Redwoods to Volcanoes Road Trip: Redwood, Lassen, and Crater Lake on One Loop

If you want giant trees, a steaming volcanic landscape, and the deepest lake in the country on one trip, this is the drive. It links Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, and Crater Lake National Parks in a loop of about 700 miles from Medford, Oregon: down the Smith River to the California coast, across the mountains on Highway 299, and north past Mount Shasta into the Cascades.

The catch is the calendar. Snow closes Lassen's park highway and Crater Lake's Rim Drive for months at a time, so the full loop really only works from about mid-July through September. This post covers the road: the route leg by leg, the miles and drive times, where to stay, and how to time it. Each stop gets a short plan here, and the full days are in my guides.

Redwoods to Volcanoes Road Trip at a Glance

• Parks: Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, and Crater Lake.
• Start and finish: a loop from Medford, Oregon. San Francisco works too, with a longer first and last day.
• Driving: about 700 miles, plus the driving inside the parks.
• Time behind the wheel: roughly 15 hours, spread over the trip.
• How many days: 7 at the least, 9 or 10 to enjoy it.
• Best season: mid-July through mid-September.
• Pass: Redwood charges no entrance fee. The $55 annual pass good at Lassen and Crater Lake is usually the better buy here (more on that below).

Orientation sketch, not to scale. Check the official park maps for detail. Routes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); state lines from the U.S. Census Bureau.

How Many Days Do You Need?

I'd plan on 9 days. Here's the math. Two legs eat most of a day each: about 220 miles from the redwoods to Lassen and about 250 miles from Lassen to Crater Lake. That's two days gone before you've seen anything. Redwood needs two days because it isn't one place. It's a string of groves and beaches along about 50 miles of US 101, with no main entrance and no center. Lassen and Crater Lake each deserve a day and a half or more, and you need a day to get to the coast and a morning to get back to the airport.

Can you do it in 7? Yes, if you give Redwood one day and Lassen one day and accept that you're choosing a few groves and a few stops. Under a week, I'd drop a park. Crater Lake and Redwood pair well from Medford in 4 or 5 days, and that version isn't hostage to Lassen's snow.

Which Direction to Drive It

I'd drive it as a loop from Medford, in the order this post uses: redwoods first, then Lassen, then Crater Lake. Rogue Valley-Medford Airport is about 75 miles from Crater Lake's park headquarters and a short hop from US 199, which makes it the one airport that sits at both ends of the loop. That means no one-way rental fee, and the last drive of the trip is an easy couple of hours.

Driving it the other way works just as well; flip the legs below. If you'd rather start in the Bay Area, the parks begin about 325 miles north of San Francisco on US 101, so you'd skip the Medford leg, then come home from Crater Lake on Interstate 5. Sacramento is about three hours from Lassen's Southwest Entrance, and Redding has the closest airport to Lassen, if you'd like to cut the loop in half.

The Route, Leg By Leg

Medford to Crescent City: About 115 Miles, 2.5 Hours

Take Interstate 5 north to Grants Pass, then US 199 southwest for about 70 miles to the parks' northeast corner near Hiouchi. The road follows the Smith River through a narrow canyon, and it's two lanes for much of the way, so don't expect to make interstate time. Fill up in Grants Pass or Crescent City.

Redwood has no entrance stations and charges no entrance fee, so you won't know you've arrived except for the size of the trees. Online maps and GPS often give wrong directions inside the parks, and cell service is very limited. Carry the paper park map and follow the road signs. For which groves and beaches belong on which day, my Redwood National Park guide has nine one- to three-day plans.

A visitor among old-growth redwoods on Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, May 2014 (NPS photograph). Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (National Park Service).

Crescent City to Orick on US 101: About 50 Miles, 1.5 Hours

US 101 is the spine of the parks, and the parks themselves call it the most reliable route. It isn't a fast one. In 2026, construction between Orick and Crescent City added stops and delays. South of Crescent City, you'll also cross Last Chance Grade, a stretch of cliffside highway that keeps sliding toward the Pacific. It went back to two-way traffic in 2023 after roughly nine years of one-way control, and a 6,000-foot tunnel to bypass it is still years off. A full closure there can mean a detour of up to eight hours, so check Caltrans before you leave town.

Two rules catch road trippers here. The Tall Trees Trailhead needs a free online reservation all year, and the Fern Canyon road needs a vehicle reservation from May 15 to September 15. Neither is issued at a visitor center. Trailers can't use Davison Road to Gold Bluffs Beach at all, and the parks ask you not to use Bald Hills Road as a way in.

A short plan for Redwood: There's no gate, so heading south, leave US 101 for the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Stop at Big Tree Wayside, then eat your packed lunch at Elk Prairie, since the parks have no restaurants. Back on US 101, take Bald Hills Road from just north of Orick (no RVs or trailers) to Lady Bird Johnson Grove, your turnaround. My Redwood National Park guide has the full days.

Redwood National Park. Enderts Beach seen from the Crescent Beach Overlook, May 2013 (NPS photograph). Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (National Park Service).

Orick to Lassen's Manzanita Lake: About 220 Miles, 4.5 to 5 Hours

This is the leg that turns the coast into the mountains. Drive US 101 south about 30 miles to Highway 299 near Arcata, then follow 299 east for about 140 miles to Redding. It's a winding mountain highway through Willow Creek, Weaverville, and over Buckhorn Summit, and it's slower than the map suggests. Slides are a regular problem: in 2026, repairs near Buckhorn Summit ran one-way traffic with delays of up to 15 minutes. Give yourself the whole day and check Caltrans first.

Redding is your last big stop for groceries and gas. From there, take Highway 44 east for about 50 miles to the Northwest Entrance at Manzanita Lake. If your campground or room is at the park's south end, take Interstate 5 south to Red Bluff instead, then Highway 36 east and Highway 89 north to the Southwest Entrance near Mineral.

Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen Peak reflected in Manzanita Lake, July 2010. Photo: Av9, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (released by the photographer).

Lassen's Park Highway: About 30 Miles Between the Entrances

Highway 89 runs through the park from one entrance to the other. It has no guardrails, steep drop-offs, and a 35 mph limit, so it takes longer than 30 miles should. It's also the road that sets this trip's calendar. In 2026 crews finished clearing it on May 22, but it has opened as late as July 26. It usually closes in mid- to late November and has closed as early as October 18. As of early November 2026 it was closed to through travel, with closures about a mile in from each entrance.

When the highway's closed, you can still get between the entrances outside the park: about 71 miles and an hour and 45 minutes around the west side (not for RVs or trailers), or about 106 miles and two hours around the east side. The park's entrance fee is $30 a vehicle in season, and it's cashless. Which of the park's scattered areas to pick, and how to fit Bumpass Hell and Lassen Peak around the snow, is what my Lassen Volcanic National Park guide sorts out.

A short plan for Lassen Volcanic: Enter at the Northwest Entrance and walk the Manzanita Lake loop. When snow has cleared Highway 89, drive south past the Devastated Area and Lake Helen to the Sulphur Works sidewalk. The cafe at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, just inside the Southwest Entrance, is your lunch stop and turnaround. If the highway's closed, stay at the Manzanita end. My Lassen Volcanic National Park guide has the full days.

Lassen Volcanic National Park. Emerald Lake beside the park highway, with fall color starting on its south shore (park caption), August 2013. Photo: Lassen Volcanic National Park (NPS), Wikimedia Commons (from the park's Flickr account). Public domain (National Park Service).

Lassen to Crater Lake: About 250 Miles, 5 to 5.5 Hours

Leave the park at Manzanita Lake and head north on Highway 89 through Old Station and past McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, which requires day-use reservations. Continue through McCloud to Interstate 5 at Mount Shasta, go a few miles north to Weed, then take US 97 northeast across the Oregon line to Klamath Falls. From Klamath Falls, follow US 97 north to Highway 62 near Chiloquin and turn west to the South Entrance, about 56 miles from town to Mazama Village.

The other way north leaves Highway 89 for Highway 299 and Highway 139, which goes through Tulelake and close to Lava Beds National Monument. It's a quieter road, and the monument makes a good stop if you've got the $55 annual pass mentioned below, since it covers Lava Beds too. Fill up in Klamath Falls either way. Gas at Mazama Village is unleaded only and sold from about mid-May to mid-October, and there's no diesel anywhere in the park.

Crater Lake National Park. Wizard Island and the caldera from the West Rim near the Lightning Springs Picnic Area, October 1, 2009 (NPS photograph). Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Crater Lake: Rim Drive and the Construction

Highway 62 and the road to park headquarters are open all year, and Rim Village can be reached all year except during heavy snowfall. Rim Drive is the seasonal part. It closes on November 1 or with the first heavy snow, whichever comes first. West Rim Drive and the North Entrance usually reopen between mid-May and late June, and East Rim Drive between mid-June and late July. Some GPS systems will try to send you through the North Entrance when it's closed, so enter "Rim Village" as your destination.

Know about the construction before you promise anyone a boat ride. The Cleetwood Cove Trail and the lakeshore are closed for reconstruction through the 2028 season, and boat tours are expected back in 2029. The East Rim Drive rehabilitation was mostly finished in October 2026, and the park expected all of East Rim Drive to be open in 2027. My Crater Lake National Park guide has plans built around what's open, with swaps for what isn't.

A short plan for Crater Lake: Enter at the South Entrance on Highway 62 and pick up sandwiches at Mazama Village, because Rim Drive has no food or water. At Rim Village, walk the promenade to the Sinnott Memorial Overlook, open in summer. When West Rim Drive is open, picnic at the Watchman Overlook and climb Watchman Peak, your turnaround. My Crater Lake National Park guide has the full days.

Crater Lake National Park. The lake and Wizard Island from the top of Watchman Peak just before sunrise, October 8, 2009 (NPS photograph). Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Crater Lake to Medford: About 76 Miles, 2 Hours

Highway 62 runs southwest from the West Entrance through Prospect and Shady Cove to Medford. It's open all year and an easy way to end the trip. Prospect is the closest gas outside the season at Mazama Village, about 29 miles from the south entrance station.

A Sample 9-Day Driving Schedule

This is the driving skeleton only, so you can see where the miles fall. The park days themselves are in the guides.

Day	Drive	Driving Time	Overnight Town
Day 1	Medford to Crescent City, about 115 miles	2.5 hours	Crescent City
Day 2	Redwood's northern groves, driving from Crescent City	Local driving	Crescent City
Day 3	US 101 south to Orick or Trinidad, about 50 to 75 miles, stopping in Redwood's southern end	About 1.5 to 2 hours	Orick or Trinidad
Day 4	Highway 299 and Highway 44 to Manzanita Lake, about 220 miles from Orick	4.5 to 5 hours	Manzanita Lake
Day 5	Lassen's park highway to the south end and back, about 60 miles round trip	About 2 hours round trip	Manzanita Lake
Day 6	A second Lassen day, or a spare day for the weather, driving from your base	Local driving	Manzanita Lake
Day 7	Lassen to Crater Lake, about 250 miles	5 to 5.5 hours	Mazama Village
Day 8	Crater Lake, driving from Mazama Village or Rim Village	Local driving	Mazama Village or Rim Village
Day 9	Crater Lake to Medford, about 76 miles	2 hours	Fly home from Medford

Where to Stay Along the Way

• Redwood: there are no hotels or lodges in the parks. Crescent City, Klamath, and Orick sit beside them, with Trinidad, McKinleyville, Arcata, and Eureka within about an hour. The four state park campgrounds book through ReserveCalifornia; search by the campground's name, not "Redwood." Elk Prairie and Jedediah Smith also have a few cabins, usually booked months ahead.
• Lassen: Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins (rustic, bring your own bedding) and Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Warner Valley are the only lodging in the park. Mineral and Chester work for the south end, and Shingletown and Old Station for the north, with Redding and Red Bluff farther out.
• Crater Lake: Crater Lake Lodge on the rim, The Cabins at Mazama Village, and Mazama Campground are often full months ahead. Union Creek, about 21 miles west of headquarters, is the closest place outside the park.

Book Crater Lake first, since it's the tightest of the three, then build the rest of the trip around those nights. In 2026 Crater Lake Lodge ran from May 15 to October 13, and the Mazama cabins from May 8 to October 4.

Best Time of Year to Drive It

Mid-July through mid-September is the window when all three parks work. Lassen's trails have mostly melted out, Crater Lake's roads are open, and the redwoods are just as good as ever, though the coast sits under fog nearly every day in summer and you'll want a jacket. Late summer can bring wildfire smoke, which is the one thing nobody can plan around, so have a backup for the view-dependent days.

Early summer is a gamble. Even with Lassen's highway open, Bumpass Hell usually stays closed into July, and East Rim Drive at Crater Lake may still be under snow. Fall is quiet, and it's the elk rut in the redwoods from late August through October, but Lassen's services wind down, its outlying roads can close by mid-October, and Crater Lake's Rim Drive shuts by November 1.

Winter and spring don't work as a loop. Redwood stays open all year, though it's the rainy season, with footbridges out and the occasional road closed by fallen trees. Lassen's highway is closed, and Crater Lake is a snow trip to Rim Village. In those months, do the redwoods on their own.

Road Trip Tips for Northern California and Southern Oregon

• Do the pass math. Redwood is free, and Lassen and Crater Lake charged $30 a vehicle in summer 2026, so you'd pay $60 at the gates. The $55 annual pass good at Lassen, Crater Lake, Whiskeytown, and Lava Beds beats that, and it beats the $80 America the Beautiful pass unless you've got other parks on your year.
• Carry a card and some cash. Lassen and Crater Lake are cashless at their entrance stations, while the $12 Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon fee is cash or check only.
• Treat Highway 299 and US 101 as the weak links. Both can close or stall on short notice. Check Caltrans before each leg, and Oregon's TripCheck on the north side.
• Download your maps. Cell service is very limited in all three parks, and GPS misleads drivers in the redwoods and at Crater Lake's closed North Entrance.
• Pack for three climates. Bring rain gear and layers for the coast, sun protection for Lassen's trails, and a warm jacket for the rim at Crater Lake, where September highs average about 63°F.
• Book the permits early. Tall Trees reservations open up to 180 days ahead and Fern Canyon's up to six months ahead, and both release more the day before.

Plan Your Days Inside Each Park

This post gets you from park to park, with a short plan for each stop. The full days are what my guides are for: each one has nine itineraries for one, two, or three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for bad weather or a closure, plus orientation maps, the park's history, and the animals you're likely to see. You get an EPUB and a printable PDF, so the day's plan can ride in the car with you.

• Redwood National Park: nine itineraries, 14 animals to look for, 5 maps, and 33 photographs
• Lassen Volcanic National Park: nine itineraries, 14 animals to look for, 6 maps, and 37 photographs
• Crater Lake National Park: nine itineraries, 14 animals to look for, 5 maps, and 33 photographs

For This Route

The California National Parks Collection covers 2 of the 3 parks on this route (Redwood and Lassen Volcanic) in one download. For Crater Lake, add the single guide above. It also includes Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Pinnacles, Sequoia, and Yosemite, which this route doesn't reach.

Short on time at one stop? Just an Afternoon is my free four-hour plan for every U.S. National Park.

Redwoods to Volcanoes Road Trip FAQ

Can I drive this loop in June? You can drive most of it, but you'd be gambling on Lassen's highway, Bumpass Hell, and Crater Lake's East Rim Drive. Check Lassen Volcanic National Park alerts and Crater Lake National Park alerts before you book anything that can't be refunded.

Do I need reservations to enter these parks? No. None of the three requires an entrance reservation. You do need reservations for the Tall Trees Trailhead and, in summer, Fern Canyon, and the lodges and campgrounds fill months ahead.

Can I do this in an RV? Yes, with planning. Many redwood campsites were built before the 1940s, and their size limits are strictly enforced. Trailers can't go down Davison Road, and the west-side bypass around Lassen isn't for RVs or trailers. There are no hookups in Lassen's campgrounds, and only Manzanita Lake has a dump station.

What's the best airport? Medford for the full loop. Redding is closest to Lassen, and Arcata-Eureka is about 25 miles south of Redwood's Kuchel Visitor Center, but both have fewer flights.

Before you go: roads, campgrounds, and visitor centers close for snow, fire, and repairs, so check each park's alerts and current conditions, updated daily: Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake. For every park at a glance, see the park conditions dashboard.

Planning a different route? See all my National Park road trips.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Driving times are estimates without stops, and conditions change; check each park's current alerts before you go.