Parks Manager

National parks near Brookings, Oregon: Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park is the closest national park to Brookings, Oregon — 54 mi (86.9 km) in a straight line, which works out to roughly 1 hr 44 min behind the wheel.

Coast redwood forest in far northern California. Tall trees, fog, and state-park stretches mixed into the visit.

Redwood National Park makes a full day trip — leave early. Crater Lake National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park are better with a night booked nearby.

Nothing near Brookings gates the entrance itself, but 6 of the parks in range put a road, hike, or backcountry trip behind a permit or timed ticket.

Brookings has a population of about 6,476.

Best time to visit Redwood National Park. Getting to Redwood National Park. Camping at Redwood National Park.

National parks near Brookings

Parks ranked by distance from Brookings
ParkStraight-line distanceEstimated driveRealistic trip
Redwood National Park54 mi (86.9 km)1 hr 44 minDoable as a day trip
Crater Lake National Park127 mi (204 km)3 hr 27 minBest as a weekend
Lassen Volcanic National Park180 mi (290 km)4 hr 43 minBest as a weekend
Mount Rainier National Park354 mi (570 km)8 hr 50 minWorth a longer road trip
Yosemite National Park383 mi (616 km)9 hr 31 minWorth a longer road trip
Olympic National Park398 mi (641 km)9 hr 52 minWorth a longer road trip
Pinnacles National Park420 mi (675 km)10 hr 23 minWorth a longer road trip
Kings Canyon National Park470 mi (757 km)11 hr 35 minWorth a longer road trip
Gulf Islands National Park471 mi (759 km)11 hr 36 minWorth a longer road trip
North Cascades National Park484 mi (778 km)11 hr 54 minWorth a longer road trip

What to book before you leave Brookings

Reservations needed at parks near Brookings
ParkWhat needs bookingCoversHow
Lassen Volcanic National ParkLassen Volcanic National Park Wilderness PermitsOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery
Mount Rainier National ParkMount Rainier National Park Wilderness and Climbing PermitsOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery
Yosemite National ParkHalf Dome PermitsOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery
Olympic National ParkOlympic National Park Wilderness PermitOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery
Kings Canyon National ParkSequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness PermitsOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery
North Cascades National ParkNorth Cascades National Park Backcountry PermitsOne hike or backcountry tripPermit or lottery

Camping near Brookings

Within reach of Brookings, 62 campgrounds across 9 parks appear on Recreation.gov: 16 at Yosemite National Park, 14 at Lassen Volcanic National Park, 9 at Kings Canyon National Park, and 8 at North Cascades National Park, plus 5 more parks with fewer sites.

Gold Bluffs Beach Campground - Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park at Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith Campground - Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park at Redwood National Park do not take reservations, so they never show up as bookable inventory — in busy season that means arriving before mid-morning rather than planning around a confirmation.

Recreation.gov releases most national park campsites six months before the arrival date, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Windows are set per campground, so confirm yours on the Seasons and Fees tab on that campground page.

Once a date is gone, cancellations are the real supply, and they get taken within minutes of appearing.

When to make this trip

Redwood National Park is generally best May through October, with April and early November as the quieter shoulder either side.

Winter brings cold, shorter days, and reduced services, though lower-elevation trails often stay walkable.

Peak summer weekends and autumn colour weekends fill parking lots early — arrive before mid-morning.

Month-by-month detail for Redwood National Park

Seeing more than one

Several parks near Brookings are close enough to each other to combine on one trip, so the drive from home only has to happen once.

Distances between parks near Brookings
PairApartEstimated drive
Redwood → Lassen Volcanic142 mi (228 km)3 hr 48 min
Redwood → Crater Lake149 mi (240 km)3 hr 59 min
Crater Lake → Lassen Volcanic171 mi (276 km)4 hr 30 min

Planning a trip from Brookings

Distances here are straight-line and the drive estimate adds a road factor on top, but mountain passes and seasonal closures can change it a lot — a route that looks like three hours in June can be shut entirely in February. Confirm road status with the park before you commit to a date.

Read the Redwood National Park guide

Other towns in Curry County

Common questions

What is the closest national park to Brookings?

Redwood National Park. It is about 54 mi (86.9 km) from Brookings, roughly 1 hr 44 min of driving.

Can I do a national park day trip from Brookings?

Yes — Redwood National Park is within about a three-hour drive.

How many national parks are near Brookings?

10 parks are within reach of Brookings, and 1 of them is close enough for a day trip.

Do you need a reservation for the national parks near Brookings?

None of them gate the entrance itself. 6 put a specific road, hike, or backcountry trip behind a permit or timed ticket — Lassen Volcanic National Park Wilderness Permits, Mount Rainier National Park Wilderness and Climbing Permits, and Half Dome Permits at Yosemite National Park. These requirements are usually seasonal, so check the date you plan to arrive.

Where can you camp near Brookings?

Recreation.gov lists 62 campgrounds at the national parks within reach of Brookings. They are spread across 9 of those parks. 2 of them are first-come, first-served, so they never appear as bookable inventory.

When is the best time to visit the parks near Brookings?

For Redwood National Park, the closest one, generally May through October. Either side of that, April and early November stays quieter.