Visiting the giant trees (San Francisco, Fresno: to rent, how much, hotel)

[sandycat]

I really am obsessed with visiting the giant trees in California but every map I look at it seems like there is a several hour drive from any major city. Where can I get the most bang for my buck in terms of giant tree/redwood forest/national park (doesn’t have to be Yosemite)? What airport do we fly to? Ideally we would love to visit a major city and do a few days in a forest. Any ideas?

[Ceece]

Maybe Muir Woods? Just 30 minutes north of San Francisco. Although if you've got a couple days I'd keep driving a few more hours up 101 to Avenue of the Giants. You can stay in one of several small towns along the way and it's a nice drive. I did a quick overnight from the Bay Area up to Scotia for a wedding once an we had a nice time. It's a whole different side of CA that most visitors don't see.

[Mr5150]

Sacramento to Big Trees State Park is your best bet. Some may argue the Bay Area to Muir Woods or Big Basin, in my educated opinion (having been to every Redwood park/reserve in CA) these two parks are mediocre compared to Redwood National Park, the Avenue of the Giants or Big Trees. If you must stay in San Francisco, good. But realize the good stuff is a worthwhile drive of several hours. Good motels abound in these areas

[evening sun]

I would agree with Mr5150. Muir woods is always crowded, & the trees, while tall, are not as wide as the ones further North. You don't really get a feel of the forest in Muir woods, imo.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

If it was me and I needed to fly into a major airport, I'd fly into Portland, OR, and drive south to Jedediah State Park in CA.

You could see the lighthouse in Crescent City, see some ocean, stay in Brookings, OR and enjoy that town, and you'd have decent towns in-between Portland and Brookings for food, etc., on Hwy 5.

I would not drive down Hwy 101 as there have been some major landslides and it would just take forever. I'd just drive down I-5, which is still really pretty, and cut towards the coast from Grants Pass, OR on Hwy 199. This will actually take you through Jedediah State Park just before you get to Crescent City and the coast.

There's a decent hotel in Crescent City on the ocean and you can walk to the lighthouse from it. But as far as cute towns go, it's not Crescent City. 27 miles up Hwy 101 is Brookings, OR, and it's a really quaint coastal town.

Depending on how much time you had, you could also take a drive from Portland up the Columbia Gorge to Hood River. It's really "gorgeous" pun intended.

Big Trees park is nice, but there are a lot of other trees in-between the redwoods. The coastal redwoods are much more awe-inspiring.

I suggest not only going to the main groves listed on the park maps, but also driving down some random roads where you see great trees without as much company.

I've lived in all of those areas - except Big Trees. Jedediah is my favorite for walking with the giants.

Have a wonderful trip!

[Crazy4Chickens]

Fly into Fresno. Drive to Kings canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We saw the parks last year in November and they were incredible to see in person. Beautiful area and the trees are amazing!. You can stay in Fresno or Visalia or inside the parks if you prefer to camp. They may have cabins to rent, I'm not sure.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Crazy4Chickens

Fly into Fresno. Drive to Kings canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We saw the parks last year in November and they were incredible to see in person. Beautiful area and the trees are amazing!. You can stay in Fresno or Visalia or inside the parks if you prefer to camp. They may have cabins to rent, I'm not sure.

I've never been there. Isn't there a train ride through there? I've been meaning to check that out some day. People I know who have gone there said it was amazing.

[BeauCharles]

Why not Yosemite? It has three Giant Sequoia groves plus the incomparable Yosemite Valley with its magnificent waterfalls. It is definitely the most bang for your buck.

[sandycat]

Originally Posted by Crazy4Chickens

Fly into Fresno. Drive to Kings canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We saw the parks last year in November and they were incredible to see in person. Beautiful area and the trees are amazing!. You can stay in Fresno or Visalia or inside the parks if you prefer to camp. They may have cabins to rent, I'm not sure.

That’s what I thought to do, but then I thought, if I’m flying all the way to CA from NC why would I want to hang in Fresno? I wonder if there are flights to Crescent City from RAleigh. One day we will spend two weeks in CA exploring all there is to see. It’s on my bucket list. But for now, I have big trees on my mind!

[sandycat]

What I realized from finally actually looking at a map of California.... lol.... is that there is so much to see and the state is so darn huge. I’d rather not fight crowds, so that’s why I thought to skip Yosemite for some of the smaller parks, but after looking at pics from Yosemite, maybe we need to go there someday.