Last October I drove from San Jose to Eureka on the 101 in a little under 6 hours. The drive from Eureka to the south entrance of Redwood NP is about 40 minutes. The drive from San Francisco to Eureka should take you about 5 hours on the 101. If you take Hwy 1 between Tamalpais Valley and Leggett your drive time will increase to 6.5 to 7 hours. Keep in mind that these are drive times only (at or near speed limit) and don’t include any stops for sightseeing. I assume you’ll be spending the night somewhere between Eureka and Crescent City before continuing your drive north.

It would be a shame to drive all that way and not stop to see some of the sights. I don’t know how much time you have but you should do a little research and pick a few spots to see. There are some beautiful state parks along the Redwood coast that are worth a stop – Patrick’s Point is a good one ($5 entrance fee). You should schedule some time to drive the Avenue of the Giants (parallels 101) between Phillipsville and Pepperwood. Humboldt Redwood State Park (no fee) is also worth a drive through. Also, drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway that parallels 101 in Redwood NP and stop at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center. Elk Prairie in Redwood NP is a good place to look for elk. They sometimes graze in and around the picnic area at the end of the road or you may see them in the meadow along the road. To really appreciate the big trees do a few short hikes. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Big Tree Wayside in Redwood NP are good short hikes.

Have a good trip!

To travel from SF to Portland, it would be an experience of a lifetime to do most of the trip on highway 1, but it would take two full days, maybe more. Most likely the beauty of it would inspire you to at least pull over fairly often to catch the views. It is absolutely stunning.