We headed on a family roadtrip in September from San Francisco up to the Redwood National Parks in Humboldt county. We were looking to be out in nature and finally had the opportunity to explore the northern California coast. It was a total of about 16 hours of driving in one week with our little ones in tow. There were the expected tears from our 4 month old and tantrums from our toddler but overall, an amazing and memorable experience adventuring along the coast.
Here’s our must have kid essentials for road tripping!
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Fall Northern California Family Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Drive from San Francisco to Mendocino
The fastest route from San Francisco to Mendocino is more inland (~3.5 hours) where you go through the Sonoma region and Anderson Valley, which are both great places to make stops. We like to stop in Boonville along the way for some ice cream and treats at Paysanne (when they are open for the season). There are also some fun shops and restaurants nearby. You can also go along the coast (~5 hours) and stop at Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, Sea Ranch and Point Arena, which are all beautiful for exploring or staying for a night or two.
Mendocino
When you finally find your way to Mendocino, make sure to end your day with a sunset at Mendocino Headlands or the Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. You will feel so energized and inspired after the long drive.
Once you’re in Mendocino, there is so much to do. You can check out our kid-friendly guide to Mendocino with our favorite things to do as a family. When we aren’t road tripping, we like to stay and camp in Mendocino Groves (see more of our experience here) for a few nights and we always have a good time. On this particular trip, we stayed 2 nights at the Beach House Inn in Fort Bragg (a short drive away from Mendocino). There are so many other Mendocino and Fort Bragg accommodation options from budget to boutique so book something that works for you.
Day 2: Explore Mendocino
We spent day 2 in Mendocino walking around MacKerricher State Park in Fort Bragg (10-15 min drive from Mendocino) and explored Mendocino Headlands State Park, which both have super toddler friendly, flat trails. We also spent a few hours playing in the water at Big River Beach which is a favorite spot of ours. You can find more kid-friendly things to do in Mendocino here.
Day 3: Drive from Mendocino to the Avenue of Giants up to Eureka
The Avenue of Giants
We headed out early in the morning for the Avenue of Giants, one of the most scenic drives among the redwoods. Imagine large redwood tress lining a 31-mile Avenue (that parallels Highway 101) as you pass by tree groves, hiking trails, picnic areas and the Eel River. It’s truly magical and we loved exploring this gorgeous road! It’s also free to visit!
We stopped at Woodrose Cafe in Garbersville for an early lunch before we headed to the south entrance of the Avenue of Giants. Our favorite quick stops along the Avenue of Giants:
- Boiling Grove (one of the first groves you will pass as you go north and a nice stop to start off the journey)
- Shrine Drive-Thru Tree (I would skip but if you really want to drive through a tree, it’s a fun spot, $10 fee)
- Williams Grove (great stop for a picnic)
- Founder’s Grove (short half mile loop and our favorite stop!)
- Make sure to take a pic in the middle of the Avenue of Giants road for a memorable snap (just be careful of any oncoming traffic)
Eureka
We made Eureka our home base to explore the Redwood National and State Parks but it still took us about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the trails since there are only a few lodging options that are right near park.
We stayed at the Best Western Plus Humboldt Bay and it worked well for our family of four. They have an awesome hot tub and pool which our kids absolutely loved. It’s also walking distance to restaurants and shopping in the downtown area. Arcata, Trinidad and McKinleyville also have good accommodation options.
Next time, if we plan to stay longer, we’ll probably rent a home near the Redwood National & State Parks so that we can cook more of our meals. We found that the restaurants in this area are less diverse and were starting to get tired with the same food options.
Day 4: Hike and explore Fern Canyon & Gold Bluffs Beach
Fern Canyon
Fern Canyon is one of our favorite trails to explore. The trail is an easy 1 mile loop through lush forest, a canyon covered in fern and a trickling stream. Getting to the parking lot can be a bit bumpy but still doable in a standard sedan vehicle. There is a $12 fee (cash only). Make sure to check weather conditions which may impact roads and trails.
Also, there is a herd of wild elk that frequent the area, which is so fun but make sure to observe from a distance.
Gold Bluffs Beach
After we finished at Fern Canyon, we spent some time picnicking at Gold Bluffs Beach, which is near the parking area. There’s a campground there so you can definitely spend a couple of nights here to explore all of the nearby trails.
Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
On the way back, we drove the 10 mile scenic drive through the redwoods on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway (an alternative to Hwy 101 which only adds on a few more minutes). It takes you through the old-growth redwood forest in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. There are trailheads along the way if you want stop, including Big Tree. You also might find some elk along the road.
Day 5: Hike Lady Bird Johnson Trail and Trillium Falls Loop
The next day, we headed back to the Redwood National Park early in the morning to walk the Lady Bird Johnson Trail. It is a stunning and easy 1.5 mile loop that’s perfect if you are hiking with small children.
We then did a second hike to Trillium Falls, another family friendly trail and was highly recommended by the park rangers. Because the trailhead is located at Elk Meadow, there’s a good chance to see an elk herd. You can hike to the falls which is 0.5 miles from the trailhead and then turn around. We opted to go a bit longer and did a full loop which was a little less than 3 miles.
We easily did both of these trails with a baby in a soft carrier and our toddler in and out of his soft toddler carrier. We highly recommend for families visiting!
Day 6: Trinidad & Eureka
Trinidad
For day 6, we decided to stay closer to Eureka and visited Trinidad (~20 min drive), a small town along the coast. We spent some time hanging out at Moonstone Beach and walking around the little downtown. We grabbed lunch at Beachcomber Cafe, which was a great spot with outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches, soups and salads.
Historical Town of Eureka
In the afternoon, we wandered the historical downtown of Eureka, close to where we were staying. We enjoyed exploring the Old Town district which has beautiful Victorian era architecture and fun restaurants and local shops. We passed by the historical Carson house and walked along the Eureka Boardwalk. We also saw kayak rentals and cruises / boat tours along the water front. But, unfortunately, once you leave the Old Town perimeter, there’s not really much to see, and at times, especially in the evening, it felt abandoned with empty storefronts and rundown buildings.
Day 7: Drive from Eureka to San Francisco (~4.5-5 hours fastest route)
On our last day, we started heading back to San Francisco early in the morning. Because of the forest fires nearby, we decided to head home along the coast which took a bit longer but we avoided the smoke and air pollution.
A road trip up the Northern California coast should be on everyone’s travel bucket list! There’s such a diverse coastline in this region and the redwood trees were definitely a highlight. This was such an epic family road trip and we can’t wait to come back!
What to Pack for a Northern California Road Trip
Here are our TOP things to pack for this family road trip:
- Waterproof and windproof jacket: A rain jacket is a must for those California coastal winds. The San Pancho Legacy Poncho holds up to A LOT of rain and folds us pretty small. If you’re looking for something more economical, the North Face rain jackets work great too.
- Water resistant hiking / walking shoes: We aren’t hard core, long distance hikers, especially with kids in tow, but we do recommend adding a pair of sturdy, water resistant shoes to your packing list. These trail running Hoka shoes work great for low impact trails and you can wear them for every day as well. If you’re looking for more support, you can try the hiking shoes from Hoka. Both are made with waterproofing materials.
- Sunscreen: A must on any trip but especially when you’re exploring the outdoors. My favorite for the face is the Elta MD sunscreen and for face and body, the Play sunscreen by SuperGoop
- Backpack: For all the kid stuff. We like this light, foldable but sturdy Patagonia backpack / tote bag which has plenty of pockets and two water bottle holders.
- Insulated water bottle: We are fans of the Yeti insulated water bottles. It keeps water cold (or hot) for a long time.
- Baby / toddler carrier: A must when you have little ones. For easy hikes, we use our soft carriers, like this one and this one. For more of a climb, we prefer our hiking backpack carrier.
For more kid travel essentials, check out our list for babies and list for toddlers / older kids.
Other Nearby Road Trip Destinations
If you’re feeling ambitious or have more time, there are so many beautiful places to explore in Northern California that are along the way or just a detour away. Here are our family favorites:
Happy exploring!
