Redwood and Crater Lake National Parks
It takes 6 hours to reach Redwood National Park, and Crater Lake is a 4-hours drive from Redwood National Park.
Directly from Stanford, Crater Lake is a 7-hour drive.
If you do not want to drive nonstop to either of these parks, you can make a stop in wine country and relax for a bit (see page Wine Country).
You can also take a train (around 10 hours with the Starlight Coast Train) or a bus to reach Oregon.
It is also possible to book a flight to Medford or Arcata, but the price and carbon footprint make this option less desirable.
The entrance fee to each of these parks is about $30 if you do not have a National Park Annual Pass, which is $80. The annual pass allows you to enter all of the national parks in the US for a full year, as well as some state parks.
Therefore, if you want to visit both parks, it may be better to buy an annual pass.
Moreover, the money for the pass supports efforts that protect America’s national treasures.
Redwood National Park
Redwood National Park contains not only the tallest trees in the world, but also a rich diversity of flora and fauna, numerous rivers, and a coastal landscape.
Essentially, the park can be divided into three parts: north, south, and a coastal area that joins the north and south regions.
Details of the numerous trails offered in Redwood National Park can be found at the National Park website.
If you drive to this park on Highway 101, you will pass through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and this area has walls of giant trees on either side of the road, which makes for an enjoyable, scenic ride.
Crater Lake National Parks
Despite the fact that it is not the most famous park, Crater Lake National Park is known for its beauty.
Indeed, the landscape of this clear-water lake in the middle of the mountains is just incredible.
Moreover, when the skies are clear, the reflection of the mountains on the lake is spectacular.
This lake, which is found in the Cascade Range, is at an altitude of 5905ft/1800m and has a depth of 1958ft/597m, making it the deepest lake in the United States.
Interestingly, this lake is a caldera that was produced from a volcano of Mount Mazama.
Be sure to check the weather forecast before making this trip because it is often cloudy, so you may not have the best view of the lake.
This is why it is better to go during the summer.
In addition to the numerous viewpoints of the scenic drive that you can take around the lake, this park offers plenty of hikes (see here).
The hike to the summit of Mount Scott has a great view of the lake (1 hour, 1181ft/360m elevation gain).