NW Getaway: A Family Road Trip Through the Redwoods and Crater Lake 

Last year, my family went on a special vacation through the Redwoods and Crater Lake as we recreated a road trip my mother took when she was a child. Our first stop was in Florence, Oregon, where we loved playing in the sand (read that story in our September 2025 issue). From Florence, we continued to follow in my mother’s footsteps and headed to Redwood National and State Parks. Redwood National and State Parks include a system of parks stretching from the northern California border south past Klamath, California. Not to be confused with Sequoia National Park near Fresno, Redwood National and State Parks are home to the tallest trees on Earth.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Just three hours south of Florence, we got our first sight of these giant trees. The Stout Grove Trail is the most popular trail here, both for the views and because it’s accessible to everyone. We were all in awe as we wandered through this half-mile loop, looking up almost the whole time. My kids loved climbing and running along the enormous fallen trees and looked like ants as they did.

We had seen what we thought was a “big” tree when we hiked the Giant Spruce Trail at Cape Perpetua in Florence, just two days before. The Sitka spruce was 185 feet tall with a 40-foot circumference. Stout Tree was an astounding 325 feet tall. I’m not sure how wide it was, but my husband, our two kids and I stretched out fingertip to fingertip and just reached its diameter.

One more hour south on Highway 101, and we arrived in Klamath, California. Be sure to use GPS because this small town is easy to miss. We grabbed a quick lunch of fried chicken from probably the only gas station in town and continued on to the next hike. Be warned: there is no cell reception once you pass Crescent City, so I highly recommend downloading or buying a map before heading this way.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

The next trail was Karl Knapp Big Tree Loop, which begins at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. By the way, the visitor center does have Wi-Fi, so this is a good spot to stop and check your maps. However, the volunteers and park rangers are just as helpful and truly more knowledgeable about the trails. I found that not having access to quick answers from the internet added to our adventure.

After consulting with a park ranger, we began the 2 ½ -mile loop to Big Tree. Before you get to this behemoth, you’ll notice places where three or four trees have grown together to become one. I later learned these are called “cathedral trees.” Big Tree wasn’t quite as big as Stout Tree at 286 feet, but honestly, most of the trees’ tops are impossible to see, so you simply trust that the sign is true.

Make sure to fill water bottles and take a bathroom break before leaving the visitor center because most trailheads do not have either. And look out for elk that are often resting under the trees across from the parking lot.

Another short 15-minute drive, and we arrived at Lady Bird Johnson Trail. All the trails I selected were relatively short and flat so we would have energy to complete them on the same day, especially with a short drive between each one. I also selected trails that would give us a variety of views in the redwoods, knowing that just because you’ve seen one tree does not mean you’ve seen them all.

The Lady Bird Johnson Trail is special because it’s one of the few areas where you will see both the old-growth, towering redwoods as well as a second-growth forest of Douglas fir trees. Redwood National Park was established in 1968, and logging had been happening for years before the park became protected land. The trail is named in honor of former first lady Claudia Alta Johnson, also known as Lady Bird Johnson, for her commitment to protecting this forest.

Jurassic Fern Canyon

It’s hard to pick, but our favorite trail may have been Fern Canyon. At the southern end of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, next to the ocean and a small campground, is a canyon where scenes from “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” were filmed. My family absolutely loves the Jurassic Park movies, so despite being tired, we just couldn’t miss this one.

We had learned earlier in the day that this area is so popular during summer months that an online reservation is required to enter the parking lot before 5 p.m. A sign at the main road warned visitors about this permit before driving eight miles down a very bumpy dirt road. Our America the Beautiful Pass allowed us in without paying the day-use fee, though we did have to show up after 5 p.m.

Even in late July, it was cool and refreshing. Instead of seeing giant trees, the canyon was completely shaded and covered in enormous ferns. It did feel like stepping into a lost world, especially since there were few people there in the evening. We walked along a rocky stream, navigating wooden boards for a good part of the trail before climbing up a winding set of stairs. Though only 1 mile, this would have been a harder trail for my aging parents, but perfect for kids.

Trees of Mystery

Choosing to stay in Klamath over Crescent City worked out in our favor. Not only were we closer to the trails, but we were also less than 10 minutes away from Trees of Mystery. My mom remembered the enormous Paul Bunyan waving at everyone before you enter this not-to-be-missed private park.

This was the perfect place for my parents to enjoy time with the grandkids thanks to plenty of benches and no one in a hurry. We wandered the park together and learned more about the trees themselves, including that some can live two millennia, longer than almost any other plant on Earth.

Admission allows you to enjoy the canopy walk as many times as you like, which is a trail of bridges about 100 feet up. Even my dad was able to do this part and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is also a gondola ride that takes you above the canopy, giving you an entirely different perspective. Additionally, there was a large free museum about coastal Native Americans next to the gift shop where we also spent a lot of time.

Hitting the Road Again

To be honest, I was not ready to leave and was sad that we had planned only one night in the redwoods. But with another national park to see, we were on our way. The drive from the redwoods toward Crater Lake takes you through more stunning forests, so I felt like I had a little longer to say goodbye.

Crater Lake is a 4 ½ -hour drive from Klamath, and I had hoped to stop in Cave Junction, Oregon to use our America the Beautiful Pass again at the Oregon Caves. Sadly, when we were there, the caves were only open on weekends. Still, Cave Junction is a great midway point to stop for lunch, with lots of fun little shops.

Upon entering Crater Lake National Park, we drove straight to the top. There simply isn’t a word to describe how blue the lake is. After spending some time learning about the ancient eruption that created the lake from a fantastic park ranger at the lodge, we drove back down for dinner in Mazama Village, where our cabin was located.

Mount Mazama

Earlier, we had learned that the volcano of Crater Lake is actually named Mount Mazama. Over a period of five million years, it rose to 12,000 feet in elevation. Then, in just five days, a series of eruptions imploded the mountain, leaving behind Crater Lake. The tallest point is now just over 8,000 feet. I had my heart set on seeing the Milky Way reflected in the lake that night. Instead, a storm with hail meant the clouds were in the way, but the lightning was fun to see.

Staying inside the park is nice because you’ll be able to enjoy the Rim Drive in the morning before parking fills up at each viewpoint. That drive was another special moment with my parents. Taking our time to enjoy the scenery was exactly what we all wanted after so much hiking. Everyone was surprised at how much there was to see on one side compared to the other. To stretch our legs, we walked along the Wildflower Garden Trail before leaving the park.

Prospect, Oregon

On our second night, we stayed outside the park at Union Creek Resort. If you have trouble getting reservations inside Crater Lake, I highly recommend this place. The updated 100-year-old cabins were so comfortable. Ours was right next to the river where we soaked our feet. Each cabin had its own fire pit with Adirondack chairs, and the resort store had all the supplies for s’mores.

Right across the street was the short yet stunning Rogue Gorge Trail, created by the ancient lava flows we had heard all about. Ice cream from Union Creek Cones hit the spot while we waited to check in. That evening, we had dinner at the also 100-year-old Becky’s Café, and it too hit the spot. Later, my father and son played horseshoes in the yard while my daughter and husband played games inside.

I wished I had known how special this spot in Oregon is. With both the Rogue River and Umpqua National Forest nearby, I found myself wanting to do more hiking. At the end of our trip, my dad and I discussed coming back again to explore more and do some fishing.

To break up the five-hour drive back home, we made one last stop at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Elk, buffalo, birds, zebras and other creatures were right outside as we drove through their fields. This was a great place for all of us to be together. Next time, I probably won’t try to pack in as much as we did on this trip, but I know all the memories were more than worth it!

Read the June 2026 Issue