Veer east on Hwy 199 north of Crescent City to get to the tiny hamlets of Hiouchi (hi-OO-chi) and Gasquet (GAS-key), and the northern entrances to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The Jedediah Smith Visitor Center is located on Hwy 199 in Hiouchi. Lodging, RV sites, propane, supplies and ample outdoor recreation, as well as several public river access points, are found here.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park preserves a magnificent old-growth redwood forest and an untouched section of the Smith River. A trail through the Stout Grove section of the park (see next page) was featured in a San Francisco Chronicle article on the “Ten Great Hikes in California.” These are some of the most botanically and geologically diverse landscapes in the nation, as well as some of the most pristine and beautiful.

This area of Hwy 199 is home to the Smith River National Recreation Area, acclaimed as the cleanest watershed in the 48 contiguous United States. The road itself is a perfect example of a rural byway. Serving as the connection between California's Crescent City at Coastal Hwy 101 and Oregon's Grants Pass where it connects to I-5, Hwy 199 is a farranging adventure unto itself. No road on the West Coast can match it; it offers access to three wilderness areas, three Wild and Scenic rivers, Redwood National and State Parks, Oregon Caves National Monument and Smith River National Recreation Area.