7
Cheatham Grove, summer
The popular wedding grove caps at seven people total from May to September, and ten the rest of the year.
Humboldt County · Northern California
Getting married in the redwoods
Three different parks, three different permit systems, and guest limits far stricter than most couples expect. Here is what actually governs a redwood wedding — and the simpler alternative if your group is under twenty.
- Permit
- Always required
- National park cap
- 20 people
- Book ahead
- 6 months max
- Apply by
- 4 weeks out
Read this first
The four things that surprise people
Couples usually arrive at this with a picture in their heads: a hundred guests in an old-growth grove. Almost none of that is possible, and it is much better to know now.
- You always need a permit. Every ceremony in these parks requires one.
- The guest limits are small and strictly enforced. In Redwood National and State Parks the cap is twenty people total — including you, your officiant and every vendor.
- The famous groves mostly do not allow ceremonies. Founders Grove, Rockefeller Forest, Fern Canyon, Stout Grove and Lady Bird Johnson Grove are all off the table for weddings.
- You cannot book more than six months out. Which is the opposite of how most wedding planning works.
The confusing part
Three parks, three permit systems
People say “the redwoods” as though it is one place. For permits it is three separate jurisdictions, and applying to the wrong one wastes weeks.
| Where | Permit | Guest cap | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood National ParkNPS land | Special Use Permit through the National Park Service | 20 total, including couple and all vendors | Minimum 14 days to process |
| Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast & Prairie CreekState parks inside RNSP | Special Event Permit — co-managed, so confirm which agency handles your date | Varies by location | Apply early |
| Humboldt Redwoods State ParkThe Avenue of the Giants | California State Parks Special Event Permit — a separate application entirely | Depends on the site; group day-use areas take far more | Up to 6 months ahead, no later than 4 weeks out |
Fees, site availability and monitor requirements change. Confirm current figures directly with the relevant park.
The hard limits
How many people can actually come
This is the number that decides what kind of wedding you are having. It is worth confronting early.
20
Redwood National & State Parks
Twenty people total, including the couple, officiant, photographer and anyone else working.
100
Group day-use areas
Reservable group areas such as Williams Grove on the Avenue can take substantially larger gatherings.
Locations
Where you can — and cannot
Where ceremonies are not allowed
Humboldt Redwoods SP
Founders Grove & Rockefeller Forest
The two most famous groves on the Avenue of the Giants prohibit weddings and special events.
Closed indefinitely
Women’s Federation Grove
Storm damage has taken this off the list for special events.
Redwood National & State Parks
Fern Canyon, Stout Grove, Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Three of the best-known northern spots, all off-limits for ceremonies.
Anywhere busy
High-visitation areas in summer
Popular areas may receive time and size restrictions in peak season.
Where you can
Humboldt Redwoods SP
No fixed ceremony sites
Propose where you would like to stand and staff will tell you what is possible. For elopements of ten or fewer there is no set area.
The bigger option
Williams Grove group day-use
A reservable group area on the Avenue that can host substantially larger gatherings.
Northern parks
Templeman Grove
Quiet, spacious, beside the Smith River and no hiking required to reach it — a practical choice for older guests.
Off park land
Private venues
Lodges, ranches, private groves and clubs across the county: no park permit and generally far simpler, including Baywood Golf & Country Club near Arcata.
The process
How to actually do it
- 1
Decide your number first
Everything follows from guest count. Under twenty opens up park groves; over twenty pushes you toward group areas or a private venue.
- 2
Work out which park
Northern parks near Orick and Crescent City, or Humboldt Redwoods on the Avenue two and a half hours south. Different permits entirely.
- 3
Start six months out, not earlier
Humboldt Redwoods will not accept requests more than six months ahead.
- 4
Nominate a first choice and alternates
Give them options. It materially improves your odds.
- 5
Apply no later than four weeks out
Allow a minimum of fourteen days for a National Park Service Special Use Permit.
- 6
Check your officiant is authorized in California
Sort your marriage licence separately — the park permit covers land use, not the marriage itself.
- 7
Book the beds early
There are very few rooms near these groves, and a wedding party needs them together.
Planning realities
Things nobody warns you about
- Cell reception is very limited in the parks. Send directions and a meeting point to every guest and vendor before they leave town.
- Vendors travel. Caterers, florists and hire companies mostly come from Eureka or Arcata.
- Light under a canopy is dim. An overcast day is genuinely better than bright sun for photographs here.
- September and October are the best months: clearer skies, fewer crowds and lower permit competition.
- Dogs are not allowed on state park trails or in the groves.
- Some sites require a monitor — a park staff member present for the duration, at your cost.
- Rain is normal. Have a covered plan.
- Leave no trace, literally. Petals, rice, confetti and anything else thrown are generally prohibited.
A simpler option
Get married at the house instead
If your group is under twenty people, you can hold your ceremony at one of our properties. No park permit, no application window and no agency-set guest cap.
That is the same number the national park allows — but without an application, the risk of a grove not being available, or the problem of everyone then driving somewhere else to eat. Ceremony, dinner and beds in one place.
Garberville · near the Avenue
Cliff House
Six bedrooms, ten beds and four baths on eight private acres above the Eel River, with extensive deck, patio and turf facing the King Range.
- Sleeps 16+
- 6 bedrooms
- 8 acres
- Hot tub
- Pets OK
Benbow · near the Avenue
The Hobbit House
An earth-built dome with five bedrooms and twelve beds on a hilltop above the Benbow Inn, with a treehouse casita and outdoor kitchen.
- Sleeps 16+
- 12 beds
- Hilltop views
- Hot tub
- Two casitas
Bayside · near Arcata
Baywood Redwood Retreat
Seven bedrooms for sixteen or more, overlooking the eighteenth hole at Baywood Golf & Country Club, itself a wedding venue.
- Sleeps 16+
- 7 bedrooms
- 1,200 sq ft patio
- Hot tub
- By the club
Shelter Cove · the Lost Coast
BlackSands
Four bedrooms and eleven beds half a mile from Black Sands Beach, for couples who want the Pacific rather than the canopy.
- Sleeps 14
- 11 beds
- Walk to beach
- Hot tub
- Theater
How it works
- Twenty people or fewer is the limit for a ceremony at any of our properties, unless you are booking two houses.
- Talk to us before you book. We will confirm what is possible at that house on those dates.
- Two houses for a bigger group: Cliff House and the Hobbit House together take thirty-two.
- Bring your own vendors and give them clear directions.
- The licence and officiant are yours to arrange.
- Larger receptions still need a venue; Baywood Golf & Country Club is one option.
Planning a wedding and want to know whether a house works? Call or text 925-998-2298.