Redwood National and State Parks, home to the world’s tallest tree species, is a distinctive area jointly managed by the National Park Service and the State of California. The national park and three state parks—Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek, and Jedediah Smith—operate under one management system, with consolidated visitor centers and alert information. For RV travelers hoping to spend a night among the old-growth forests, cliffs, and rivers along the Pacific coast, one fact requires advance preparation: none of the three main campgrounds has electric, water, or sewer hookups.
Three Campgrounds, Three Different Settings
Elk Prairie Campground, in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, has 75 sites, including just one RV-only site and 21 tent-only sites. The remainder are mixed sites for tents and RVs. The standard rate is $35 per night; California State Parks disability discount pass holders pay half, or $17.50, and holders of federal America the Beautiful Senior or Access Passes receive the same discount. Hot showers, flush toilets, and year-round drinking water are available, but there is no cell service and no dump station. The campground is at the south end of Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway and is closest to Exit 753 on U.S. Highway 101.
Farther north is Jedediah Smith Campground in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park along the Smith River. Its layout is similar to Elk Prairie’s, with one RV-only site and 22 tent-only sites among 86 total sites. The rate is also $35 per night, but this campground has coin-operated showers and year-round cell service. It sits directly off U.S. Highway 199, 1 mile west of Hiouchi, and is 6 to 7 hours from San Francisco. Mill Creek Campground, in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, is the largest of the three, with 145 sites, but it has no designated RV-only sites and 22 tent-only sites. It is 7 miles south of Crescent City off U.S. Highway 101. All three campgrounds provide food lockers year-round to protect supplies from raccoons and bears, and firewood is available for purchase. During the season, Elk Prairie and Jedediah Smith campgrounds also have resident hosts and amphitheater programs, allowing visitors to join ranger-led evening nature programs.
What to Know Before You Go
According to National Park Service alerts, multiple traffic-control stops related to roadwork are in place along U.S. Highway 101 between Orick and Crescent City, so travel through the park may take longer than expected. In addition, the 44 Creek Bridge, about 7 miles south of the Redwood Creek trailhead and north of 44 Camp, is closed after damage was identified during a Federal Highway Administration inspection. Reservations for all three campgrounds are accepted only through California State Parks’ ReserveCalifornia system at 1-800-444-7275. Reservation release dates vary by season and campground, so the reservation-page calendar is the most accurate source for current opening dates. Summer weekend sites often fill as soon as reservations open, making weekday arrivals or canceled-reservation availability worthwhile options.
How to Prepare for a Night Without Hookups
No electric hookups means relying on batteries, solar panels, or a generator. Check battery capacity ahead of time to keep essentials such as the refrigerator and lights running, and if using a generator, follow the campground’s quiet hours. State parks commonly observe quiet hours from evening through morning, but the exact times should be confirmed on the reservation confirmation or campground notice board. With no water or sewer hookups, departing with a full fresh-water tank is essential. Travelers should also allow ample gray-water and black-water tank capacity, since none of the three campgrounds has its own dump station. It is wise to check in advance whether private RV parks or gas stations in nearby Crescent City or Klamath offer dump services. Even in summer, the Redwood Coast often has dense morning fog, and the first evening at camp may feel cooler than expected. A waterproof jacket and extra blankets are useful, as are moisture-control measures for wood furnishings and electronics that are vulnerable to damp conditions.
The draw of the redwoods is the trees themselves, not the hookups. Herds of Roosevelt elk are frequently seen near Elk Prairie Campground, while Jedediah Smith Campground offers swimming and fishing in the Smith River. Nearby Enderts Beach has tide pools and makes an easy half-day outing after setting up camp. Howland Hill Road, however, calls for a different approach. This 10-mile unpaved former stagecoach road through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is known for its scenery among old-growth trees reaching as high as 300 feet, but the National Park Service officially advises that its narrow width makes it difficult for RVs, trailers, and trucks. For this stretch, it is safer to leave a towable trailer at the campground and go in a separate smaller vehicle. The tradeoff for limited amenities is a night spent in the middle of an old-growth forest. Before leaving, check the National Park Service alerts page again for changes to the roadwork and bridge-closure conditions.
Photo: NPS Photo/Steve Olson, Redwood National and State Parks (https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm)