Jedidiah Smith Campground — Redwood National Park

This campground must be the “first camp out” for so many Northern California kids, at least of my generation. It was the first time my family drove for HOURS (“are we there yet?” And then the result was spectacular. The river vibe, the rope swing, the ancient redwoods, the dappled sunlight, the bbq. And yes, there’s a store nearby in the middle of nowhere to pick up whatever you need. 

It really is family-lovely. Your kids will make friends with the others. If you can plan an extended stay, do it!

Recently, I just drove around the grounds, on my way back to SF, just for fun, and I thought, wow, I’m ready to experience this place as a childless oldster. I want to bird my ass off. I want to go offseason. All of it!

The park area is right on a really pretty blue river. The camp sites are all really close to the river as well so you can walk there in no time. Bathrooms were very nice. And all the staff was very friendly and helpful

The park and campgrounds are managed by both the state of California and the NPS. If you have a national senior pass you can get a 50% discount because it is comanaged by the NPS. California doesn’t offer any decent senior discounts. The campground is awesome. I am normally not a big fan of heavily wooded campgrounds because I heavily dependent on Starlink for connectivity to the outside world. However, I was able to get an amazing site down by the river and was able to run Dishy out near the river bank and got a great connection. There is a short nature walk(about 1.5 miles) that leads through a breathtaking stand of redwoods that are enormous and 1,000s of years old. Of course, being a national and CA state park there are no hookups. I only saw one bathroom serving a very large area and it was a bit of a hike to get to. I would rate the bathroom a B. There is no hand soap so bring your own! Normally I would rate this a 4 because of lake of amenities but it gets a 5.

Gorgeous state park& campground in the land of the redwoods. Spacious campsites, a few cabins, clean restrooms, and access to trails in the state park. Highly recommend camping here! You can walk to the Stout Memorial Grove directly from camp via the summer footbridge. For a longer hike I recommend hiking to the Grove of Titans via the Mill Creek trail.

Beware of thieves! The park rangers did not warn up that the reason they had a space open was because for days there has been things being stolen DAILY. I guess #23 and #44 have had things stolen daily and they can’t stop it. We had $500+ stolen from our campsite and the park rangers were zero help, they didn’t offer to give us any wood, or comp our night. We were too far away from home to drive home that night so we were forced to stay in a site we were terrified in!! Electric bikes, yeti coolers, stoves, lanterns, tents, food, everything… gone… worse customer service i’ve ever experienced after such a horrible event. I would stay clear of this place now a days unfortunately.

Cash or check only, $35/night. On-site host sells firewood for $10/bundle. Coin operated hot showers for $0.50 to start the shower for 2 min, $0.25 to add minutes up to a 12 min max.

Each campsite had a fire ring, a picnic table, and a bearbox. There were several running water bathroom buildings around the campgrounds.

The spots near the river were filled by the time we got there but there was a small path to get down there and it was gorgeous. The forest growth was beautiful and it was nice and quiet at night. Over 100 campsites to choose from and it was nicely maintained. Would love to stay here again!

We only came here for the afternoon...but it left us wanting to spend more time in this majestic place.  Beautiful hike through the forest and a dip in the river afterwards made for a perfect afternoon.

We wanted to find some dispersed camping but didn’t have much luck so decided to stay here.

This is one of the nicest state campsites I’ve ever been to. The bathrooms were in really nice condition.

We don’t usually go camping at state parks but we lucked out in this one. It wasn’t peak season when we went so I can only imagine how busy it gets. I wouldn’t bother trying to come here in the summer months personally, we try to stay away from the crowded campsites.

Overall I really recommend this place. There’s some nice trails to see the redwoods. The day use area was really nice, we will be coming back to spend some time at the river.

A well run campground with newer bathroom and shower blocks. The rangers were delightful and the camp host was kind and helpful. We were in spot 54, which is close to the river so you can hear the water all night. Because we were there in November, fires were allowed, so we didn't put our tent in what would be the most ideal place (next to the fire pit in the corner of the spot). Instead we ended up in the middle of the campsite and the light from the bathroom block lit up our tent all night.

We had a trail with direct river access, the sites are spread well apart, everything was very quiet (almost no road noise, just the river).

I've been camping here since I was a kid and I love it everytime I come. I even camp in the winter here is the rain, it beautiful 😍. I totally recommend this place, always has clean bathrooms and showers. It a great spot if you're traveling or if you want yo stay for week.

You camp in the redwoods, with the large and gentle smith river right next to you. There is a large sand beach by the river, it's very shallow, perfect for kids. showers are by quarters, bathrooms were messy but modern flushing. You get tons of privacy and shade. Bears frequent the area. Reserve well in advance if possible, it's always booked. Loads of hiking trails surround area as well.

The trees here are unbelievable. Even after passing through Yosemite and seeing Giant Sequoias, the redwoods did not disappoint. Typical west coast campground with lots of greenery, sizable campsites, and hot showers. Be sure to walk the short trails that run through the campground to take in the Smith River and the trees.

Ferngully. Prehistoric. Quiet and pet friendly! Decent showers, and great involvement from the staff! No annoying camp hosts!

We're an ecologist and filmmaker who have lived overseas much of our life, and are still learning how to 'do' the van life, so felt privileged to get a beautiful, spacious walk-in site before dusk, just on the off-chance. The young and friendly staff on duty at the entrance at the time made us feel really welcome.  We were given a huge and very clean ADA site, though we did not need this.   If you seek a reverent time of tranquility and humility among giant redwoods, this is an outstanding, beautifully kept campground which manages to keep a deeply spiritual and tranquil air despite its size.  Showers and restrooms were open in mid-late May.  We appreciated the ecologically mindful management of the park, with its bear lockers, crumb-free campsite guidance and educational signage, recycling facilities and ethos of quiet, respectful usage.   Thank you everyone.

We went on a road trip out west with no plans. We were planning on just winging it the whole trip so the last two nights we considered staying in a hotel but wanted to stop at Jedediah to see if their was anything open. Sure enough it was widely available. We found site 104 which was absolutely gorgeous and huge. Situated between large Redwoods it was an absolute beautiful retreat. Seeing as it was a bit of an off peak season the campground was very quiet. Perfect for a relaxing getaway.

I have stayed at Jedediah Redwoods 3 times, and each time I find something new to appreciate. The campground itself is one of the most well kept I have been to. I have stayed in both the campsites tent camping and in one of the cabins. The campground is located right next to the river, great for taking a stroll down after dinner or early in the morning. Not the most private campsite but the stunning river, great trails, and amazing location far outweigh that. 

I recommend taking the waterfall trail, some of the largest redwoods I have ever seen were on that trail and it was incredibly peaceful. You must spend some time sitting next to the Smith river, it is bright blue and there is a trail that hugs it with many access points. 

The cabins were extremely nice. They have a little electric fire place heater that heats up the cabin nicely, and this cabin easily fits 6. Quite spacious, as well as convenient counter space. I would highly recommend!

When your GPS says you there keep going about 2 miles. I gave it a three Stars due to no ADA access to River or restrooms from lower Campsites. Showers are nice but no dogs allowed in there. Nice Rv spots and close access to swimming in the Smith River. Only one restroom whole Camping area. Super dark for normal Camping. They had a nice Camping area with a picnic table and firepit. Make sure you keep food in Bear box to keep bears away and not get a ticket. This is a place I saved.

This campground is so dang beautiful. It’s right next to the Smith River! Don’t be like us and discover the river as you’re about to leave. The bathrooms and showers were open (Nov 2020). We got there at night and it was so hard to find an open spot because it was SO DARK! So maybe plan ahead and pick a spot before it’s dark or get there during the day. Also, CASH ONLY. And the shower uses quarters.

Beautiful campground nestled in large hemlocks along the Smith River. The restroom and shower building was well kept and clean. They offered recycling, including propane cylinders. Couldn’t see the sites next to us, thanks to the shrubs and adequate space between campsites. The suspension bridge was already removed for the season, so we had to drive to access the redwood hiking trails.

One of the coolest sites yet! Clear river for swimming all surrounded my the massive redwoods!

We loved Jedediah what a magical experience. Our 25ft., trailer fit right in. The rangers were very helpful and the river was clean and gorgeous. I highly recommend this site, we all loved it❣️

This campground was fantastic. The rangers greeting us were quick and super nice and helpful. We weren’t allowed to buy a campground before 2:00 pm so we came back right at 2 and the ranger gave us the most amazing campsite with a private little beach on the river. The campsite itself had so much privacy in the trees, awesome pull in for the car, big fire pit, clean bathrooms and showers, EVERYTHING was great. 100% recommend.

Beautiful quiet clean

We traveled in off season (Oct) so several sections of this campground were closed.  But even with that it was super easy to find a great site.

Tons of shade and privacy.  It didn't feel as if you were stacked upon the people next to you.

Flush toilets and pay showers.  Well maintained and super clean.

The camp host kept an eye out for those coming into the campground and did a great job.

A very easy walk to the river for a bit of fishing.

Well maintained, beautiful campground. Easy access to the river. Nice bathrooms with showers. Each site has quite a bit of privacy and the redwoods are simply stunning. I have only stayed here in the off season so I haven't had to reserve a spot, but I'm sure it's a popular place in the summer so you might want to check out out in advance.

Loved the redwoods and the river.

Jedediah Smith Campground has some of the greenest forest I have ever seen. The forest is so thick and creates awesome privacy. It is backed up to an amazing river that is so blue.

This is by far my top place to camp in the redwoods! All the campsites are among the redwood forest and because of this the sites seem secluded and private. The campground has nice showers and bathrooms. Also, there is access to the river, which is a nice walk from your site! The fog in the morning was beautiful!

This campground is absolutely beautiful! I have stayed here multiple times and every time it’s beautiful. The campground is in the middle of the redwoods forest, and river access is available from the campgrounds. Nice bathrooms and showers available. In the mornings, it’s nice and foggy, which is a beautiful sight in the redwoods.

The trees are amazing and the river sparkling. Not too far from the beach either. One of my favorite campgrounds.