Scenic drive · 39 min northwest
Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor
Twelve miles of arches, coves and Natural Bridges viewpoints on the south coast.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Day Trippin' › Northern California › From Crescent City
Day trips from Crescent City
Crescent City is the gateway to the redwoods: Stout Grove and Howland Hill Road are about 20 minutes away, the Klamath River Overlook half an hour, Prairie Creek's elk meadows under an hour and Fern Canyon about an hour south, with Oregon's Samuel H. Boardman coast just north. The best day trips from Crescent City, by drive time.
38 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Crescent City
- Harris Beach State Park 36 min northwest
- Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor 39 min northwest
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park 48 min south
- Gold Beach and the Rogue River 1 hr 2 min north
- Gold Bluffs Beach 1 hr 3 min south
- Fern Canyon 1 hr 4 min south
- Tall Trees Grove 1 hr 23 min south
- Bandon 2 hr 3 min north
- Ashland 2 hr 18 min east
- Avenue of the Giants 2 hr 31 min south
Within an hour from Crescent City 5 spots
State park · 48 min south
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Old-growth groves along the Newton B. Drury Parkway, Big Tree Wayside and elk in the meadow by the visitor center: the heart of the redwood parks.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Free (day-use fee only at some areas)
State park · 36 min northwest
Harris Beach State Park
Sea stacks, tide pools and Oregon's largest coastal island near Brookings.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Viewpoint · 33 min south
Klamath River Overlook
A clifftop view 650 feet above where the Klamath River meets the Pacific, and a good place to watch for whales.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Trail · 48 min south
Lady Bird Johnson Grove
An easy loop on a ridgetop through old redwoods and fog, a good first redwood walk for families.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Crescent City 15 spots
Canyon · 1 hr 4 min south
Fern Canyon
Walk up a creek between 50-foot walls covered in ferns, a place that looks prehistoric.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round (footbridges about June to September)
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle); America the Beautiful pass accepted
Trail · 1 hr 23 min south
Tall Trees Grove
A steep hike drops into a grove on Redwood Creek where some of the world's tallest redwoods stand; few people get there because entry is capped each day.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round
- Free (permit required)
Town · 1 hr 2 min north
Gold Beach and the Rogue River
Jet boat trips up the wild Rogue River from the coast.
- Half day · Easy
- Spring-fall for jet boats
- Jet boat ticket
Beach · 1 hr 3 min south
Gold Bluffs Beach
A long, wild beach under eroded golden bluffs where Roosevelt elk often graze near the dunes.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle); America the Beautiful pass accepted
Landmark · 1 hr 37 min south
Redwood Sky Walk
An elevated walkway up to about 100 feet high in the redwood canopy at Eureka's Sequoia Park Zoo.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Wildlife · 1 hr 27 min south
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary
Flat trails loop through marshes built on treated wastewater, one of the best birding spots on the West Coast.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Food · 1 hr 57 min northeast
Applegate Valley wine trail
Small family wineries along a quiet river valley.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Tasting fees
Town · 1 hr 12 min south
Trinidad
A tiny fishing village on a cove with sea stacks, a lighthouse replica and some of the best tide pools and views on the coast.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Crescent City 15 spots
Town · 2 hr 3 min north
Bandon
Sea stacks on the beach, an old town on the harbor and cranberry bogs inland.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Town · 2 hr 18 min east
Ashland
A theater town with Lithia Park and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- None; theater tickets extra
Scenic drive · 2 hr 31 min south
Avenue of the Giants
A 31-mile old highway beside US 101 through Humboldt Redwoods, with pullouts and short grove walks along the way.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
State park · 2 hr 35 min north
Cape Arago and Sunset Bay
A sheltered swimming cove and, down the road, seals and sea lions on the offshore rocks.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Wildlife · 2 hr 46 min north
Wildlife Safari
A drive-through park with cheetahs, bears and giraffes.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
State park · 2 hr 48 min south
Richardson Grove State Park
US 101 squeezes right between giant redwoods here, with short trails along the Eel River.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Viewpoint · 2 hr 55 min northeast
Rogue River Gorge and Natural Bridge
The Rogue River squeezes through a narrow lava gorge and vanishes under a natural bridge.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Spring-fall (site open about April-Nov)
- No pass or fee needed
Waterfall · 2 hr 42 min northeast
Mill Creek Falls
A short trail near Prospect to a 173-foot falls and the boulder-filled Avenue of Giant Boulders.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- None (check)
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 95531 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.