick. By volume, they’re the largest trees on Earth.
The third species, the dawn redwood, is native to Sichuan province in China. It was thought to be extinct until living specimens were discovered in the 1940s. Dawn redwoods are now planted as ornamental trees in parks and university campuses worldwide, but they’re much smaller than their American cousins and lose their needles in winter.
Best Parks for Coast Redwoods
Redwood National and State Parks, clustered along the far northern California coast near Crescent City, protect some of the tallest and most famous old-growth groves. This is the flagship destination for coast redwoods, with trails winding through cathedral-like stands where trees tower hundreds of feet overhead. Fern Canyon, a narrow gorge draped in five species of fern, is one of the most popular spots in the park system.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park, a few hours south along the Avenue of the Giants, contains the largest remaining contiguous stand of old-growth coast redwoods. The 31-mile scenic drive passes through groves that feel almost impossibly dense. Further south, Muir Woods National Monument sits just north of San Francisco, making it the most accessible redwood grove for visitors flying into a major airport. Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains is another option within easy reach of the Bay Area, though it was heavily damaged by wildfire in 2020 and continues to recover.
The southernmost natural redwood grove sits in the Los Padres National Forest in southern Monterey County, designated as the Southern Redwood Botanical Area. These trees still reach around 200 feet, but the warmer, drier climate keeps them smaller than their northern counterparts.
Where to See Giant Sequoias
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, located side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada, are home to the most famous giant sequoia groves, including the General Sherman Tree, the largest single-stem tree by volume at over 52,000 cubic feet. Yosemite National Park’s Mariposa Grove is another well-visited option, especially since it’s already part of a trip many people are planning anyway. Calaveras Big Trees State Park, further north in the Sierra foothills, offers a quieter experience with two impressive groves.
Giant sequoias exist only in about 75 scattered groves along a 260-mile stretch of the Sierra Nevada’s western slope. Unlike coast redwoods, which form continuous forests, sequoia groves are isolated pockets separated by other conifer species.
Redwoods Outside the United States
New Zealand has the most impressive planted redwood forests outside North America. The Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua, on the North Island, contains thousands of coast redwoods planted in 1901. The tallest have already reached nearly 250 feet, making them a major tourist attraction. Several other spots on the North Island also have large stands of 100-year-old redwoods that are thriving in New Zealand’s mild, wet climate.
Coast redwoods also grow well in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle has healthy specimens), parts of the United Kingdom, and coastal regions of Australia, though none of these plantings approach the scale of the native California forests or New Zealand’s Rotorua groves.
Planning Your Visit
Late May through early October is the best window for visiting the coast redwood parks. Summer brings the driest trails and fullest park access, though coastal fog rolls through most mornings, keeping temperatures cool. If you want fewer crowds, aim for late May to mid-June or mid-September to early October, when the weather is still cooperative but the parks are noticeably quieter.
Winter visits have their own appeal. Fog settles deep into the canopy, rainfall intensifies the green, and you may have entire groves to yourself. But some trails and roads close seasonally, and rain gear becomes essential.
Fern Canyon in Redwood National and State Parks requires reservations from May 15 through September 15. These are only available online and cannot be purchased day-of. You can book up to six months in advance starting December 15, or grab a day-before reservation beginning at 9:00 a.m. the prior day. There are 75 in-advance slots and 100 day-before slots, so planning ahead matters during peak season. You’ll need a government-issued photo ID matching your reservation at the entrance kiosk. Pets are allowed on Gold Bluffs Beach on a leash but not inside Fern Canyon itself.
Hyperion and Off-Trail Restrictions
Hyperion, the world’s tallest known tree at roughly 380 feet, is located somewhere in Redwood National Park, but the area surrounding it is permanently closed to the public. The National Park Service shut down access to protect the sensitive habitat around the tree, which was being damaged by foot traffic after its location spread online. Hiking into the closure zone can result in a fine or jail time. Climbing any tree in the park without a research permit is also prohibited.
There’s no need to seek out Hyperion specifically. Dozens of trees in the park exceed 350 feet, and the experience of walking through an old-growth grove is defined by the forest as a whole, not any single tree. The tallest specimens are so high that the difference between a 350-foot tree and a 380-foot tree is impossible to perceive from the ground.