The Smith River is very beautiful, and it’s my favorite of the ‘six rivers’ in Northern California. Jedediah Smith explored the region, and the northern section of Redwood National Park is also named after him. A couple of the most impressive groves are near the river, including Stout Grove and Grove of the Titans. In July & August when the river is low, there’s a footbridge to cross from the Jedediah Smith campground into the Stout Grove. The Trees of Mystery tour (outside the park) lets you take an elevated walkway among the redwoods. If you’ve ever seen the Star Wars movie with the Ewoks, the experience will seem familiar, as many scenes were filmed in this forest.

This Wild & Scenic River is likely the cleanest river and one of the largest un-dammed watersheds in the US, although there have been wildfires away from the coast. There are three forks with plenty of hiking and paddling to enjoy. Crescent City makes a good base for exploring the mouth, the park and heading upriver. The US Forest Service manages this recreation area including many magnificent coastal redwoods that rival the higher altitude giant sequoias in girth. There’s a rare Dawn Redwood from China on display outside the Hiouchi Visitor Center. I find it difficult to photograph redwoods and the river at the same time, but you can see the reflection of a coast redwood in the Smith River below.