Outdoor Activities

Ranger-led programs are offered during the summer season (mid-June to Labor Day). Check at a park visitor center for details. Weekly schedules for the programs are posted in the state park campgrounds and at visitor centers. Topics for various activities may include bears, tidepools, American Indian cultures, and redwood ecology.

Campfire programs are held at the following campgrounds:

• Jedediah Smith
• Mill Creek
• Gold Bluffs Beach
• Elk Prairie

California State Parks Junior Ranger programs for children ages 7-12 are held at:

• Jedediah Smith campground
• Mill Creek campground
• Gold Bluffs Beach campground
• Prairie Creek Visitor Center

Nature walks:

• Redwood walks - Join a ranger to learn more about natural communities in the redwood ecosystem. Check posted schedules for times, topics, and locations.
• Tidepool walks - All tidepool walks meet at the Enderts Beach parking area. The walk takes about 2-½ hours. Check at a visitor center for times and dates.

Hiking

Walking through a redwood grove on a fog-shrouded morning can be an unforgettable experience. Sounds are reduced to the musical gurgle of water trickling amongst ferns and mossy rocks. Light ebbs with the somber mist and shafts of sun hang like cobwebs. Stillness and peace weave their spells upon the respectful traveler. More than 200 miles of trails weave through a variety of environments, including prairies, old-growth redwood forests, and beaches. In this section, we offer you just a few of the many exceptional hikes possible at RNSP. Be sure to pick up a map at the visitor center and chat with the rangers.

Elevations at RNSP range from sea level to just over 3,000 feet (1,000 m). Consistently mild temperatures make year-round exploration a possibility. Be aware that trails in the redwoods are often wet and slippery, so bring raingear and good boots for your hike. In winter, the Redwood Creek and Trestle Trails may be difficult or impossible to use. Temporary bridges open these trails in summer but are removed for the rainy season. Fern Canyon bridges are removed as well. You can hike the 1/4-mile canyon but it will be a chilly experience; bring water shoes. Access to Stout Grove from Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park campground exists only in the summer via seasonal bridges.

Northern Section

• Little Bald Hills Trail: Strenuous 10-mile (16-km) round trip hike through redwoods and prairie. Trailhead located off Howland Hill Road, 7½ miles (12 km) east of Crescent City, or 1½ miles (2½ km) off South Fork Road east of Hiouchi. This is an all-day hike for most people, but can be done as an overnight backpack trip by staying at the Little Bald Hills Camp. The trail begins in an old-growth forest and then gradually ascends 1,800 feet (600 m). A mixed conifer forest bordering prairie lands replaces the redwoods shortly into the hike. Good birdwatching and wildflower displays along the way. Potable water is available at the Little Bald Hills Camp.
• Mill Creek Trail: Moderate 5-mile (8-km) round trip hike through redwoods. From June through September, this trail can be accessed from the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park campground. Available year round from Howland Hill Road. This is a half-day hike through an old-growth redwood forest. Mill Creek is a crystal stream bordered by thick forest. This is an easy hike, with some non-level grades; good fishing and photo opportunities. Bring your own water.
• Stout Grove: Easy ½-mile (1-km) walk through colossal redwoods. Summer access is available from Jedediah Smith Redwoods State campground. Available year round from Howland Hill Road, seven miles east of Crescent City. This is an easy, 1-hour stroll through a redwood grove. The clear, aquamarine Smith River runs alongside the grove. The river's influence at Stout Grove has created a level forest floor with sparse vegetation, as well as unusually stout trees from the rich river soils.

Middle Section

• Damnation Creek: Strenuous 4½ mile (7-km) round trip hike through redwoods. Located just north of False Klamath Cove on Highway 101 at mile marker 16.0. This is a steep trail that descends 1,000 feet (330 m) through an ancient forest of redwoods, Sitka spruce, red alder, and all the forest has to offer, traversing all the way to the ocean. Used in the past by Tolowa Indians for food gathering at the ocean, the trail offers excellent photo opportunities of both the forest and the ocean. Expect at least three hours to complete. Bring your own water.
• Nature Loop: Easy 1-mile (1½ km) loop through redwood forest. Access trailhead right across from the Mill Creek campground entrance station in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. This easy 20-minute stroll allows visitors to learn about the redwood forest through interpretive signs along the path.
• Hope Creek-Ten Taypo: Moderate 4-mile loop follows a creek through streamside habitat and old-growth redwood forest to a ridge. Access along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway at milepost 132.74. Fern laden trail has some colossal redwoods that are  burned half way through yet still stand tall.

Southern Section

• Miners Ridge/James Irvine: Moderate 11-mile (18-km) round trip hike through varied environments. Begin at the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. This trail follows an old trail used by gold miners in the 1800s. James Irvine is relatively flat, passes through spectacular old-growth redwood forests, crosses creeks, and ends at the 30-foot walls of Fern Canyon. Continue along Coastal Trail at Gold Bluffs Beach and pick up Miners Ridge. This trail follows a ridgeline that allows the heart to pump. Backpacking is possible with a stay at the Miners Ridge camp. Bring your own water.
• Dolason Prairie: Moderate 10-mile (16-km) round trip hike through prairie. Take the Bald Hills Road about three miles past the Tall Trees Access Road to the Dolason Prairie Picnic Area. This is an all-day hike with some steep grades and switchbacks through open prairie country. Check out a historic Dolason sheep barn along the way. The trail gradually descends into the Redwood Creek drainage through old-growth and second-growth redwood forests. This trail connects with the Tall Trees Trail. Bring your own water.
• Lady Bird Johnson Nature Loop: Easy 1-mile (1½-km) loop through ridgetop redwoods. Take the Bald Hills Road (trailers and motorhomes not recommended) off Highway 101 2½ miles to the parking lot. This is a 1-hour flat stroll through an old-growth redwood grove.

Walking along a coastal bluff, gulls and sea lions cry amidst the sound of crashing breakers. A gray whale spouts occasionally in the vast blue waters below and wind whistles through the alders. Trails lead down to secluded beaches where the driftwood piles and ancient rocks hide crabs and sea stars.

Although RNSP is best known for its redwoods, the 70 miles (142 km) of Coastal Trail in the parks offers the adventurous hiker a different experience. Tidepool creatures, wet forests, and the Pacific coast await your exploration.

Day hikes and longer backpack trips may be done on the Coastal Trail. Permits are required at some backcountry camps and are available at the park visitor centers.

The Coastal Trail is nearly continuous in the parks; the one major detour is the Highway 101 bridge over the Klamath River. Several access points and five backcountry camps are within an easy day's walk of each other.

Coastal Trail sections north to south (mileages one-way)

• Last Chance section: 6-mile trail starts out strenuous and then levels off on the old coast highway road. Trailhead located at the end of Enderts Beach Road. Ocean vistas greet you in the first mile; side route to Enderts Beach allows tidepool exploration. Trail ascends through red alder and Sitka spruce and meets old-growth redwood forest. Junction with Damnation Creek Trail exists at milepost 16.0; continue west to Coastal Trail junction (look for signs marked CT ) at highway milepost 15.6.
• DeMartin section: Some steep grades begin and end on this 5-mile hike through grand old-growth spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and redwoods. Trailhead on Highway 101 at milepost 15.6, look for signs marked CT. Climb through the forest to 10 backcountry sites with toilets. Descend to prairie bald spots and sweeping ocean panoramas. With all the berries, look out for bears! Continue down and south where you will end up at the DeMartin Redwood Youth Hostel. If you want to start at the south trailhead at milepost 12.8, park at the Wilson Creek day use area on the west side of the highway.
• Hidden Beach section: 6 miles total. From DeMartin Redwood Youth Hostel, take the easy 2-mile trail that follows an old road paralleling Highway 101. Cross the highway at Lagoon Creek and experience far-reaching ocean views along a spruce-alder forest path. Check out the off-shore seastacks covered with thousands of seabirds: murres, cormorants, pigeon guillemots and more! Take the spur trail to Hidden Beach and tidepools. Ramble up to Klamath River Overlook where whale watching is famous.
• Flint Ridge section: Strenuous 4½-mile trip hike starts at a pond and climbs through redwoods to ocean vistas. Access to both trailheads starts on Klamath Beach Road, off Highway 101. This eastern access is by the junction of Alder Camp Road and the Coastal Drive. The western trailhead is on the Coastal Drive; follow Klamath Beach Road to Coastal Drive. For those interested in backpacking, the Flint Ridge camp is available ¼ mile in from Coastal Drive on the western side. Expect solitude and a steep climb through one of the finest old-growth redwood forests in the parks. Marshall Pond was actually a mill pond during the logging days, but the birds don't mind!
• Gold Beach section: Easy 4-mile section begins at Coastal Trail on Coastal Drive and traverses downhill to Carruthers Cove at the ocean. Flat stroll alongside Sitka spruce takes you past Ossagon backpack site. Discover 30-foot walls of ferns at Fern Canyon, a ¼-mile walk (seasonal bridges available only in the summer). Beyond Fern Canyon is a short saunter to the trailhead on Davison Road. Walk the road to Gold Bluffs Beach campground.
• Skunk Cabbage section: Moderate 5-mile hike with some switchbacks. Trailheads located off Highway 101 at milepost 122.69 or drive along Davison Road to Gold Bluffs Beach entrance station. From Highway 101, thick Sitka spruce forest with some old growth opens up into dense streamside vegetation. Check out the skunk cabbage bogs and scads of ferns! Walk beside the Pacific with haunting clifftop alder stands. Look for the old Union Gold Bluff mine site.

Nearby Attractions

Plan to visit as many national park sites as time allows on your vacation. What fun!

• Crater Lake National Park, 3½ hours from Crescent City, CA, 140 miles
• Oregon Caves National Monument, 1½ hours from Crescent City, CA, 60 miles
• Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 4¼ hours from Crescent City, CA, 215 miles
• Lassen Volcanic National Park, 5 hours from Crescent City, CA, 230 miles
• Lava Beds National Monument, 6 hours from Crescent City, CA
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 8 hours from Crescent City, CA, 320 miles

Smith River National Recreation Area
10600 Hwy 199
PO Box 228
Gasquet, CA 95543
(707) 457-3131

Tolowa Dunes State Park
1375 Elk Valley Road
Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 464-6101 ext. 5151
Tolowa Dunes Nature Store
Lake Earl Wildlife Area
2591 Old Mill Road
Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 464-2523

Oregon State Parks
PO Box 500
Portland, OR 97207-0500
(800) 551-6949

California State Parks
California Department of Parks & Recreation
PO Box 942896
Sacramento, California 94296-0001
(916) 653-6995

Battery Point Lighthouse Museum
P.O. Box 535
Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 464-3089

Del Norte County Historical Society
577 H Street
Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 464-3922

Northcoast Marine Mammal Center
424 Howe Drive
Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 465-6265

Stone Lagoon
115336 Highway 101 North
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 488-2169

Trinidad Museum
P.O. Box 1126
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 677-3883

Humboldt Lagoons State Park
115336 Highway 101 North
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 488-2169

Patrick's Point State Park
4150 Patrick's Point Drive
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 677-3570

What lives in the redwood forest? Did you know that Redwood National and State Parks offers far more than just redwoods? Visit one of the five visitor centers to find out about ranger-led programs. Pick up an official map and look for these place names. Suggestions are given north to south.

• Discover Howland Hill Road and Stout Grove: a 10-mile scenic drive through old-growth redwoods, along Mill Creek, with a ½-mile walk through a river bottom grove of tremendous trees. Motorhomes and trailers not advised.
• Explore Enderts Beach and Crescent Beach Overlook: Stand before outstanding Pacific Ocean views from the overlook; you may even see a gray whale! Walk 1-mile to Enderts Beach, an access route to multi-colored, myriad tidepool creatures. Be sure to check low tide times. Trailers not advised
• Drive to Klamath River Overlook, a prime spot for watching the gray whale migration. Look for other marine mammals and a host of seabirds any time of year. Hike ¼ mile down a steep trail to the lower overlook and more dramatic views.
• Get off the beaten path and onto Coastal Drive! This 8-mile rough and tumble road winds past expansive Pacific Ocean views and descends into redwoods at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Look through binoculars at the massive off shore rocks to spy thousands of seabirds nesting. Motorhomes and trailers prohibited on gravel section.
• Travel Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Not even the Avenue of the Giants can beat this! A 10-mile scenic drive through ancient redwoods. Stop and walk an 1/8 of a mile to Big Tree Wayside; you'll see why! Watch for Roosevelt elk grazing in the prairie.
• Investigate Davison Road where Roosevelt elk hang out in the prairie. Trillium Falls Trail covers 2½ miles through ancestral forest and has one of the few falls in the parks. Follow Davison Road to the gray sands of Gold Bluffs Beach. See if you can find the remains of the mining era. Nothing compares to Fern Canyon with its 30-foot walls dripping wet and full of ferns. Survey the creek for slippery creatures. Trailers and vehicles longer than 24 feet prohibited.
• Be sure to stop at Kuchel Visitor Center one mile south of Orick. The state-of-the-art exhibits are fabulous!

Backcountry

Seeing a park by automobile isn't for everybody. For those who crave quiet hours on the trail, a starlit sky at night, and sleeping to the sound of crashing waves, the parks have much to offer.

• RNSP contains nearly 200 miles (320 km) of walking and hiking trails. 
• These trails traverse a wide variety of natural habitats: old-growth redwood forests, mixed evergreen forests, coastal scrub, prairies, streams, marshes, and unspoiled beaches.
• Backpackers stay in designated campsites except along the Redwood Creek gravel bars.
• You can camp along Redwood Creek's gravel bars beyond the first seasonal bridge and no closer than within 1/4 mile of Tall Trees Grove.
• Enjoy the forest or ocean for 5 consecutive days; 15 in a calendar year.

Permits:

• Be sure to obtain a permit for camping and firewood collecting along Redwood Creek.
• Backpackers can collect up to 50 pounds of dead wood per day per campsite.
• Fires are permitted only in designated fire pits.
• Obtain your overnight backcountry permit at a park visitor center.
• Proper food storage when camping in bear country is required by law - be bear aware!
• Practice Leave No Trace outdoor ethics
• Pets, firearms, and motorized vehicles are prohibited on park trails
• Overnight stay limited to five consecutive days, 15 days in a calendar year
• Bearproof food storage canisters are available at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center
• Make sure to stop by a visitor center for tick and poison oak information.

Northern Section

Little Bald Hills Trail begins off Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. 4-½ mile (7-km) trail to the camp features a strenuous, gradually ascending 1,800-foot (600 m) climb through old-growth forest and open prairies fringed by fir and pine trees. Five sites are available with picnic tables, fire pits, bearproof lockers, toilets, and a potable water spigot. Horse and bike accessible, with a corral and horse troughs.

Nickel Creek: This camp is located alongside the Coastal Trail, access from south or north. From the north, Enderts Beach Road provides the easiest and quickest access with an easy ½-mile (1-km) trail to the site. Five sites are available with picnic tables, fire pits, bearproof lockers, and toilets. Located ¼-mile (½-km) from the ocean alongside a stream, this campsite features a lush coastal environment and the beauty of nearby Enderts Beach. Purify water from the stream before drinking.

Middle Section

DeMartin: Located along the Coastal Trail just south of Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Accessible by a 3-mile (5-km) hike from the north or south, with trailheads located along Highway 101. The hike features a mixed conifer redwood forest. Ten sites are available with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, and toilets. No nearby water is available, so bring your own. The camp offers ocean vistas from a high bluff.

Flint Ridge: Located just south of the Klamath River estuary along the Coastal Trail. Access from two trailheads along the Coastal Drive (exit just south of the Klamath River off Highway 101). From the west, hike a ½-mile (1-km), from the east hike 4-½ miles (7-km). This quiet section of the parks features outstanding wildlife viewing and one of the finest old-growth redwood stands. Ten sites are available with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, and toilets. No nearby water is available, so bring your own.

Ossagon Creek: (Bikes okay) Located in the northern section of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, this camp is along the Coastal Trail and is accessible by several trailheads. Many loops of differing lengths are possible. Inquire at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. Three sites are available with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, and toilets. Purify water from the nearby creek before drinking. $$ There is a charge for Ossagon Creek backcountry camp. Pay at Prairie Creek Visitor Center.

Southern Section

Miners Ridge: Located in the southern part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, this camp is on a bluff above Gold Bluffs Beach. Access the camp by a 4-½ mile (12-km) hike from the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. Inquire at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center. Three sites are available with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, and toilets. Purify water from the nearby creek before drinking. $$ There is a charge for Miners Ridge backcountry camp. Pay at Prairie Creek Visitor Center.

Elam and 44 Camps: (Horse) Both located in the Redwood Creek area, these two camps feature four loop possibilities and access and facilities for both horses and hikers. Loops of 3 hours (seven miles, 11 km), 7 hours (14 miles, 21 km), 2-day (20 miles, 29 km) and 3-day (32 miles, 50 km) are your options from various trailheads, including the Orick Horse Trails and Redwood Creek Trail. Elam Camp is on the two shorter loops. Three sites are available with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, toilets, non-potable water, and a corral. No more than 12 stock animals are permitted. 44 Camp is on the two longer loops. 44-camp is open to backpackers only until further notice. No stock allowed. No water available. Four sites with picnic tables, bearproof lockers, fire pits, toilets. Redwood Creek Gravel Bars Located along a stretch of Redwood Creek, the gravel bars offer the only area in the park where dispersed camping is permitted. Dispersed camping is permitted anywhere on the gravel bar between the first seasonal bridge and no closer than ¼-mile (½-km) of the Tall Trees Grove. Be sure to obtain a permit for camping and firewood collecting at a park visitor center.