The shortcut
The Redwoods stop being a someday trip.
Crescent City is the only town with scheduled air service that lands in Redwood country — CEC sits about four miles from downtown, and Howland Hill Road, the dirt lane through Jedediah Smith old growth, starts just east of town. Fly to Arcata or Eureka instead and you're still about 80 miles and an hour and a half south of the old growth.
This page works in both directions. If you're one of the roughly 6,700 people who live here — or the 27,000 across Del Norte County — the same aircraft is how Crescent City reaches Bay Area hospitals, universities and agencies, or LA family and LAX connections, without giving US-101 a whole day each way. Parking at CEC is free. Every day. Ask any airport in America how rare that is.
And a local's note before you check the forecast: the morning fog isn't bad weather. It's how a redwood drinks.
Why Crescent City
The trees, the tide, the harbor.
Muir Woods is the appetizer. This is the meal.
Old growth at trunk level
Howland Hill Road runs 10 unpaved miles through Jedediah Smith old growth — trees over a thousand years old, minutes from the runway. Stout Grove is a half-mile loop; the Grove of Titans boardwalk runs 1,300 feet through some of the largest coast redwoods ever measured.
A lighthouse the ocean schedules
Battery Point Lighthouse (1856) sits on a tidal island — you cross the land bridge only at low tide. Tours run 10–4 daily April–September and weekends October–March, tide permitting. Check the table, then walk across the ocean floor.
A hundred thousand birds a day
Tolowa Dunes State Park logs 250-plus species on the Pacific Flyway — 27 miles of trails, 11 miles of open beach. Gray whales pass the Klamath River Overlook December–January and March–April, with a resident feeding pod on clear summer days.
Crab town, honestly
This is a working Dungeness harbor — sea lions run the south docks year-round, and the recreational crab season in the northern zone typically runs November to July. Openings shift with health and whale advisories, so check CDFW before you plan around it.
One runway, two coastlines
Pick your base.
CEC sits almost on the state line, so this trip comes in two honest versions — the redwood town on the California side, or the wider room-and-restaurant supply up the Oregon coast. Same flight either way.
Stay in Crescent City
Closest to the reason you flew here: the old growth starts 10–15 minutes from the runway, and the harbor, lighthouse and crab docks are in town. Small lodging list, short drives, trees before breakfast.
- 10–15 minutes to Stout Grove and the Grove of Titans
- Battery Point Lighthouse and the harbor sea lions, in town
- Everything in the itineraries below starts at your door
- Partner stay: White Rock Resort's oceanfront cabins, 15 minutes up the coast in Smith River
Stay up the Oregon coast
Cross the line and Brookings-Harbor opens up a deeper bench of rooms and tables, in the 'banana belt' — the mildest stretch of the Oregon coast. Plenty of people fly into CEC and spend the whole week up here.
- Brookings is about 30 minutes north of the runway
- 12 miles of sea arches at the Boardman corridor, ~45 minutes
- Gold Beach and the Rogue River jet boats, about an hour
- Partner stay: Crook Point — eight secluded oceanfront homes on two-plus miles of private coastline
The plans
Two weekends locals would actually build.
Every stop below is a real, named place we verified operating — no filler. Times assume the current flight pattern; the linked timetables are live, so trust them over anything printed.
The Redwood Weekend
Summer · rental carFly up from Oakland after work, spend Saturday under the tallest trees on Earth, catch the tide Sunday.
Pre-book Avis or Budget at CEC before you fly — there's no rideshare here. Redwood Coast Transit's $6 Dial-A-Ride is the fallback.
Wheels down, harbor town
- Avis or Budget counter at CEC — pre-booked — the car is the plan; downtown is four miles away
- Curly Redwood Lodge — a 1957 motel milled from one curly redwood log — the building is the artifact. Oceanfront Lodge, 30 feet from the surf, is the other move
- SeaQuake Brewing — the town's flagship brewery and pizza hall on Front Street
- Battery Point at dusk — viewpoint only tonight — the lighthouse tour is a daytime, low-tide event; see Day 3
Trunk level from breakfast to sunset
- Good Harvest Cafe — the local default — doors at 7:30 AM Monday–Saturday
- Howland Hill Road — 10 unpaved miles through Jedediah Smith old growth; no RVs or trailers, and check park conditions before you go
- Stout Grove — half-mile loop, summer footbridges in. The bigger option is Boy Scout Tree Trail — 5.5 miles round trip to Fern Falls; a mid-trail section closes Nov 1–May 1
- Grove of Titans via Mill Creek Trail — 1,300 feet of elevated boardwalk through some of the largest coast redwoods measured, open year-round
- Pebble Beach Drive to Point St. George — the sunset run — then dinner at Port O'Pints, pouring noon–9 daily
Walk across the ocean floor, then fly
- Battery Point Lighthouse — cross the land bridge at low tide only — tours 10–4 daily Apr–Sep, weekends Oct–Mar, tide permitting. Check the tide table first; non-negotiable
- Harbor sea lion docks — watch the haul-out from the Anchor Way sidewalk
- Chart Room — lunch Wed–Sun 11–7 — the window tables face the sea lions
- Northcoast Marine Mammal Center — optional — the rescue and rehab nonprofit by the lighthouse; Wed–Sat 11–5, Sun 11–3
- Return the car at CEC — then about 66 minutes back to Oakland
Current snapshot: Oakland flies near-daily, with a Friday-evening arrival that lands by dinner. The timetables linked below are live — trust them over anything printed.
The Coast & Creatures Weekend
Summer · rental car · kids welcomeSharks to pet, sea lions on the docks, a gondola through the canopy — the family variant.
Same car rule — Avis or Budget, booked before you fly. Works off the Hawthorne pattern or from Oakland.
Straight to the animals
- Ocean World — guided 45-minute aquarium tour — kids pet leopard sharks and watch the seal show. Open daily year-round
- Harbor sea lion docks — the Outer Boat Basin haul-out — a working crab harbor with its own resident sea lions
- Fisherman's Restaurant — early dinner, open 6 AM–8 PM daily; Port O'Pints South Beach on Citizens Dock Rd is the harbor-side backup
- Battery Point viewpoint — sunset from the shore — save the lighthouse tour for a low-tide morning
Canopy, whales and elk
- Trees of Mystery + SkyTrail — the gondola through the canopy plus a 49-foot Paul Bunyan — 9–5 daily, 75-plus years running
- Klamath River Overlook — gray whales on migration December–January and March–April, and a resident feeding pod on clear days
- Roosevelt elk meadows — around Klamath and Prairie Creek — watch from the car, 25 yards minimum
- Fern Canyon (optional big swing) — free vehicle permit required May 15–Sep 15, booked by 11:59 PM the day before; Davison Rd is 7.5 miles of dirt and the canyon runs ankle-to-knee water in 2026
- Dinner back in town — SeaQuake or Good Harvest — Klamath is about 20 minutes south of Crescent City
Low tide, then wheels-up
- Enderts Beach tidepools — via Crescent Beach Overlook, a half-mile walk down — sea stars and anemones at the rocky south end at low tide; the parks' best tidepooling
- Rumiano Cheese factory store — California's oldest family-owned cheese company, with a cheese-making viewing window. Closed Sundays — flying out Sunday, buy Saturday
- Tolowa Dunes State Park — beach hour — 11 miles of open sand and 250-plus bird species on the Pacific Flyway; bring binoculars
- Fly out of CEC — return the car; the departure time joins the live timetable
The Hawthorne pattern is a Thursday/Sunday core with Friday and Saturday summer additions — the live timetable governs, so check it before you book the room.
The roster
Where locals send their friends.
Every name verified operating at publish. Stay in town for the harbor and the lighthouse, or 20 minutes south in Klamath for the river.
Stay
- Curly Redwood LodgeThe story lodge — one curly redwood log, milled in 1957, built the whole building.
- Oceanfront Lodge30 feet from the surf, facing Battery Point Lighthouse.
- Lighthouse InnThe budget-friendly pick, breakfast included.
- The Historic Requa Inn1914, fifteen rooms on the Klamath riverbank, 20 minutes south.
- White Rock Resort27 oceanfront cabins in Smith River, about 15 minutes north — private decks, jacuzzis and full kitchens on the water. An Advanced Air partner.
Eat & drink
- SeaQuake BrewingThe town's flagship brewery and pizza hall on Front Street.
- Good Harvest CafeBreakfast-to-dinner local default — doors at 7:30 AM Monday–Saturday.
- Chart Room RestaurantHarbor seafood, Wed–Sun 11–7 — window seats to the sea lion show.
- Fisherman's Restaurant & LoungeEarliest breakfast in town, 6 AM daily — the pre-flight move.
- Port O'Pints Brewing Co.Brewpub since 2015, noon–9 daily — plus the South Beach BrewCade by the harbor.
- Chetco Brewing Co. (Brookings)About 30 minutes north in Oregon — 20 taps and rotating food trucks, a World Beer Cup silver for the stout. Oxenfrē Public House and Superfly Martini Bar fill out downtown Brookings.
Do
- Howland Hill RoadThe signature drive — 10 dirt miles at trunk level through Jedediah Smith old growth. No RVs or trailers.
- Grove of Titans boardwalk1,300 feet of boardwalk, fifteen centuries of tree — via Mill Creek Trail, open year-round.
- Battery Point Lighthouse toursLow tide only — the ocean keeps the schedule. Check the tide table the morning you go.
- Harbor sea lion docksThe Outer Boat Basin haul-out, watched from the Anchor Way sidewalk. Free, loud, reliable.
- Trees of Mystery + SkyTrailThe gondola through the canopy in Klamath — a kid-magnet 75-plus years running.
- Samuel H. Boardman corridor + Rogue River jet boatsOregon, north of the line — 12 miles of sea-arch pullouts (Arch Rock, Natural Bridges, Secret Beach) start about 45 minutes up; Jerry's Rogue Jets runs the Rogue out of Gold Beach, about an hour, daily May–mid-October.
Getting there
Two nonstops into Redwood country.
Days below reflect the schedule effective at publish — the linked timetables are always live.
Crescent City ⇄ Oakland
Schedule Effective from June 28, 2026 to September 30, 2026 · nonstop, both directions
Crescent City → Oakland timetableOakland → Crescent City timetable
Crescent City ⇄ Los Angeles
Schedule Effective from June 28, 2026 to September 30, 2026 · nonstop, both directions
Crescent City → Los Angeles timetableLos Angeles → Crescent City timetable
From the runway to the trees
CEC sits about four miles from downtown, minutes from Jedediah Smith trailheads. Avis and Budget rent at the airport — pre-book before you fly, because there's no Uber or Lyft ecosystem here. Redwood Coast Transit's Dial-A-Ride covers the airport and town for $6 — (707) 308-RIDE.
Check-in, coast edition
Parking at CEC is free, every day — just notify the airport if you're leaving a car beyond about two weeks. Arrive two hours before departure with bags checked at least 45 minutes out. On the LA end, Hawthorne runs a free LAX shuttle with 48-plus hours' notice; HHR parking is limited at about $50 a day.
Quick answers
Crescent City, answered.
Which airport does Advanced Air fly to in Crescent City?
Del Norte County Regional Airport — Jack McNamara Field (CEC), about four miles from downtown and minutes from Redwood National & State Parks trailheads. Parking is free, every day. Flying to Arcata or Eureka instead leaves you about 80 miles and an hour and a half south of the Jedediah Smith old growth.
Can I use Crescent City as the airport for the southern Oregon coast?
Yes — CEC is the closest scheduled-service airport to the far-southern Oregon coast. Brookings sits about 30 minutes north with no airline of its own; the Boardman corridor viewpoints and Gold Beach run 45 minutes to an hour up US-101. Medford is about 2.5 hours inland, North Bend about 2 hours 20 north.
How long is the flight to Crescent City?
About 1 hour 6 minutes to or from Oakland. On the Los Angeles route, about 1 hour 42 from Crescent City to Hawthorne and about 2 hours northbound, per the current schedule. The drives those flights replace run 6–7 hours from the Bay Area and 12–14 from LA.
What days do flights operate?
Days vary by season. The current summer pattern: Oakland flies near-daily, with a Friday double; Hawthorne runs a Thursday/Sunday core plus Friday and Saturday summer additions. The timetables linked on this page render from our live scheduling system, so trust them over anything printed.
Do I need a car?
Yes, for the parks — reserve Avis or Budget at CEC before you fly. Redwood Coast Transit's $6 Dial-A-Ride covers the airport and town — (707) 308-RIDE — but there's no Uber or Lyft ecosystem here, and the trailheads need wheels. Pre-booking the car is the whole trick.
What's the weather like? Will it be foggy?
Cool and honest. Summer highs run low-to-mid 60s with morning marine fog that usually burns off inland — the redwoods drink it, literally. June through September is driest; late August and September are the warm, clear sweet spot; November through March is storm season.
What should I pack?
Layers, year-round: a warm mid-layer, a rain shell, and shoes you can get wet — Fern Canyon runs ankle-to-knee deep in 2026. Summer on this coast is not summer California; 60 degrees and wind is a normal July afternoon. The fog is part of the show.
How do I get into the redwoods from the airport?
Drive Howland Hill Road — the 10-mile unpaved lane through Jedediah Smith old growth starts just east of town (no RVs or trailers). Stout Grove and the Grove of Titans boardwalk are both off it. Most of Redwood National & State Parks charges no entrance fee; Fern Canyon needs a free advance vehicle permit May 15–September 15 plus a day-use fee, and state-park day-use areas post their own fees.
When can I walk to Battery Point Lighthouse?
Only at low tide — the 1856 lighthouse sits on a tidal island. Tours run 10 AM–4 PM daily April through September and weekends October through March, tide permitting. Check a Crescent City tide table the morning you go; the ocean keeps the schedule, not the lighthouse.
What about crabbing and fishing?
Crescent City is a working Dungeness harbor. The recreational crab season in the northern zone typically runs November 1 to July 30, but openings shift with health and whale advisories — always check CDFW before planning around it. Smith River steelhead runs under low-flow rules September 1–April 30, barbless hooks only.
I live here — how does this work for Bay Area or LA trips?
Park free at CEC, fly to Oakland in about an hour for appointments, universities or family, or to Hawthorne for LA — with a free shuttle to LAX (book 48-plus hours ahead) for connections anywhere. Arrive two hours early; bags are checked at least 45 minutes before departure.
Trade the 101 for 66 minutes of air.
Nonstop from Oakland and Hawthorne (LA) — and parking at CEC is free, every day.