California Redwoods With Kids

California’s Redwood trees are world-famous for being the longest-living and tallest in the world. Unique to Northern California and southern Oregon’s coast, these ancient giants are a must-see for families visiting this region.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fun, family-friendly ways to enjoy the Redwoods, whether hiking in, riding over, driving under – or even taking a steam train.

Why visit the Redwoods?

Redwood forests are nature’s cathedrals. On entering, slow down and appreciate the silence, the cool air and the dimmed light. It is somewhere you can take a deep breath of clean air, relax and just be in the moment.

And if you think all this will be lost on your kids, there are always fallen trees to climb, hollowed trees to climb into and wildlife you won’t get anywhere else in the world: ever seen a bright yellow banana slug on a walk through the woods?

The Redwoods are easily accessible from San Francisco and the Bay Area. Or keep going and make them the focus of a road trip up the Northern California coast.

Check out this post from Road Tripping California for some California road trips inspiration.

Redwoods in Silicon Valley: Roaring Camp Railroads

The Santa Cruz Mountains did not have the shiny stuff but there was a still a kind of gold rush here. San Francisco needed lumber to build a city and the Coastal Redwoods were perfect – strong, insect and fire-proof – so they were felled in their thousands.

Roaring Camp was the railroad set up to transport the lumber down to Santa Cruz where it could be shipped out. Fortunately for us, Henry Cowell, who became rich from the trade, was persuaded by conservationists to buy and preserve the area before it was completely deforested. 

The steam train that used to haul lumber is now used to haul tourists. Take the train all the way to Santa Cruz or do the Redwood loop and chug lazily through the forest. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the history and ecology of this special area.

In the summer, Thomas the Tank comes to visit and at Christmas you can ride the holiday train. Check the website for special events throughout the year. 

After the train ride, take the stroller-friendly Redwood loop trail in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where you will find several trees you can explore, inside and out! The best is the Fremont Tree, an enormous Redwood with a hollow so large the whole family can stand up inside.

Food is available at the onsite cafe and there is a small store selling snacks and souvenirs. 

How to get to Roaring Camp Railroads 

Roaring Camp Railroad is easily accessible by car from Highway 17, a two-lane mountain road that connects Santa Cruz with Silicon Valley. Take it easy on this road, it is notorious among locals for accidents when drivers take the sharp bends too fast. Stick to posted speed limits and stay alert!

Before leaving, check out nearby Ben Lomond, a charming mountain town. Grab a picnic at the market or stay for lunch at local gem, Italian restaurant Casa Nostra. 

Muir Woods: Old-growth forest near San Francisco

Named for naturalist John Muir, the Muir Woods National Monument is the closest Redwood forest to San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. The main trail is a boardwalk, perfect for strollers. Families can walk the half-mile loop or the longer hour-long loop through the forest. Both trails start from the visitor center. For families with older kids (or back-carriers), the visitor center can point you in the direction of longer dirt trails.

Before heading off on a a trail, go to the Visitor Center and ask for an activity book if you have a six-year-old or older, so your children can be sworn in as a Junior Ranger. It’s a fun way to learn about the forest and there is a badge as a reward.

Muir Woods is special because there are some old-growth trees here: pre-gold rush, the Pacific coast was home to over two million acres of Redwood forest, which can live for up to 2,500 years. Once gold fever hit in the 1850s, almost all of it – 95%! – was cut down for lumber. Due to its inaccessibility, this area remained relatively unscathed. So unless you go into a basement of a San Franciscan Victorian, you need to go here to see trees older than 150 years old in the San Francisco area.

How to get to Muir Woods

You can either park at the Muir Woods car park with a ticket reserved in advance (you will be turned away if you don’t have one and don’t rely on ordering one on your phone at the car park, there is no cell coverage!) or park offsite and use a shuttle.

If you want to buy a parking ticket, make your reservation here and make sure you arrive during your reservation window. Once you park, you can stay until closing.

There are three park and ride sites, one in Mill Valley and two in Sausalito. If you are using public transport in San Francisco, it is very easy to take a ferry from the Ferry Building over to Sausalito.

San Francisco looks great from the water and you will see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge on the ride over. If you are feeling active, combine Muir Woods with cycling over the bridge!

If you are staying in the city, check out my post on things to do in San Francisco with kids.

Redwoods Empire

If you drive north out of San Francisco and keep going up the California coast, you will find yourself in the Redwood Empire, a mysterious land of fog and giant trees. The Redwood Empire is made up of several state and national parks along Highway 101, and this is where you will find the oldest and biggest trees.

It feels almost prehistoric up here and it’s easy to imagine you have slipped back in time as you drive by dripping ferns, shafts of sunlight piercing the dense canopy to illuminate the shifting fog. 

Trees of Mystery

Around Klamath, just across the border from Oregon, is the unique Trees of Mystery, a kind of Redwoods theme park. The admission fee gets you an interpretive trail with some good information about the trees and interesting sculptures, but the highlight is the gondola ride. After staring up at these trees, it’s good to get a different perspective and truly appreciate just how tall they are as you glide quietly above the forest. 

There are three trails, with the longest at one mile, so all easy to walk with young children. It’s a good place to learn about the trees and also Paul Bunyan, the legendary logger who stands 49 feet tall outside the entrance.

Avenue of the Giants

Humboldt Redwood State Park has the largest old-growth Redwoods forest in the world and you can see beautiful and unique trees here. Drive through via the Avenue of the Giants, a scenic 31-mile stretch of road parallel to the 101 freeway.

There are lots of good places to stop and admire the trees. Founders Grove is a great spot as you can check out the Dyerville Giant – an enormous fallen tree. Seeing a Redwood from this perspective really brings home just how big they are! 

The Eternal Treehouse is another good spot for kids. There is a cafe and gift shop, as well as the treehouse itself, which is a hollowed out tree with a door, and totally somewhere fairies could live.

If you want to sleep among the Redwoods there are 250 campsites in the park. We preferred to sleep indoors and stayed at the cozy (and affordable) Miranda Gardens Resort in Myers Flat.  

Drive-through trees

There are three drive-through trees in Northern California: Chandelier Tree in Mendocino County, Shrine Tree in Humboldt County and Klamath Tree in Del Norte. If you want to combine a visit to the Avenue of the Giants, Trees of Mystery and a drive-through tree, Shrine is the closest.

Drive through carefully – there is not a lot of room – and have someone walk in front to take your pictures. Be aware, larger cars may not fit. Our crossover SUV made it and so did our other group’s car, an Infiniti. As long as your car can fit into a compact space you should be fine. Entrance fee is around $8.

If you are based in San Francisco, Chandelier Tree is slightly closer at 3.5 hours driving time. All three trees are privately owned and charge an entrance fee.

Whatever your travel plans for Northern California, make sure you include a trip to the Redwoods in your itinerary – they are not to be missed!