My answer … no.  Aside from rare extremes (which I will explain), the answer is basically “no”. There is no part of the year where a great experience isn’t available. For photography, I tell people that late autumn to June is the best in the coast redwoods, but for this post let’s stick with basic hiking, walking around and enjoying the forest.

It’s worth interjecting extremes, but those are rare. Once in a blue moon the Klamath River may rise so high as to close Highway 101 and separate Humboldt and Redwood National Park from Del Norte and Jedediah Smith park up north. During rain that extreme, it’s possible to reach parks on one side of the river and do some hiking. But if you want every park  available, that’s a weather event to keep in mind. During a marathon near Avenue of the Giants or Sea Cruise car show by Crescent City, lodging may be very sparse or unavailable without reservation in advance. Likewise July 4th and fireworks in Crescent City. But these are rare or infrequent, so let’s put those aside and just deal with the rest of the year.  Continue reading after image …

1. July & August

July and August are two of most popular months for tourists and families. And some parking areas can get busy, but it’s not a “zoo” like Muir Woods. Here, in Redwood National and State Parks or Humboldt Redwoods State Parks, become flexible and avoid concentrations of people and traffic. Don’t travel Howland Hill Road (shown above) at noon or 3 pm when it’s dusty with traffic. Go 7am or 8am in the morning when most people are still getting dressed back in town. Likewise with Stout Grove. Parking is much easier to find the first few hours of the day. Then find another trail somewhere later.

Or in Prairie Creek, skip driving to Gold Bluffs beach area to see Fern Canyon. Park near the visitor center instead and hike James Irvine trail to the canyon. Also, the parking is practically unlimited near the visitor center. What I do, is park along the parkway instead and spend two extra minutes walking to the visitor center and nearby trailheads. Parking is allowed for hours and hours along the parkway as long as it’s not overnight.  Even if there’s a few crowds near the visitor center or spots like Big Tree area, people disperse in the park and it’s pretty quiet out on the trails. And there’s 70 miles.

This is not my favorite season for photography. But you can still get plenty of memorable photos. The trails are dry and there’s hardly any muddy or soft spots. It’s often a great season for morning or evening fog. And day length is longer providing more hours to explore and do stuff. It hardly rains all summer, so if you don’t like rain gear or umbrellas, this may be your season. Continue reading after image …

2. September & October

September & October see a big decrease in numbers of people; one reason international visitors like to see the redwoods early autumn. Especially German it seems. I meet a lot of people from that country.

Those months are still very much like summer, but minus a good number of people. The rain may begin to fall some but not very much yet. Autumn gold appears on the maples, adding color to the forest as leaves prepare to fall. Seasonal bridges remain for a while and the temperatures are still very comfortable. Although, keep in mind that even summer temps average about 65 degrees F..

3. November

This is when the rain should begin to show it’s face more. There is still some autumn color and as leaves drop from salmonberry and vine maples, views open up that were concealed in the summer. This is where the forest opens up more while becoming even more evergreen at the same time. As foreground leaves fall, the redwood coast parks expose ferns and evergreen huckleberry. Mosses moisten and begin to revive. There will still be plenty of fog days. Summer holds a reputation for fog, but there’s plenty in autumn too.  Continue reading after image …

4. December & January & February

Winter tends to be the wettest time of year. In December 2015, I wanted to photograph Spartan for a documentary, and there was rain almost every day up until Christmas. It was almost coincidence that no rain fell December 26th, the next day. And I got my photos. But every year is different. It may just rain half the days.  Regardless, if you like more sun, no rain and slightly warmer weather, winter may not be for you.

For the rest of us, there’s nothing like winter. It almost seems like coastal winter was made for coast redwoods. And this can be my favorite time of year to hike, explore and take photographs. I live nearby, so I can plan my hiking to overlap rainy weather. I try to go when there is a mix of partial rain and partial clearing. So I rarely need rain gear.

But suppose it does rain and you do need rain gear or umbrella. I carry two umbrellas and have used them. If rain is hard, it falls noisy on the dome and detracts from rain dripping through the forest.  So rain gear and a hat can be a better option. Consider an oiled or leather hat style similar to those of Indiana Jones or Crocodile Dundee. It will keep your neck dry, and eliminates a hood which would otherwise interfere with sounds of the forest.  To improve photos, carry a tiny folding umbrella to pull and cover your camera and lens.   If you use a tripod, there are brackets online (Amazon, etc.) to hold an umbrella on a tripod. I keep one in my kit.

It’s worth noting that the photo below was only possible in winter.  Spring through autumn, maple leaves block the view of Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world. I photographed this tree in January on a rainy day. With no leaves, most of the canopy top to bottom was visible. In summer, only 25% of the redwood’s foliage would be visible from this angle. And look at all that moist green moss !!

5. March & April

For me, early spring feels the same as winter. Days are slightly longer and rain is more intermittent. Although, there is still plenty of rain. But there are plenty of clear days too.

The redwood parks are still very quiet. Odds are you could go to Redwood National Park’s Tall Trees Grove and possibly not pass a single person on the trail. Down in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the Avenue of the Giants will have minimal traffic. It’s much easier to just pull over to the side and enjoy the redwoods along the road without dodging cars.  And hiking there will be similar to Redwood National or State Parks. Very few people on the trails and lots of parking even near visitor centers.

Like winter, the air is crisp and fresh. The scent is different from summer, which also smells pleasant. But it’s so distinct, even if you can’t remember it exactly after you leave, it will bond to your memory that there was something special which you enjoyed. Continue reading after the image …

6. May & June

Days are getting longer. Still plenty of rain but intermittent. If you want flower photos, this is the season to go up on Bald Hills Rd. above Redwood National Park or look for Rhododendrons in almost any of the other redwood parks along the redwood coast.

Toward the end of June, Howland Hill Rd. may be closed in Jedediah Smith park for about 2 weeks for maintenance and grading. If you plan to see Stout Grove or the Grove of Titans, keep this in mind. Or, if you have your heart set on Howland Hill Rd. itself. Otherwise, Prairie Creek and Humboldt Redwoods State Park have many trails to choose from as an alternate.

Summary

I have more experience than most and can adapt to seasons easily. But I feel okay recommending the coast redwoods to most people for any month of the year. Some of my most memorable times have even been during extremes. I remember one year when a writer from D.C. and his photographer from L.A. scheduled to meet me at the redwood coast. Once slated, we couldn’t change the day, and a rain storm arrived followed by a wind storm. I drove south of the Klamath River one day early to make sure we didn’t get separated by a flood across Highway 101. We started in Prairie Creek. Then our second day when the wind hit, we were in Jedediah Smith park. Every gust, we paused and watched where small and large branches floated and fell so we wouldn’t get hit. The canopy actually sounded like the ocean’s waves overhead. As we left the park,  a coast redwood fell across the road in front of us right outside the boundary of the park. The others acted as spotters watching bending trunks, ready to tap my shoulder as I cut a path  with my chainsaw for our vehicle to pass. Nothing else fell, and we went on our way back to town where we dined and rehearsed our adventures.

So pick a month and go. Just adapt and be flexible and you should have an excellent adventure.