Jedediah Smith Campground

If you want to camp under old-growth redwoods, Jed Smith is the place to go. It’s the only campground in Redwood National and State Parks that has big lowland redwoods right there in the camp. It also happens to be just across the river from Stout Grove and some of the world’s best redwood hikes.

The main drawback is that it’s right next to busy two-lane Highway 199 with its high-speed traffic, so most of the campground gets traffic noise. Sites 47–58 are the exception and are definitely the best sites, but some other parts of the campground are far enough from the highway that the noise isn’t too bad.

About a third of the sites are in areas that naturally don’t have any redwoods at all. The map on this page shows those areas in light green.

The Smith River near the campground

Best sites

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• First choice: riverside sites 50–56, walk-in sites A–B (not the hike/bike sites), and the four cabins have big redwoods and relatively little traffic noise.

• Second choice: riverside sites 47–49 and 57–60 are still pretty nice old growth sites, but the redwoods aren’t quite as big and the sites aren’t as well shielded from the traffic noise.

Site 49

• Third choice: Sites 78 and 80 are in some pretty nice redwoods and far from the highway, although they do get a little traffic noise.

Site 80

• Fourth choice: Sites 24–33 are in a very attractive redwood grove (see photo at top of page), but are closer to the highway.
• Fifth choice: sites 1–15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 are still in the redwoods, but the redwoods are smaller. Site 1 has the smallest redwoods (maybe 12 inches in diameter) and is also the closest to the highway. The redwoods gradually get bigger as site numbers increase.

Site 4

The prime riverside sites

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Sites 48–57 are the campground’s best sites. They’re on a redwood-shaded riverside terrace below the rest of the campground, so they’re well-shielded from traffic noise by a 40-foot-high embankment. In fact, if the river is high enough the traffic noise can’t be heard at all over the rushing sound of the water. This is unfortunately one of the few areas in the campground that’s been logged, but even so it still has the biggest trees.

Sites 55 and 56 might be the best of all, since they're both on the river, have big redwoods, are near, but not too near, the nice new bathrooms and the visitor center, and are near a water spigot. The only drawback is that they don’t have a lot of privacy.

Site 55 is one of the best in the campground

Walk-in sites

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Two walk-in sites, A and B, are in the nicest part of the campground, next to some huge redwoods, by the river and in the part of the camp that doesn’t get any traffic noise. These are different than hike/bike sites A and B.

To reach the campsites, you have to park in the pullout a few sites away and walk about 100 yards. They feel a little more isolated than the regular sites and you won’t have cars driving by. The two sites have one big, common fire pit.

Site 51, seen from walk-in campsite B

Cabins

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The campground has four cabins in a rather nice old-growth redwood grove. The cabins are clean and in great condition, but very basic. They’re a great option for cold, rainy winter days when it can be kind of miserable (and even a little dangerous, due to falling debris) to camp outside.

Each cabin has four bunk bed platforms (two bunk beds, each with a full-size platform below and a twin-size above), electrical outlets, and, best of all, an electric heater. You have to bring your own bedding. There’s no bathroom or kitchen, and you’re not allowed to cook inside. There isn’t any place to sit inside other than the bunk beds.

Like the regular campsites, each cabin has an outdoor picnic table and fire pit. All the cabins are wheelchair accessible.

Cabin 2 (site 26)