The Complete Guide to Planning Your Redwood National Park Elopement
Learn everything you need to know about having your elopement or intimate wedding in Redwood National and State Parks
Redwood National Park + Northern California
(Includes updated permit information for 2024)
The redwoods are one of my favorite places in all of California and possibly the country, especially for elopements. There is something so magical and romantic about saying your vows under these towering giants that have stood the test of time---just like your relationship! It is also an incredibly diverse park system that showcases not only incredible forests but stunning coastal views of Pacific. And as the most fun side note ever, both Jurassic Park and Star Wars were filmed here...so that is pretty awesome too (if you hire me as your elopement photographer, you will hear me talk about this at least once. Sorry in advance!).
So if you are thinking about eloping in Redwood National Park but don't know where to start, fear not. This ultimate guide will help you understand where to go, what permits you need, lodging, transportation, and more. So let's get started!
Where is Redwood National Park?
I get this question a lot so let's start here! Redwood National and State Parks is actually a collection of parks run by both the federal government and the state of California and is located in the northern most portion of the coast of California. The collection of parks starts from approximately the town of Trinidad and stretches all the way up to Crescent City. Some of the smaller towns along the way with points of interest include Orick, Berry Glen, and Klamath. You can access much of this area by driving along California Hwy 101.
How do I get to Redwood National Park?
Obviously you've got tons of options but here are a couple of the most straightforward answers:
Fly into Arcata, CA (ACV)
This is the easiest way to get here, albeit probably the trickiest and most expensive. Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV) boasts ONE baggage claim for the entire airport and a grand total of two runways---so you can imagine how tiny it is. As convenient as it is to fly into because of its proximity to the main towns you'll want access to for Redwood National Park, there are some drawbacks to flying in here including limited rental car options and limited flights into and out of ACV.
Fy into San Francisco, CA (SFO)
San Francisco is probably the most economical option for most people and with the most flights in and out. There are tons of rental car options at the airport and throughout the city. As a side note, while Oakland International Airport is smaller, it may be worth looking into depending on where you are flying in from. Sometimes it has more direct flights from certain airports! Of course, with all good things there is one major drawback to flying into the bay area which is its distance to Redwood National Park. If you fly into SFO or OAK, you are looking at roughly about a six hour drive to the southernmost part of the park.
Fly into Medford, OR (MFR)
This option is great if you know you want to be closer to the northern portion of the park near Crescent City, CA, as Medford is just about two and a half hours away. As convenient as this is, one drawback is that the airport is small and you will likely have to get a connecting flight in as not many airlines service it (compared to SFO or even OAK).
Where Should I Stay?
Where you will want to stay depends heavily on which part of the Redwoods you want easiest access to. Because the park stretches roughly 65 miles from Trinidad to Crescent City, you can do one of two things:
Option 1: Find a base and plan your elopement around that base
This is a good option for those who are booking half day packages so as to maximize the time you are getting with your vendors. For example, maybe you want to stay in Trinidad because it is closest to San Francisco. You would then narrow down your ceremony location to parts of the park that are closer to Trinidad and Orick as opposed to driving up to the northern parts of the park. This saves you driving time and allows for more activities (and fun) throughout those hours you have booked.
Option 2: Embrace the driving and make it part of your day
I am a sucker for a good road trip so I tend to recommend this option if you have the time and are booking your vendors for full day or multi day packages. You could plan to stay in Crescent City and hit up Jedediah Smith, drive down to Fern Canyon, and then end your day on the beach. Just an example but the idea remains: more time = more options!
As far as where to look for accommodations, I would search Airbnb, VRBO, and even hotel chains in the following towns:
Eureka, CA
Arcata, CA
McKinleyville, CA
Trinidad, CA
Orick, CA
Klamath, CA
Crescent City, CA
Brookings, OR
As a bonus here are a few places I have personally stayed and absolutely loved:
River’s Bend
Rustic Cabin in the Redwoods
Cliffside Home Overlooking the Ocean
Bungalow in the Redwoods
Where should we have our ceremony?
With almost 132k acres of land within the park, your options are *almost* endless, it really just depends on what areas you want to be near and how much you are budgeting for permits (we'll cover this topic next). With that in mind, the park has a handful of pre-approved locations for ceremonies, split between both state park land and national park land.
State Park Pre-Approved Locations
Templeman Grove 20 participants
Organ Donor's Grove 20 participants
River Trail 8 participants
Merriman Grove 8 participants
Zig Zag #2 10 participants
Schmidt Grove 20 participants
Prairie Creek Amphitheater 20 participants (available October 25-May 1)
National Park Pre-Approved Locations
Crescent Beach Day Use 20 participants (available October 25-May 1)
Crescent Beach Overlook 20 participants (available October 25-May 1)
High Bluff Overlook 20 participants
Lost Man Creek Gate 20 participants
Berry Glen 6 participants
If the location you are hoping to get married isn't a pre-approved spot...fear not! If you are up for spending a little bit more, you can apply for a permit at the location of your choice and it just needs to go out for review in order to be processed. That said, while there are a million spots to get married here, there are FOUR places you are not allowed to get married:
Fern Canyon
James Irvine Trail
Stout Grove
Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail
These four areas are considered off limits for ceremonies BUT you can take photos in any of these places during the day of your elopement. So if you were hoping to make a detour to explore Fern Canyon, you can absolutely do that (and I highly recommend it)!
Do I need a permit to elope in Redwood National Park? (IMPORTANT 2024 UPDATE)
When eloping in an outdoor area, it is always so important to look into permitting and whether or not your location requires one. Redwoods National and State Parks currently requires a permit for any ceremony that happens within the park boundaries. As mentioned above, there is currently a list of pre-approved locations for your ceremony but you can also apply for a location that is not on the list, as long as it is not one of the four non-permitted locations.
In 2024, the park systems decided to roll out a new process for ceremony and photography permits based on park entity (i.e. California state park land vs. national park land). This means that if you are planning to have your ceremony in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, or Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the permit will be processed through California State Parks’ application. Alternately, if your ceremony is to take place within the national park boundaries, it will be processed through the National Park Service’s application.
As for pricing, this depends on which entity you are applying to (state park vs. national park), as well as whether it is a pre-approved location or one that would need to go out for review. Additionally, if you are wanting to have your ceremony in one state park and then photos in another, the second location requires an additional photography permit; if you are wanting to take photos within the national park, no additional permit is required outside the one for a ceremony. Currently, the pricing structure is as follows:
California State Parks (this includes Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek)
Pre-approved locations: $200
Custom locations: $200*
Additional location permit (not within the same state park as ceremony): $20
Redwood National Park
Pre-approved locations: $100
Custom locations: $200
The process of obtaining a permit isn't too difficult but I offer to help my clients with this task as part of all my elopement packages. I can either file it for you and then send the invoice your way or simply guide you through what to fill out and then you can submit it yourself and pay the park directly. Either way, this is one of the first tasks we take care of after we start working together to plan your elopement!
*Note: California State Parks has stated that all of their special use permits for ceremonies are $200 but that there could be additional fees for custom locations depending on group size, impact to land, and popularity of the location. They are currently working on a more streamlined pricing structure but this is the most current information provided by the state park system.
Additional thoughts on permits...
I often am asked the why behind needing permits. You've decided to elope, many hoping to save a little bit of money on venues and whatnot and then come across this expense that you weren't really expecting. I get it---not knowing can be frustrating. That said, making sure that you have the proper permits for your elopement not only ensures that your day will run smoothly (and won't get interrupted by a ranger), it helps protect the park and its natural resources. It helps the park system keep track of how many visitors are accessing certain areas and make sure that the environment is taken care of while we are using it for our own needs. If you have questions on permits and the reasoning behind them, feel free to ask during our consultation or any other time. Always happy to go over why these are important!
How can we legally get married in Redwood National Park?
This is a super popular question and for good reason! So let's break this down:
1. You'll need to get a marriage license in California
Depending on where you are flying into or driving from, it is absolutely worth making an appointment at the most convenient county clerk's office. You don't have to be a resident of California to obtain a marriage license here and they typically cost just under $100. Once you pick up your marriage license, it is good for 90 days and can be used immediately---there is no waiting period.
2. You'll need at least one witness* on the day you get married
In order to legally get married, you will need to have a witness sign your marriage license. For those who are inviting a few guests, this is usually pretty straight forward. That said, I have had couples who are eloping just the two of them and we usually find a couple hikers along the way or someone near the parking lot to sign your marriage license (they are always stoked to play a small role in your big day!).
3. Have someone marry you
Whether you hire an ordained minister or have you best friend marry you, it is important to make sure you do it in the most meaningful way to YOU. And for those who want to keep things extra intimate, I offer all my couples complimentary basic officiant services! This means I sign your paper work and send if off to the county clerk after your elopement. Then voila...you are married! This is perfect for couples who maybe want to go the extra step in their adventure and don't want to have to worry about finding a minister that will be able to make the trek.
*California does offer a confidential marriage license which means it is not part of public records. One perk to this is that you do not need to have any witnesses for your marriage license.
What can we do in the area on our elopement day?
While the highlight of the area is definitely the incredible redwood groves themselves, here are just a few ideas to consider for your elopement:
Visit one of the many gorgeous beaches in the area---Some of my favorites include Trinidad State Beach and Wilson Creek Beach. There is nothing quite like ending your elopement day watching the sun set below the ocean's horizon amidst the area's famous sea stacks. It also makes for a great place to have a celebratory picnic!
Look for the park's famous herds of Roosevelt Elk---It is a really cool experience to observe these gorgeous animals (from a safe distance, of course!) and trying to spot them throughout the day is always a fun little game. That said, there are a few places they are known to "hang out" so if this is high on your list of things to see that day, we can definitely find a way to make this happen!
Drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway---Definitely one of my drives in all of California, as you are surrounded by these towering, ancient Redwoods. Put on your favorite tunes and enjoy each other's company as you take in the views together.
Grab some lunch at the Snack Shack---Located in Orick, this is something I recommend to all my couples (unless you are getting married on a Wednesday because unfortunately they are closed) because eloping is hard work and you deserve a snack! In all seriousness, their down to earth eats are a fun way to keep your day moving while still enjoying some local flare.
Explore the Trees of Mystery---With their famous Paul Bunyan statue that can be seen from the highway, it's hard to miss this local attraction. Trees of Mystery features a scenic gondola, various trails including one that lets you walk along a canopy, and even some out of this world tree formations. This is a fun activity if you are looking for something out of the box to try on your elopement day.
Take a hike---Coming back around full circle with the most obvious activity but it's hard not to mention it. Redwood National Park boasts over 200 miles of trails that range from easy to difficult. It's one of the most quiet places you will probably ever visit and the absolute perfect place to elope and explore.
What vendors should we hire?
It all depends on what you want to include on your wedding day but some that come to mind would be:
Photographer (you can find an awesome one by clicking HERE---spoiler alert, it's me!)
Videographer
Florist*
Hair and Make up Artist
Officiant
Private Chef/Caterer
Bakery
Upon booking an elopement with me, I help provide vendor recommendations for the area to make sure this process remains as stress-free as possible!
*While you can and absolutely should have florals for your elopement if you want them, it is important to note that Redwood National Park does not allow live florals.
So, there you have it---everything you need to know about eloping in Redwood National Park! This is one of the most magical places and any couple looking to elope here will not be dissapointed. If you are ready to take the next step and start planning, I would love to chat about everything you have in mind and how I can help make it a reality.