Howland Hill Road
Howland Hill Road
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
456 reviews
Excellent
358
Very good
67
Average
18
Poor
9
Terrible
4
Chelsea
7 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
What an incredible place. Yep! It’s dusty! But, if you hold on to your butts until you reach your trail, it’s so worth it and more. The dust doesn’t bother me but, it does bother some that it covers everything near the road in it. That’s why you should definitely GET OUT OF YOUR CAR AND TAKE A TRAIL.
The main trails are easy to identify by signage and parking lots. There are some unmarked ones that a pretty rad too. I wouldn’t walk in that road for any distance for sure. Dust and danger.
It would be nice if they posted a low speed limit. People be driving waaay too fast in there. So be careful as it is a narrow winding road with some places only wide enough for one vehicle.
You can spend a little time here or a lot. It’s up to your adventure.
The main trails are easy to identify by signage and parking lots. There are some unmarked ones that a pretty rad too. I wouldn’t walk in that road for any distance for sure. Dust and danger.
It would be nice if they posted a low speed limit. People be driving waaay too fast in there. So be careful as it is a narrow winding road with some places only wide enough for one vehicle.
You can spend a little time here or a lot. It’s up to your adventure.
Written August 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jkweebs
Omaha, NE671 contributions
Jul 2023
This is a great drive coming from Crescent city and taking the road all the way through the Redwoods. It is definitely dusty and some places it is very thin road so you have to pull over for cars coming the other way. This was the best way to really immerse yourself in the Redwoods and really grasp the size of not just the trees but who these groves go on for ever. Hard to believe that was is here is just a small percentage of what once was.
Written August 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
michael duncan
Seattle, WA32 contributions
Mar 2021
If you could only see one stand of Redwood trees, this is the place to go. Easy drive in and out. Short walk around a loop of very typical and unusual Redwoods. I have been going to the Redwoods for 50 years and this was my first time at Howland Hill Road. Never hiked before, but we took a short .5 mile hike along the river hillside and ended up at Stout Grove. Next time, we will just drive in.
Written March 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
doublemdoublet
Clifton, VA1,392 contributions
Jun 2021
Drive America’s Road. TIP: Great /safe place to jump out and take "Car in the Redwoods" photos. This 10 mile narrow dirt road was a former stagecoach route. Now famously winds through the rugged forest. You and your car are closer than the Avenue of the Giants or any logging road. Slow peaceful, limited pullouts.
Written August 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dane C
21 contributions
Jul 2022
Beautiful drive through giant coastal redwood in northern california. If you came to see the big trees then this road is a MUST!!! Every turn is full of giant trees and unique shapes. There are plenty of pull off for cars to pass or you to jump out and get the perfect pics of a monster tree with a loved one. (How else can you truly show their ginormity?) Make sure to plan plenty of time so that you don't have to rush yourself. Well worth the drive and a lot of fun and memories all for the price of the gas you use.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriel W
17 contributions
Oct 2020
My family loves this road so much. We came back the next day and drove it two more time. The trails are all well maintained and gorgeous. Many trails are flat, but can be slippery, so use caution. But people with disabilities shouldn’t have a problem here if they have help.
Written October 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davigeta
Saint Louis, MO1,126 contributions
Aug 2022
This drive is really special. The redwoods are EVERYWHERE, and you are driving around them, up close and personal. Pretty amazing stuff. You cannot drive through this road very quickly, but you would not want to! You pass by the Boy Scout Trail and the Stout Grove Trail. If you are going east, the trail ends at the Smith River. Well worth the wait.
Written August 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AJ
45 contributions
Sep 2021
Very fun drive through some beautiful redwoods. There are plenty of places to pull over and enjoy the setting. There are also many trailheads from which you can embark on a scenic hike through the state park. It doesn't take very long to drive, but if there is no one behind you (there wasn't for me) you can drive a slow as you want to take it all in!
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LSUTraveller
Watson, LA1,925 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Loved this drive!! Took the Mill Creek and Stout Grove trails and enjoyed every minute of them. While we did pass a few vehicles on the road, we saw no none else on the trails. So peaceful and serene. Easy to do in any vehicle. Just a gravel road.
Written March 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
half-Brit
Oregon Coast49,572 contributions
This is a great, easy way to see the big trees "up close", particularly if you are not a hiker. This is a gravel and dirt road that winds amongst very large old-growth redwood trees a bit east of the town. The road does get graded from time to time and it is fine for all but very low sports cars.
You can access it off Highway 199, through Stout Grove, or from the south end of town off Elk Valley Road.
Allow enough time for the drive! It's only about six miles long, but you'll drive quite slowly; it took us about an hour. There are several spots to park and get out and walk a bit, as well as a few longer hiking trails.
This is one of the nicest drives in the redwoods :-)
You can access it off Highway 199, through Stout Grove, or from the south end of town off Elk Valley Road.
Allow enough time for the drive! It's only about six miles long, but you'll drive quite slowly; it took us about an hour. There are several spots to park and get out and walk a bit, as well as a few longer hiking trails.
This is one of the nicest drives in the redwoods :-)
Written March 20, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi everyone. We will be traveling with our 20' campervan. Longer than a regular car, but definitely shorter than the typical RV. For reference, we fit in a regular parking spot. I am from Colorado, so I am already used to twisty & winding & backcountry roads, but am sincerely curious as to your thoughts regarding this particular road. Many thanks.
Written June 24, 2024
Would an SUV (like a Ford Explorer) be able to fit?
Written April 13, 2021
How bad is this road? We will be driving a rented minivan.
Written July 5, 2018
This is a somewhat narrow dirt road. However, everyone drives slow and is courteous of other vehicles. We saw RV’s on this road so a minivan will be fine. It’s beautiful and worth the drive!
Written July 8, 2018
karlacockerham
Olla, Louisiana
Hi, karlacockerham. What would you like to know about this attraction?
I will be spending the first night of my vacation in eureka and the next morning driving into crescent city. I definitely want to experience Howland Hill Road and I need help planning my drive. I also want to visit Sequoia State Park. The third day of trip we will leave Crescent City heading to San Francisco. I am needing help on finding a place to stay before I reach San Francisco but close enough I don't have a long drive into San Francisco the next morning.
Written March 2, 2018
We stayed at Scopa by the Sea- in Crescent City. Purpose-built, cute, nautical-themed B&B with an awesome host and incredible breakfast!
Written March 12, 2018
Looking for a spot for our Rv for a few days to see both the beach and redwoods,
Written April 10, 2016
There are many paying camp grounds in the area, including several near the harbor. Before we moved to the area we always preferred to use the campground in Jed Smith Park. Depending on when you will come you may need to make reservations to book a spot. The campground is virtually full on weekends and most days between July 4 and Labor Day. Bus-sized RV's will not be able to navigate Howland HIll Rd.
Written April 11, 2016
Hi, We will be with a group of en plein air painters. Is there anywhere to stop on the road to set-up easles and paint?
Written December 30, 2014
Howland Hill road through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is a dirt/gravel road through virgin forest. It's primarily one lane with a few wide spots for passing and lots of turn-outs. Lots of ruts, being bladed once a year in June or so, weather permitting, and that closes it for two week. In summer, it is incredibly dusty... white dust on everything for up to 20 feet back, so you don't want to set up on the road.
However, the Mill Creek Trail parallels the road, crossing it at a couple of points, so you can get off the road and into the trees, as well as down to the creek where there is a chance to paint the water and trees opposite. [The problem with the redwoods is they are too tall to see the whole tree except from across a river. But you get the trunks and lush understory.] There is another trail off Howland Hill, the Boy Scout Tree Trail, which winds through rolling stands of redwoods, with sword ferns in profusion looking like they are flowing in leaps and bounds down hill. At the eastern end of HH Road, the Stout Grove is accessible year round, with essentially a ramp down into a level stand of really big trees that does back up to the Smith River, where Mill Creek flows in. Good views of the emerald colored crystal clear river with the stands of forest on both sides of the river. That part is wheelchair-accessible, though all but the strongest will need help pushing back up the slope to the parking lot.
Note, the rest of Howland Hill Road, from just west of the Stout Grove to the Crescent City end is too narrow for large trailers and RVs....they can get stuck in the narrows between trees. But in a car, you are treated to an amazingly beautiful, prehistoric forest, with turn outs to enjoy it. The native Rhododendrons bloom in there May-June, dates depending on how the weather has been.
Written December 31, 2014
Hi, We will be with a group of en plein air painters. Is there anywhere to stop on the road to set-up easles and paint?
Written December 30, 2014
Yes there are places to stop.
Written December 31, 2014
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