Redwood National and State Parks spans across Del Norte and Humboldt counties, offering a surprising number of dog-friendly routes through old-growth forests, beaches, and creekside areas. The Redwood Parks Association has worked with park management to designate these walks specifically for visitors traveling with dogs, so you know what to expect before you arrive.

In the northern section near Crescent City and Hiouchi, Myrtle Creek Trail and Craig’s Creek Trail both wind through the Smith River National Recreation Area with quiet forest scenery. Jedediah Smith Campground sits about 10 miles east on U.S. 199 and works well if you want to combine a walk with a longer stay. Walker Road and Howland Hill Road offer different experiences—Howland Hill stretches 10 miles one way and gives you a real sense of the massive redwood groves without heavy crowds.

Closer to town, Crescent Beach Day Use Area provides beach access with picnic facilities, and Wilson Creek Day Use Area is another option if you want something a bit less visited. Both have parking and amenities worth knowing about before you head out.

Moving south toward Klamath and Orick, the landscape shifts to coastal bluffs and prairie. Alder Camp Road near Klamath gives you access to quieter terrain, while Cal-Barrel Road branches off Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in the heart of the park’s most famous old-growth sections. Elk Prairie Campground and Day Use Area, also accessed from Newton B. Drury, is where the visitor center sits if you want information or a bathroom break. Gold Bluffs Beach sits further south with a campground if you’re planning an overnight trip, and Redwood Creek picnic area plus Freshwater Lagoon spit round out the southern options for shorter walks or wildlife watching.

All these locations are officially approved for dogs, which makes planning your route straightforward. Bring water though—creek access helps but isn’t guaranteed at every stop.