Get Here By Car or Plane. Find Your Way to Crescent City and Del Norte County, California.
With a little bit of planning, your raw and rugged adventure will be one for the history books. Travel light, pack a map, and double-check a few key sites. You’ll be sailing through your visit, sharing smiles with your closest companions. Check out our map of Crescent City and all of Del Norte County. Planning on starting your road trip from San Francisco, here’s a handy map for all Northern California attractions.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE AND WHILE YOU’RE HERE
We always recommend checking CalTrans’ website for up-to-date information on California road conditions along Highway 101 and Highway 199. Enter in the highway number(s) along your drive for any closures, construction, or weather delays.
We also recommend checking the Redwoods National Park and State Parks “what is open or closed” page on the website that will report any road or trail closures within the National Park throughout Del Norte County, California.
The Crescent City ocean jetty can be very dangerous during high tides and storms. This is a public service announcement from Del Norte County Search and Rescue:
- Please stay off the jetty.
- Although the jetty is never 100% safe, winter is the time of year when storms create extreme hazards for anyone walking or fishing on the jetty. Waves are unpredictable.
- Jetty rescues put First Responders at risk and do not always result in successful outcomes.
DRIVE
IMPORTANT – Google Map’s driving directions northbound from San Francisco is NOT accurate. Google Maps wants to take you away from HWY 101 onto narrow, windy highways which is dangerous, unnecessary and completely out of the way. Do not follow Google’s directions when coming to Klamath or Crescent City from McKinleyville or Eureka California. You can use Apple Maps which has the correct driving directions. We have tried to fix this with Google numerous times, but it has yet to be fixed.
Soak up the sights as you drive from the north or from the south. From Portland and Seattle, take the I-5 to Grants Pass and then peel off to the scenic Highway 199. Simply meander up Highway 101 if you’re coming from San Francisco (refer to the North of Ordinary region’s Northern California map to plan your route). Los Angeles folks will take the I-5, veer west at I-580 and then follow it as it turns into Highway 101 at the Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
FLY
Maximize your visit by flying into our regional airport. The Del Norte County Regional Airport (CEC) offers daily direct flights to and from Oakland, California (OAK) by Contour Airlines.
The Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV) is about an hour’s drive from the county and provides domestic flights from the bay area as well as LAX. It will add flights to/from Denver in June 2019. Just 100 miles from the region is the Medford Airport (MFR) in southern Oregon offering flights from Las Vegas, San Francisco, Portland and Denver.
BUS
Regional bus service is provided throughout Del Norte County by Redwood Coast Transit. They service Crescent City, Smith River, Gasquet and more. Students (high school and college) always ride free. ADA services and Dial-A-Ride services are available.
Greyhound provides bus transportation from most areas into Crescent City. Their new buses provide free WiFi, extra leg room and individual power outlets to make your trip as comfortable as possible.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
Del Norte County has a temperate Mediterranean-like climate, making it easy to visit any time of the year. Winters are quiet, with average lows in the 40s and highs in the low-50s. July sees average lows in the 70s and highs in the mid-80s.
RESOURCES & VISITOR CENTERS
Good explorers have great maps. There are tons of resources to ensure your adventure covers all the ground you want, from scenic drives to trail maps to art walks. If you are driving, the California Department of Transportation is an excellent resource providing road cameras, traffic updates and road closures. Find your way to the Crescent City Visitor Center — or any of our local and Redwoods National & State Parks Visitor centers — for up-to-date information, maps and more.
Avoid hitting a roadblock in the parks as well. Ensure you’ll have the access you want by visiting park websites prior to your trip.
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
- Tolowa State Park
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
VISITOR CENTERS
Crescent City Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Bureau
1111 2nd St. Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 465-7335
Monday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Yurok Country Visitor Bureau
101 Klamath Blvd. Klamath, CA 95548
(707) 482-1555
Monday – Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
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