Crescent City to Grants Pass Highway 199 Road Guide - California & Oregon Redwood Highway

Redwood Forest, California

An interesting aspect about the Highway 199 tour is the fact that the entire route is situated above a geologic domain called a subduction zone. This involves a large slab of ocean crust that is being pushed at a rate of about 2-3 millimeters per year under northern California and Oregon. The ocean crust eventually is pushed deep enough that it melts to create the volcanic activity that created the Cascade Mountains, including Crater Lake National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Lassen National Park.

As the ocean crust is pushed under the edge of the continent, sediments are scraped off and pile up along the coast. When new rock is added to this pile, older rocks are uplifted along with the edge of the continent. Over time, rocks that were once buried deep under ground are uplifted. Erosion whittles down the uplifted materials at about the same rate they are uplifted until the rocks from deep in the crust become the tops of mountains.

This process has been going on for millions of years so many of the landscapes you will see on this tour route will be rocks that have been uplifted from three or more miles deep to where you see them now along the tour route.

As you drive from Crescent City to Highway 199, you will be traveling over the relatively level terrain of a terrace that appears to be made up of land that was recently uplifted out of the ocean. These rocks and the rocks you will see in the first section of the tour are part of the Franciscan Formation and are primarily ocean sediments that have been scraped off the top of the ocean crust as it is pushed under the edge of the continent. These rocks break down into deep, fertile soils that are home to the tallest trees in the world; the coast redwood.

ZERO YOUR ODOMETER at the intersection of King Valley Road.

0.0 King Valley Road and Parkway Drive:

This intersection is the approximate location of the 1857 Turnpike and Puncheon Road constructed between the port town of Crescent City and southern Oregon gold mining camps after the Oregon gold rush of 1851. A historic marker is about a quarter mile to the right. You will hear more about this historic road in other parts of the tour.

Camp Lincoln (left) was a military site established in 1862. Its primary purpose was to control the local native population that had been sent to the Smith River Reservation about ten miles north of here. Some of the structures from the camp are still standing at Camp Lincoln, a designated California Historic Landmark, located about a mile from Highway 199 on Kings Valley Road to the left. The 1857 Turnpike and Puncheon Road, the first road to be constructed between the port of Crescent City and the gold rush towns in Oregon, passed behind the camp. Parts of the old road (below left) can be found on the hill to the north (left) of the historic buildings.
1857 Turnpike and Puncheon Road, Redwood National Park, Crescent City, California Camp Lincoln Historic Landmark, Redwood National Park, Crescent City, California

The Organ Donor Grove is located on the right about 100 feet down Parkway Drive. Many of the stands of trees along Highway 199 are dedicated to different individuals, organizations, or groups of people. The dedication of groves was one of the strategies used by the Redwood League to raise money to purchase these lands and preserve the forest for future generations to enjoy. The group was formed in 1918 and a generous donation might result in a section of the forest being dedicated to the individual of the donor’s choosing. The League turned all their purchased lands over to the California State Park System. Jedediah Smith State Park was established in 1929 and the Frank D. Stout Memorial Grove became its first dedicated grove.

If you choose to do any of these side trips before starting the Highway 199 tour, you can return to this intersection when you finish, zero your odometer and begin the tour.

0.3 Entering Redwood National Park:

Redwood National Park is made up of three California State Parks connected by National Park Service lands. This is why the entrance sign says “National and State Parks”. You are now entering Jedediah Smith State Park, the northern most of the three state parks that make up Redwood National Park. Jedediah Smith was an explorer and fir trapper who passed through this region in June 1828.

0.8 Turnout. Landon Grove sign

1.7 Amelia Erhard Grove

2.1 Walker Road (left):
Walker Road is a gravel surfaced road that goes to the Smith River. The right fork in the road, located about a half a mile from Highway 199, goes to the approximate location of the Peacock Ferry crossing for the 1852 Turnpike and Puncheon Road. A portion of the Leifer Loop Trail follows a segment of the 1852 Turnpike and Puncheon Road. The Leifer Trail is less used than the Simpson-Reed Trail and offers an alternate redwood forest hiking experience for those who want to avoid the crowds.

2.2 Simpson-Reed Loop Trail and Hatton Loop

The large turnout on the right just after Walker Road provides parking for the Simpson-Reed Loop Trail, a wheelchair accessible trail through an old growth redwood forest. The Peterson Loop Trail is another foot path that loops off of the Simpson-Reed Trail. You will need to cross the road to get to this trail. Traffic moves fast through this area. Cross with caution. On the right side of Highway 199 are three redwood forest trails. The Hatton Loop Trail, a short loop trail that climbs into the redwood forest above the road. The California State Park Ranger Grove is a short trail to a bench in the forest. There is also a trail that generally parallels Highway 199 toward the Smith River where it connects with the Hiouchi Trail to Mill Creek Trail and Stout Grove.

3.4 The Hiouchi Trail is on the right just before the Smith River Bridge. The trail connects to the Mill Creek Trail, which goes into the southern region of Jedediah Smith State Park. You can also drive to this area by following the Old Redwood Highway pointed out in the next section at mile 1.5.

3.5 Smith River Bridge

3.7 Intersection Highway 197. GO RIGHT at this intersection to stay on Highway 199

4.2 Jedediah Smith Campground (right): Jedediah Smith Campground has a day use area with picnic tables in a redwood forest overlooking the river. The picture below shows the river next to the picnic area. A fee is charged to use the day use area. During the summer, you can hike from the day use area to a foot bridge over the Smith River to the Mill Creek Trail and Stout Grove Loop Trail, a world class redwood forest experience. You can also hike to the Jedediah Smith Campground visitor center that has displays, gifts, books and maps.

4.4 Visitor Center (left). The Redwood National Park Visitor Center is not always open but the restrooms usually are. There are some interpretive signs and samples of the three “redwoods” in the world; coast redwood, giant sequoia (Sierra Mountain redwood) and Dawn Redwood (actually a cypress) a tree that was believed to be extinct before a stand of these trees was discovered in China in 1942.

4.7 Exit Redwood National and State Parks

5.0 ZERO YOUR ODOMETER at the Hiouchi Chevron Station (restaurant, motel, RV park). Last gas for the next 40 miles. Continue straight ahead.

After passing Hiouchi, you will be entering Smith River National Recreation Area (NRA). At the boundary of the NRA there is a dramatic change in the geology as you leave the fertile soils of the Franciscan Formation and enter into a rugged country made up of fragments of ocean crust and rocks that have been uplifted from the molten mantle of the earth. During this tour you will pass through three different sections of ocean crust and go through an extensive outcrop of rock from the upper mantle of the earth. These exposures are part of the most complete ocean crust geology and the largest mantle rock outcrop in North America.

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Disclaimer: All information in Highway199.org is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, conditions in outdoor settings can change dramatically after storms or fires. For this reason, travelers are advised to check current road conditions before traveling through the area, drive responsibly and take measures to understand safety issues in the region. When participating in outdoor activities, always plan and prepare for safe hiking, swimming or any other activities mentioned in the Highway 199 website. More on disclaimer and copyright...