Best Family Resorts in Redwood, CA
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Elk Meadow Cabins in Orick are the top family pick for Redwood National Park — multi-bedroom homes inside the park boundary with Roosevelt elk grazing outside the window and immediate access to old-growth trails. For a lower-cost base with a pool and river swimming, Redwoods River Resort in Leggett is the best family-camp option in the region.
Elk Meadow Cabins
Condo · $$
Kids' club
No formal kids' club or pool. The draw is immediate wildlife access — a herd of 100-200 Roosevelt elk grazes the adjacent meadow year-round. Lady Bird Johnson Grove trailhead is a short drive; Fern Canyon and Humboldt Lagoons kayaking are within 35-40 minutes.
Family room fit
2-bedroom cabins sleep 4-6; 3-bedroom vacation homes sleep 6-8; 4-bedroom family houses sleep 8-10. All units have full kitchens with dishwasher, full-size appliances, and private decks overlooking the redwood forest. Laundry on-site.
Waking up to a herd of 150 elk grazing 50 yards away is the kind of moment families remember forever. The location inside Redwood National Park's southern section puts old-growth trails, Fern Canyon, and the Drury Scenic Parkway within a short drive, and full kitchens let families cook most meals rather than pay coastal tourist restaurant prices.
Watch out: No pool or structured programming — this is pure nature immersion. The Northern California coast is seriously foggy from late spring through mid-summer, with mornings often socked in until afternoon. Families expecting California beach sun may be surprised.
Redwoods River Resort & Campground
Resort · $
Kids' club
No formal kids' club, but the amenity set is the most activity-rich in the region: heated outdoor pool, private Eel River access with two natural swimming holes, two playgrounds (toddler-scaled Camp Jordan and the larger Fort McCaffison), giant lawn games, a recreation room with air hockey and foosball, Friday movie nights, and Saturday ice cream socials with campfire karaoke.
Family room fit
Motel rooms with kitchenettes and BBQ, cozy cabins with kitchenette and BBQ, a 2-bedroom/2-bath vacation rental with bunk room and fire ring, plus RV and tent sites. Best for families of 2-6; the vacation rental works for larger groups.
River swimming under old-growth redwoods plus a heated pool, two playgrounds, and nightly summer programming gives this property a genuine summer-camp rhythm that kids ages 3-12 respond to hard. At $130-200/night for cabins, it is the most affordable private lodging in the Northern California redwood corridor.
Watch out: Cabins lack air conditioning and window screens, which can make them warm on summer afternoons — this is fundamentally an outdoors property. The trail to the river swimming holes is steep and requires supervision with small children. Remote location in Leggett means no easy restaurant fallback; plan provisions.
Fern River Resort
Condo · $$
Kids' club
No formal kids' club or pool. Family amenities include a private river beach on the San Lorenzo River, a game and library cabin stocked with board games, toys, and books, a playground and garden terrace, a volleyball area, and campfire areas. Walking distance to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park trailhead.
Family room fit
14 knotty pine cabins ranging from studio cabins with kitchenettes to one-bedroom cabins with full kitchens, plus a large house sleeping up to 8-10 guests — making it a realistic option for multi-generational trips or two-family groups. Select cabins have fireplaces.
Three-generation family-owned property where the private San Lorenzo River beach does the heavy lifting — kids wade, splash, and explore with minimal adult orchestration. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is 12 minutes by car and Roaring Camp Railroads is less than two miles away, giving families redwood hiking in the morning and amusement park in the afternoon.
Watch out: Rustic property — no pool, no spa, no restaurant, no structured programming. Cabins are simple and the older knotty pine aesthetic is well-maintained but not upgraded. Pricing has crept up, and river-view units in summer may feel expensive relative to the physical accommodations.
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Historic Requa Inn
On-property · $$
Kids' club
No kids' club, pool, or structured programming. The inn's version of family amenities is location-based: harbor seals and Roosevelt elk visible from the Klamath River estuary a short walk away, Trees of Mystery with a redwood-canopy gondola 1 mile away, and a whale-watching overlook 0.5 miles from the inn. Full breakfast for all guests is included.
Family room fit
12 rooms total. Family suites have a queen plus day beds and sleep 3-4. River View Rooms sleep 2-3. Standard rooms sleep 2. No bunk rooms or large-family configurations — best for single-family groups of 2-4, not multi-gen or large parties.
The best breakfast in the Redwood Coast lodging lineup is included, the Klamath River estuary wildlife is walkable rather than a drive, and the inn's bluff setting above the river is genuinely extraordinary. For families with older kids who want a quieter and more intimate base over a resort experience, it is the highest-quality lodging option in the northern park corridor.
Watch out: Recommended for ages 8 and up — the inn has no pool, no playground, and an atmosphere that works better for kids who can be in the moment than for children needing structured entertainment. Room count is small and books out 4-6 months ahead for summer dates. Not a fit for large families needing 3+ rooms.
More options
Family hotels in Redwood
Hotels.com inventory — compare across your dates.
Elk Meadow Cabins
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Check live prices →Redwoods River Resort & Campground
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Check prices — $300–600/night →Fern River Resort
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Check live prices →Historic Requa Inn
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Check live prices →Frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Redwood National Park with kids?
August through October is the most reliable window for weather. June and July are peak fog season on the Northern California coast — mornings are often socked in until midday, which is dramatic and photogenic but not beach weather. The fog does not close trails or reduce wildlife activity, and the redwood forest is genuinely beautiful in filtered fog light. Fall (September-October) brings clearer skies, smaller crowds, and cooler hiking temperatures. Spring (April-May) is green and lush but wetter. Summer is the busiest period for permits, accommodations, and Fern Canyon access — book lodging 4-6 months out for July and August.
Is there beach access near Redwood National Park for families?
Yes, but the Northern California coast is cold-water, rocky, and not a swimming beach in the traditional sense. Gold Bluffs Beach inside Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is the most scenic — a wild Pacific beach with dunes, frequently grazed by Roosevelt elk, and the access road to Fern Canyon. Clam Beach near McKinleyville and Trinidad State Beach (south of the park near Trinidad town) are more family-accessible. Water temperatures along this stretch of coast run 50-56°F year-round, making open-water swimming rare. Plan for beach exploration, tide-pooling, and wildlife watching rather than swimming.
What hikes in Redwood National Park are suitable for young children?
Lady Bird Johnson Grove is the best first hike for families — a 1.2-mile paved loop through old-growth coastal redwoods that is accessible for toddlers in carriers and easy for elementary-age kids. The Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway has roadside pullouts where you can walk directly under 300-foot trees with no formal trail required. Fern Canyon is the visual standout — a short loop through a slot canyon with 50-foot fern-covered walls; involves a few small stream crossings and is best for kids 4 and up in water shoes. Tall Trees Grove requires a park permit (limited daily, free at the visitor center), a 13-mile drive on an unpaved road, and a 1.3-mile trail — best for ages 6 and up and well worth the extra steps for a nearly crowd-free old-growth experience.
Do you need a car to get around Redwood National Park?
Yes — a car is essential. Redwood National and State Parks span 50 miles of coastline across four separate park units (Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek Redwoods, and the Orick section of Redwood NP). There is no shuttle system connecting the units and no public transit serving the park corridor. Key stops — Fern Canyon, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Tall Trees Grove, the Klamath Overlook, Crescent City — each require driving. Plan for significant time in the car between destinations, especially if you are combining the southern Santa Cruz redwood area (Felton, Henry Cowell) with the northern Redwood NP corridor (Orick, Klamath, Crescent City), which are roughly 5-6 hours apart by road.
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