Origin
Blue Lake, CA
Morning in Blue Lake on Thursday
Local time
11:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Blue Lake, CA to Elk River, CA
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
34m
Distance
22.3 mi
36 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Blue Lake, CA
Roman Lukyanenko
Elk River, CA
Dick Hoskins
Trip Overview
The drive from Blue Lake, CA to Elk River, CA covers 22.3 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Redwood Highway, CA 299, Walnut Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.5 miles on Redwood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 34m drive with frequent turns across 22.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Redwood Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Blue Lake Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.3 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Blue Lake Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Blue Lake Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Blue Lake Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
6.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 101 / Redwood Highway
Merge onto US 101 / Redwood Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
V Street
Turn left onto V Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 8.5 mi | 11m |
| CA 299 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| Walnut Drive | 3 mi | 5m |
| Ridgewood Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Harrison Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Blue Lake Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Myrtle Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Dolbeer Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 8.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Blue Lake, CA and Elk River, CA.
1
Start on Blue Lake Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
2
Enter roundabout onto Blue Lake Boulevard
65 ft
·
1 sec
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
3
Continue on Blue Lake Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
5
Continue on CA 299
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
CA 299
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
7
Merge onto US 101
8.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 101
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
4th Street
9
Turn left onto V Street
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
V Street
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on West Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
West Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Myrtle Avenue
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Myrtle Avenue
12
Turn right onto Harrison Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Harrison Avenue
13
Turn right onto Chester Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Chester Street
14
Turn left onto Dolbeer Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Dolbeer Street
15
Turn left onto Walnut Drive
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Walnut Drive
16
Continue on Ridgewood Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Ridgewood Drive
17
Turn left onto Elk River Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Elk River Road
18
Arrive at destination
Elk River Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.13 one way
$10.25 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.28 | $10.56 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.42 | $10.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Elk River, CA
Morning in Elk River on Thursday
Local time
11:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Blue Lake, CA to Elk River, CA covers 22.3 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Redwood Highway, CA 299, Walnut Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.1 miles from Blue Lake, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.13 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.3 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Blue Lake Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Blue Lake, CA to Elk River, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Elk River, CA
More from Blue Lake, CA
More trips to Elk River, CA
Explore more options from Blue Lake, CA or browse trips ending in Elk River, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.
Explore maps for Blue Lake, CA or Elk River, CA on MapSof.net.