THE BLOG

HOW TO ELOPE IN THE REDWOODS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ELOPE IN THE REDWOODS NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS

Hi! I'm Natasha! Your Redwoods elopement photographer, dog petter and donut eater. While photography is my first love, connecting with people is my love language. You'll find me lovin' on the big moments, the quiet moments, the silly moments – but especially the in between moments. The moments that are unadulterated and unfiltered. The ones where you are the real you. Here on the blog you'll find all of my favorite tips, tricks and resources for planning an elopement that's all about those moments.

NATASHA CARDINAL

IN THIS GUIDE

Where are the Redwoods?
How to Get to the Redwoods
The Best Time of Year for Your Redwoods Elopement
The Best Redwoods Elopement Locations
Where to Stay for Your Redwoods Elopement
How to Get Your National/State Park Wedding Permit
How to Get Your California Marriage License
Packing Checklist: What to Bring to Your Elopement
The Best Vendors for Your Redwood Elopement
Frequently Asked Questions

How to Elope in the Redwoods

Planning a Redwoods elopement sounds simple until you realize “the Redwoods” are actually a whole network of National and State Parks, different permit systems, wildly different ceremony locations, tiny coastal towns, very real (and very long) driving distances, and approximately seven opportunities to accidentally overcomplicate what was supposed to be your easy wedding plan.

The good news? Once you know which part of the Redwoods fits your day, the rest gets a whole lot easier.

This guide walks you through the big stuff – where to elope, when to go, permits, lodging, travel, marriage license basics, and what to actually expect from the experience. And because some of those topics deserve more than one giant wall of text, I’ll link you to the deeper guides where it makes sense.

If you’re currently in the “we just know we want giant trees and everything else is TBD” phase, you’re in exactly the right place.

Then I’d go straight into a table of contents above so the article feels easy to navigate.

Where even are the Redwoods?

The Redwoods park system is actually a collaboration between four different parks: Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Together, they make up Redwood National & State Parks. Which is great for scenery, slightly less great for simplicity, because each area has its own vibe, access points, and in some cases, different permit logistics. Which is exactly why choosing a ceremony location can feel a little overwhelming at first. If you’re still narrowing that down, our Best Places to Elope in the Redwoods guide breaks down the best spots by guest count, privacy, hiking, accessibility, and overall vibe.

HOW TO GET TO THE REDWOODS

Getting to the Redwoods usually takes a little more effort than flying into a major city and calling it a day. Depending on which part of the parks you’re using, couples usually fly into Arcata/Eureka, Medford, Portland, or San Francisco and then drive from there.

The best airport really depends on your ceremony location, where you’re staying, and how much road-trip energy you want to bring into the wedding experience.

A simple way to think about it:

• Arcata/Eureka (ACV) — best for Jedidiah Smith, Prairie Creek, Orick, Trinidad, and the southern side of the park system. It’s about 1 hour south of Jedidiah Smith.
• Medford (MFR) — a good option for the northern Redwoods if flight schedules are better. It’s about 2 hours east of Jedediah Smith.
• San Francisco (SFO) — much bigger airport, but expect about a 6-hour drive to the southern end of the park system.
• Portland (PDX) — also a major airport, but you’re looking at roughly 6–8 hours of driving depending on which part of the Redwoods you’re heading to. Great if you want to include an Oregon Coast roadtrip in your itinerary!

If you’re flying in, give yourselves at least a little breathing room before the wedding day. The Redwoods are not the place I’d recommend landing at 9 p.m. and getting married the next morning.

THE BEST TIME TO ELOPE IN THE REDWOODS

The nice thing about the Redwoods is that they’re much less seasonal than somewhere alpine. You’re not waiting for snow to melt off a mountain pass or hoping a road opens before your wedding date. The forest stays ridiculously green year round, which gives you a lot more flexibility!

That said, each season has its own personality:

• Spring: roughly 45–60°F. Lush, green, misty, and a little rainier. Great if you love moody forest energy and don’t mind packing a rain jacket.
• Summer: roughly 50–70°F along the coast, with warmer temps inland. Usually drier and easier for travel, but also busier around the most popular trails and beaches.
• Fall: roughly 45–65°F. Cooler mornings, fewer crowds, and some of my favorite foggy forest conditions.
• Winter: roughly 40–60°F. Quiet, atmospheric, and definitely wetter, with shorter daylight and more chances that your plans need a little flexibility.

For most couples, I’d look hardest at spring or fall if you want that sweet spot between beautiful conditions and fewer crowds. But there really isn’t one universally “best” month (although we personally absolutely love May!)— it depends on whether you care most about rain, privacy, daylight, coast access, or keeping your fingers crossed for fog.

NPS notes that the redwood coast stays pretty mild year round because of the ocean, generally hanging in the mid-40s to low-60s°F, while inland areas are often warmer and sunnier. Which basically means bring a lot of layers and prepare for any weather!

THE BEST REDWOOD ELOPEMENT CEREMONY LOCATIONS

With over 130k+ acres between the four parks, your options for where you could have your ceremony are quite literally limitless lol. So let's break how to choose your location.

Your ceremony location is probably the biggest decision you’ll make after choosing the Redwoods in the first place, because it affects basically everything else: your permit, guest count, where you stay, how much driving you do, and whether you’re hiking three miles or walking three minutes.

The “best” location really depends on what matters most to you: privacy, accessibility, how deep in the forest you want to go, guest logistics, river access, coast proximity, or how adventurous you want the day to feel.

A couple might be obsessed with Boy Scout Tree Trail because they want a longer hike and a more secluded ceremony, while another couple would be way happier at the Simpson-Reed Grove because they’re bringing family and want the giant tree experience without turning the wedding into a group hike.

If you want the full breakdown, our Best Places to Elope in the Redwoods guide compares the ceremony spots by hiking, privacy, accessibility, guest count, and overall vibe.

WHERE TO STAY FOR YOUR REDWOODS ELOPEMENT

Where you stay can make a huge difference in how easy your wedding day feels. The Redwoods cover a pretty massive stretch of Northern California, so your home base should be chosen around your ceremony location, not just whichever rental has the cutest cabin vibes (althoug we get it, there's a lot of really cool Airbnbs around like this insanely cute stump-house!)

A quick breakdown:

• Crescent City — best for Jedediah Smith and the northern Redwoods
• Trinidad — great for a Redwoods + coast elopement and a cuter vacation vibe
• Arcata — best if you want more restaurants, coffee, groceries, and general convenience
• Orick — ideal if Prairie Creek is your main location and you want to be extremely close to the forest
• Klamath — a good middle ground if you want flexibility between Prairie Creek and the northern parks

The biggest advice I can give you: pick your ceremony location first, then book your lodging. Otherwise it’s very easy to accidentally add hours of driving to a day that was supposed to feel relaxed.

If you want the full comparison, our Where to Stay for Your Redwoods Elopement guide breaks down Crescent City, Trinidad, Arcata, Orick, and Klamath in way more detail.

Redwoods Wedding Permits

Yep, you’ll need one. Weddings, elopements, and vow exchanges inside Redwood National & State Parks require a permit, but which permit you need depends on exactly where your ceremony is happening.

Because the Redwoods are a mix of National Park land and California State Park land, there are two different permit processes. If your ceremony is in Redwood National Park, you’ll apply through the National Park Service. If it’s in Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, or Prairie Creek, you’ll go through California State Parks instead.

The good news is that once you know your ceremony location, this gets a whole lot less confusing!

If you want the full breakdown, including fees, timelines, liability insurance, ceremony rules, flowers, photography permits, and exactly where to apply, head to our Redwoods Wedding Permit Guide.

HOW TO LEGALLY GET MARRIED IN CALIFORNIA

Once the park permit is handled, you’ll still need the actual marriage-license side of things.

For a standard California public marriage license (what nearly everyone will need), you can apply through any county in California and use that license anywhere in the state. The license is valid for 90 days, and at least one witness is required for a marriage license.

A lot of destination couples handle the license through the county they’re staying in or passing through before the wedding day. The biggest thing is making sure you know where you’re picking it up, whether an appointment is required, and what ID you need before you arrive. Some counties even allow you to apply online and pick it up the day before!

For most Redwoods elopements, the easiest local options usually look like this:

• Getting married around Crescent City, Jedediah Smith, or the northern Redwoods? Del Norte County is the most obvious local option, with the Clerk-Recorder in Crescent City.
  
• Getting married around Prairie Creek, Orick, Trinidad, Arcata, or the southern Redwoods? Humboldt County is usually the most convenient option, with the Clerk-Recorder in Eureka.
  
• Flying into another part of California first? You can also get your license there instead if it fits your travel schedule better. You are not required to use Del Norte or Humboldt just because your ceremony is in the Redwoods.

When we’re planning your Redwoods elopement, we’ll help you figure out which clerk office makes the most sense, when to fit it into your trip, and what you need to bring too!

Building Your Redwoods Elopement Vendor Team

One of the nicest things about eloping is that you do not need a 14 person vendor roster unless you genuinely want one. Most Redwoods elopements can stay pretty simple.

Depending on your plans, you might want:

• a photographer
• Super 8 film
• florist
• hair + makeup
• officiant
• private chef or dinner reservation
• cake or dessert
• lodging that actually works for getting ready

And this is another area where we help a lot during the planning process. We can point you toward vendors who actually understand small weddings, remote locations, unusual timelines. People that get that “meet us in the forest at 6 a.m.” is a completely normal sentence in this industry.

You absolutely do not need to book everything at once. Once we know your ceremony location, timeline, guest count, and overall vibe, it gets much easier to figure out which vendors will genuinely make the day better and which ones you can happily skip.

Your Redwoods Elopement Checklist

Here’s the short version of what actually needs to happen:

• Book your Redwoods elopement photographer
• Pick the part of the Redwoods that fits your day
• Choose your ceremony location
• Apply for the correct National Park or State Park permit
• Book lodging near your ceremony spot
• Get your California marriage license
• Book the other vendors you actually need
• Build a realistic timeline with enough driving + buffer time
• Make a weather backup plan
• Pack layers, good shoes, snacks, and offline directions
• Show up and enjoy your wedding day!

If that list still feels like a lot, that’s totally normal too. A big part of what we do is help couples work through all of this step by step, so by the time elopement day gets here, the hard decisions are already handled and you're prepared for everything the forest has to throw at you.

FAQ

Are pets allowed in the Redwoods National and State Parks?
As much as we want to smother your dog with affection, unfortunately there are no pets allowed in the parks.

Do we need a permit to elope in the Redwoods?
Yep. Weddings, elopements, and vow exchanges inside Redwood National & State Parks require a permit, and the process depends on whether your ceremony is on National Park or California State Park land. If you want the full breakdown, head to the Redwoods Wedding Permit Guide.

Can we bring guests?
Absolutely. Your guest count just needs to fit the ceremony location and permit rules. Some spots work beautifully for a small group, while others are much better for just the two of you. You can find the best spots for your ceremony in our Best Places to Elope in the Redwoods guide.

Can we do the Redwoods and the coast in the same day?
Definitely. It just takes a realistic timeline and the right pairing of locations so your wedding doesn’t turn into a scenic road trip with vows squeezed in somewhere. One of our favorite things to help out with in the planning process is combining all of your bucket list spots!

What if it rains?
We plan for it! We usually bring clear umbrellas, build backup options into the timeline, and keep an eye on conditions so we can pivot if needed without your plans collapsing entirely.

Do we have to hike?
Not at all. There are plenty of gorgeous Redwoods locations with easy access, so “elopement” does not automatically mean hiking five miles in your wedding attire.

Do you help us plan all of this?
Yep! Location help, permits, lodging, timeline planning, guest logistics, weather backup plans, and all the little details in between!

What to Pack for a Redwoods Elopement

The Redwoods are mild compared to alpine locations, but they are still damp, coastal, and very capable of giving you three different weather systems before lunch.

I’d pack:

• Layers you can add or ditch throughout the day
• A rain jacket
• Shoes with good traction
• Extra socks if you’re hiking or heading to the coast
• Water + snacks
• A change of shoes if your ceremony outfit shoes are not built for trails
• Anything important offline directions, permits, screenshots, maps, because cell service can get very patchy
• A backup layer or blanket if you’re planning sunset or beach time

And if the weather decides to get a little wild, we plan for that too! We often bring clear umbrellas for our couples, and part of the planning process is building a backup plan just in case we need to pivot for some weather. That might mean swapping the order of locations, adjusting timing, leaning into a more sheltered forest spot, or having a totally different option ready if conditions really go sideways.

The goal isn’t to pretend the weather will be perfect. It’s to make sure you’re not making stressed out decisions in the parking lot while sideways rain tries to ruin your hair. We've got you covered on that front though!

Keep Planning Your Redwoods Elopement

And link to:

• Best Places to Elope in the Redwoods
• Redwoods Wedding Permit Guide
• Where to Stay for a Redwoods Elopement
• Redwoods Elopement Photographer

MEET YOUR REDWOODS ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHERS

We're Natasha and Brian! Your Redwoods elopement photographers, dog petters, and donut eaters focused on creating the dreamiest and intentional photos of your elopement. But we're so much more than just photographers. When you work with us, you get built in Redwoods elopement planning experts, guides for all of the parks most beautiful trails, snack holders, dress fluffers, tissue providers, and friends.

We know exactly what it's like to elope, because that's what we did too! We eloped on a misty August day on Mt. Baker with our sweet dog Fern, 7 of our closest friends, and it couldn't have been more us. Creating an experience that's undeniably you and honors your relationship is what we know best.