Redwood National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Redwood National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Redwood National Park, California (run jointly with its neighboring state parks as Redwood National and State Parks), from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new. Rain can make creek crossings harder and bring trees down across trails, so check the park's own conditions page the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • Construction delays on Highway 101. Expect multiple traffic stops between Orick and Crescent City, and allow extra time. (NPS)
  • Drilling near DeMartin this fall and winter. Caltrans is drilling to study a new highway route. The DeMartin Trail and camp stay open, but expect heavy equipment and noise, sometimes around the clock. (Caltrans; NPS)
  • 44 Creek bridge is closed. The bridge north of 44 Camp, about 7 miles in from the Redwood Creek Trailhead, failed a federal inspection. Trails stay open, but crossing the ravine isn't advised, and the detour to 44 Camp adds at least 3.5 miles. 44 Camp no longer has a composting toilet. (NPS)
  • Seasonal footbridges are out on the Redwood Creek Trail, between Stout Grove and both Jedediah Smith Campground and the Hiouchi Trail, in Fern Canyon, and on the Prairie Creek Nature Trail. Redwood Creek gravel-bar camping is closed October 15 through April 1 for high water.
  • Prescribed burns in the Bald Hills. The park plans burns this fall in six Bald Hills units. The Lyon's Ranch Trail and connected historic trails have intermittent closures through Monday, October 26. (NPS)
  • Trail problems: Alder Basin Trail is closed for restoration work. Dolason Prairie Trail is open only for its first 4.5 miles, to a failed bridge at Emerald Creek; Emerald Ridge Trail is reachable only from the Redwood Creek or Tall Trees trails. Miners Ridge Trail is blocked by a big downed tree just past the Clintonia Trail. On the Boy Scout Tree Trail, a fallen tree 1.75 miles in is passable but challenging to climb over. (NPS)
  • James Irvine Trail is partly open. The easternmost stairs between Fern Canyon and the trail are closed for construction; the western stairs still reach the Fern Canyon Loop. A smaller tree is down, but passable, about 1.25 miles before Fern Canyon.
  • Road notes: Bald Hills Road is open with road damage, so drive slowly. Davison Road to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon is open, with two stream crossings that get harder after storms; the park recommends high clearance. Cal-Barrel Road is closed to vehicles for the winter. Mill Creek Day Use Area is open weekends only.

Open and closed right now

  • The parks are always open, and roads, trails, and public access stay open year-round. The park doesn't list an entrance fee. (NPS)
  • Visitor centers: Thomas H. Kuchel, Prairie Creek, and Hiouchi visitor centers and the Crescent City Information Center are open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through November 1. Jedediah Smith Visitor Center is closed for the season.
  • Campgrounds (run by California State Parks): Jedediah Smith and Gold Bluffs Beach are open year-round, though winter road conditions can limit access to Gold Bluffs Beach. Elk Prairie has no closure listed. Mill Creek is closed until May 2027. (Reserve California)
  • Backcountry camps are all listed as open, but permits are online only, not at visitor centers.
  • Tall Trees Trail is open and needs a reservation year-round. Fern Canyon is open; its vehicle reservation applies only May 15 to September 15, and you should expect to wade ankle- to knee-deep.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Monday, November 2: winter hours begin. Kuchel opens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Wednesday and Thursday. Prairie Creek opens 10 to 4, Wednesday through Sunday. Hiouchi opens 10 to 4 and closes two midweek days (the park's listings disagree on whether that's Tuesday–Wednesday or Wednesday–Thursday). Crescent City runs 9 to 4 daily.
  • Saturday, November 7: the monthly "Hike and Bike" day closes the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway to cars; it happens the first Saturday of each month through May. Reach Prairie Creek Visitor Center from Highway 101 Exit 753.
  • Thursday, November 26: visitor centers close for Thanksgiving.
  • Later: gravel-bar camping on Redwood Creek reopens around April 1, 2027, water permitting; Mill Creek Campground after May 7; Jedediah Smith Visitor Center on May 20.

What this means for your trip

Fern Canyon is easier to get to now than in summer, since no vehicle reservation is needed, but it's wetter. The footbridges are out, so plan on wading, and the Davison Road crossings get harder after rain, so take a high-clearance vehicle if you can. Hiking in on the James Irvine Trail instead? Use the western stairs. The park also calls James Irvine the best route to Gold Bluffs Beach while Miners Ridge is blocked.

Backpackers on Redwood Creek take the biggest hit: no seasonal footbridges, no gravel-bar camping, a closed bridge at 44 Creek, and creeks running higher as winter comes on. If you want the big trees without the creek, the Tall Trees Trail (reservation required) is the shorter way in.

Everyone else mainly needs patience on Highway 101 and rain gear. The park says to trust road signs and park maps over GPS, since cell service is limited, and from November 2 the visitor centers keep shorter hours.

Before you go

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Redwood National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.