Crescent City · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park · Scenic drive
Howland Hill Road
Drive a narrow gravel road through some of the biggest old-growth redwoods on the coast, from Crescent City past Stout Grove. Leave the RV at camp; this one is for the tow vehicle.
Opens the National Park Service page for the drive. RVs, trailers and wide trucks don’t fit on this road, so plan to bring the tow vehicle.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Scenic drive
Gravel road through Jedediah Smith Redwoods
Admission
Free
No entrance fee to drive park roads
Hours
Open year-round
Brief spring closures for storm repairs
Time needed
45–90 minutes
Park Service estimate, longer with stops
Parking
Small pullouts
Parking and pullouts are limited
Vehicle limit
Under 22 ft
No RVs, trailers or wide trucks
What you’ll see
Ten miles of gravel, ferns and giant trunks
The road itself is the attraction, with trailheads for some of the park’s best groves along the way.
Photo: National Park Service on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Start here
The drive, west to east
From Crescent City, Howland Hill Road starts paved, then turns to gravel after about 1.5 miles as it enters Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The next 5.5 miles wind between old-growth trunks and ferns before the road becomes paved Douglas Park Road and meets US-199 near Hiouchi. The Park Service says to allow 45 to 90 minutes.
RV tip: the Park Service says RVs, trucks and vehicles with trailers are too wide for this road. Unhook at camp and drive it in the tow vehicle or a passenger car.
More to see
- Stout Memorial GroveA flat 0.5-mile loop through towering redwoods beside the Smith River, with its trailhead right on the road.
- Grove of TitansFrom the Mill Creek Trail on Howland Hill Road, it’s about 1 mile to a 1,300-foot elevated walkway through the grove. Accessible parking and restrooms are at the trailhead.
- Boy Scout Tree TrailThis trail into deep old growth starts on the road. Since August 4, 2026, a fallen tree has blocked it 1.75 miles in; the Park Service says climbing over is possible but challenging.
- Pullouts along the wayTrailheads line the route, but parking and pullouts are limited. Stop only where there’s room and keep the road clear for oncoming cars.
Why go
An 1850 road that still runs through the old growth
Howland Hill Road is about 10 miles long and links Crescent City with Hiouchi. Save the Redwoods League dates it to 1850, and the Park Service notes it was once a stagecoach road. Most of it is narrow, and its unpaved middle runs through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, part of Redwood National and State Parks.
For RVers it is the easiest way to see the park’s biggest trees up close from the driver’s seat, as long as the rig stays behind. RVs, trucks and trailers are too wide for the road, State Parks says vehicles must be under 22 feet, and Save the Redwoods notes a 15 mph speed limit on the gravel. Unhook at camp and come back in the tow vehicle.
The road is open year-round, though the Park Service warns it may close for short periods in spring for storm repairs. Check the parks’ alerts before you go; on October 24, 2026, Howland Hill Road was listed as open.
Photo: Brian Grogan for the Historic American Engineering Record, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Why it made our list
- Old-growth redwoods right beside the road
- Free, with no entrance fee
- Stout Grove and Grove of Titans trailheads on the way
- About 45 to 90 minutes end to end
- Rated 4.7 on Tripadvisor from 460 reviews
For RVers
Taking the tow vehicle on Howland Hill Road
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Unhook before you go
The Park Service says recreational vehicles, trucks and vehicles with trailers are too wide for this road, and State Parks limits vehicles to under 22 feet. Leave the rig at camp; a passenger car or small SUV is the right fit.
Pick your end
From the west, take US-101 about 1 mile south of Crescent City, turn left on Elk Valley Road, then right on Howland Hill Road. From the east, take US-199 to South Fork Road near Hiouchi, then Douglas Park Road, which becomes Howland Hill Road.
Pets on the road and trails
The Park Service lists leashed pets as allowed on the drive, but pets aren’t permitted on any trails in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, including Stout Grove. Don’t leave them in a warm parked car.
Check conditions first
Storm repairs can close the road for short periods in spring, and the Boy Scout Tree Trail has been partly blocked by a fallen tree since August 4, 2026. The parks’ alerts page lists both.
What visitors say about Howland Hill Road
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
This narrow, winding road, mostly unpaved, offers an up-close experience with towering old-growth redwoods.
National Park Service, describing the drive · nps.gov
What visitors often mention
Recurring topics in Google reviews of Stout Grove
RedwoodsThe riverEasy trailFerns
Google’s review topics for Stout Grove point to the redwoods (91 reviews), the river (84), the easy trail (59) and the ferns (10). Checked October 24, 2026.
Miles of each stretch, west to east
Distances from the Park Service’s scenic drives page. The gravel is the 5.5 miles inside Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
Good to know
Driving the roadFree no entrance fee
Speed limit15 mph on the gravel
Vehicle lengthUnder 22 ft no RVs or trailers
Trailheads on the wayStout GroveGrove of TitansBoy Scout Tree
Details from the National Park Service, California State Parks and Save the Redwoods League, checked October 24, 2026. The Park Service says there are no ADA-accessible trails off Howland Hill Road, though the Grove of Titans trailhead has accessible parking and restrooms.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Howland Hill Road
- AddressHowland Hill Rd, Crescent City, CA 95531
- HoursOpen year-round
Brief spring closures for storm repairs - Phone(707) 464-6101 (Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park)
- CostFree; no entrance fee
- Getting thereWest end: from US-101 south of Crescent City, take Elk Valley Road to Howland Hill Road. East end: from US-199 near Hiouchi, take South Fork Road to Douglas Park Road.
- ParkingSmall trailhead lots and pullouts only. RVs, trailers and wide trucks can’t use the road.
Spring storm repairs can close the road for short periods. Check the Redwood National and State Parks alerts page before you go.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Howland Hill Road
These are the Crescent City-area parks we have written up, closest first. Times are Google Maps car drive times to the Stout Grove trailhead, checked October 24, 2026.
Jedediah Smith Campground
$35 no-hookup sites in old-growth redwoods on the Smith River, with showers and a dump station. RVs up to 25 ft.
Redwood Meadows RV Resort
30/50-amp full hookups and big-rig pull-thrus in Hiouchi, near the east end of the drive.
Florence Keller County Park
$20 first-come sites in a quiet redwood grove on the edge of Crescent City. Rigs to 32 ft; no showers.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Open year-round · About 45–90 minutes end to end
Ready for the slow road through the giants?
Unhook at camp, take the tow vehicle, and give yourself time to stop at Stout Grove.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: the National Park Service (visitor on the road; public domain), Tori Sloane (car on the road, 2008; CC BY-SA 3.0), Brian Grogan for the Historic American Engineering Record (road views, 2000; public domain) and Chmee2 (Stout Grove; CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: 4K Relaxation Channel on YouTube (Howland Hill Road drive). RV park photos courtesy of the National Park Service, Redwood Meadows RV Resort and Del Norte County Parks. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Howland Hill Road unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including published materials from the park agencies and other public sources. Road conditions, rules and other details are set by California State Parks and the National Park Service and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm details at nps.gov or (707) 464-6101. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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