Origin
Miranda, CA
Afternoon in Miranda on Saturday
Local time
1:01 PM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Miranda, CA to Blue Lake, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 36m
Distance
74.1 mi
119 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$17
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 29m
★
6 AM
1h 36m
8 AM
1h 51m
10 AM
1h 41m
12 PM
1h 40m
3 PM
1h 42m
5 PM
1h 50m
8 PM
1h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Miranda, CA
Ever Rayan
Blue Lake, CA
Roman Lukyanenko
Trip Overview
The drive from Miranda, CA to Blue Lake, CA covers 74.1 miles and takes about 1h 36m 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, Broadway Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 60.9 miles on Redwood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.03 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
37 miles from Miranda, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 45m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Highway | 60.9 mi | 1h 12m |
| CA 299 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| Broadway Street | 2.9 mi | 6m |
| Avenue of the Giants | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| West 5th Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Blue Lake Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Maple Hills Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 5 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Redwood Highway
— 60.9 mi, about 1h 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Miranda, CA and Blue Lake, CA.
1
Start on Orchard Lane
339 ft
·
15 sec
·
Orchard Lane
2
Turn left onto Oak Street
358 ft
·
19 sec
·
Oak Street
3
Turn left onto School Road
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
School Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto CA 254
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Avenue of the Giants
5
Turn right onto CR C6C010
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Maple Hills Road
6
Turn left onto CR 6C018
89 ft
·
3 sec
·
French Road
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
8
Merge onto US 101
52 mi
·
1 hr
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on US 101
2.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Broadway Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn right onto US 101
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West 5th Street
11
Continue on US 101
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Redwood Highway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward CA 299 East: Blue Lake, Willow Creek
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on CA 299
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
CA 299
14
Take the exit
160 ft
·
3 sec
15
Continue on 5
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
5
16
Keep slight right at fork onto 5
406 ft
·
10 sec
·
5
17
Continue on Blue Lake Boulevard
409 ft
·
11 sec
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
18
Enter roundabout onto Blue Lake Boulevard
83 ft
·
2 sec
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
19
Continue on Blue Lake Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Blue Lake Boulevard
20
Arrive at destination
Blue Lake Boulevard
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 37 miles from Miranda, CA, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 60.9 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 16 miles or 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 37 miles or 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Blue Lake, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Miranda, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Miranda, CA
This is one driving day of about 74.1 miles and 1h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Miranda, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Redwood Highway for about 60.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37 miles from Miranda, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Redwood Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 60.9 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 73.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CA 254 / Avenue of the Giants
At end of road, turn left onto CA 254 / Avenue of the Giants
Navigation decision point
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m 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
67.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 27m in
Take the exit toward CA 299 East: Blue Lake, Willow Creek
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 299 East: Blue Lake, Willow Creek
5
73.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 34m in
|
5
Keep slight right at fork onto 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
73.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 34m in
|
Blue Lake Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Blue Lake Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.03 one way
$34.06 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $17.55 | $35.10 |
| premium | $6.18 | $18.02 | $36.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.36 | $32.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.78 | $3.56 |
| Efficient EV | 18.5 | 0 | $6.48 | $2.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.6 | 0 | $10.37 | $4.74 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Blue Lake, CA
Afternoon in Blue Lake on Saturday
Local time
1:01 PM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 36m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
74.1 mi in 1h 36m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 60.9 mi on Redwood Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
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 0.3 miles in near CA 254 / Avenue of the Giants.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 74.1 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 0.3 miles (CA 254 / Avenue of the Giants): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Miranda, CA to Blue Lake, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Willow Creek along the way.
Willow Creek
67.6 mi in
|
~1h 27m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 36m. Total distance: 74.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (7%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 60.9 miles on Redwood Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CA 254 / Avenue of the Giants): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (US 101 / Redwood Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Blue Lake, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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