North America > United States > Crescent City (CEC)
The Car or no Car advice for Crescent City can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Crescent City ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Crescent City ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Crescent City?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
✈️ A small airport surrounded by wilderness
Crescent City Airport has only a handful of flights each day. Facilities are minimal, and car rental choices are limited, yet having a vehicle is by far the most practical way to explore the area. The town itself is small and compact, but the real attractions are spread out across forests, beaches, and national and state parks.
🌲 What’s nearby? More than you might expect
Although Crescent City feels isolated, it sits in the middle of a landscape packed with natural highlights:
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Redwood National and State Parks — home to some of the tallest trees on Earth
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Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park — famous for forest drives and river scenery
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Point St. George — rugged coastline, great for walks
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Smith River National Recreation Area — pristine turquoise rivers and canyons
These locations sit several miles apart, and bus services either do not exist or run too infrequently to be useful for visitors.
🚍 Public transport: Extremely limited
There is no major rail service anywhere close to Crescent City. The Amtrak Coast Starlight, which runs between Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles, passes through Klamath Falls and Eugene, far inland. So, although that line is beautifully scenic, it is not directly useful for Crescent City without a long connecting bus journey.
Local buses within Del Norte County are designed for essential travel rather than tourism. They cover short hops between residential areas but do not provide reliable access to parks, trailheads, or coastal viewpoints.
🚗 Why renting a car is essential
The vastness of Northern California really becomes obvious here. Distances are long, and roads often curve through dense forests, river valleys, and rugged coastlines. A rental car lets you:
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Drive the Howland Hill Road through cathedral-like old-growth redwoods
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Reach remote beaches where wildlife spotting is common
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Access multiple trailheads in a single day
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Explore the Oregon border region, including Brookings and the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor
Without a car, your ability to explore the region is extremely limited.
🧭 Conclusion — Should you rent a car in Crescent City?
Should you rent a car in Crescent City? Yes, without hesitation. The airport is tiny, public transport is sparse, and the area’s iconic natural attractions are spread across many miles of wild landscape. A car transforms your visit from a simple overnight stop into a full exploration of California’s and Oregon’s remarkable northern coastline.
