California Coastal Redwoods

Forward ~ King among Kings, Jedediah
Smith Redwoods State Park.

Back ~ Summary listing of selected features of California Coastal Redwoods State Parks and National Park.

Sightseeing en route to and on the Oregon,
California Coast and Redwoods.

USFS: Hiking in 6 Rivers National Forest.

Want to hike? Hiking Trails in the northern Redwood Parks.

National Parks Service: California Redwoods
State and National Parks.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Cal-Barrel Road is in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in the north coast sector of California. Located 25 miles south of Crescent City and 50 miles north or Eureka on Newton B Drury Parkway off Hwy 101. Newton B Drury Parkway offers magnificent vistas of Redwood. If I remember correctly, for I've never been there when they bloom, wild rhododendrons blanket the roadside. Walk the pristine trails of ancient Redwood groves; hike to the beach ... Prairie Creek Redwoods State park has been designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It has 280 memorial groves.

The visitor center for the park is located at the southern end of the parkway, however, visitor centers are also located south of the Oregon border in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and in Crescent City itself. The visitor center in Crescent City is easy to find, unfortunately, I cannot give specifics even though I could walk to it with no trouble at all. Suffice it to say that it's not on Hwy 101, it's one block west of Hwy 101 on the south side of the cape, in the section of highway heading south and divided into one way streets. If you reach the portion of highway marked by two way traffic, you've gone too far.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park was set aside in the early 1920's and exists today as a 14,000 acre preserve of the old growth coast Redwoods. The park has 75 miles of hiking trails through old growth forests and in some circumstances, to the beach. Choose as you will. Some trails last all day. Others are mere strolls through ancient forests of the world's tallest trees, but note that any hiking trail in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park requires payment of a $3.00 fee.

The park is host to abundant wildlife not the least being elk, cougar, brown bear, deer, bobcat, skunk, fox, squirrel, chipmunk and more. Watch for herds of Roosevelt Elk. We've usually observed these on side roads off Newton B Drury Parkway.

Camping at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

The park also offers two developed campgrounds, both north of Orrick, California off Hwy 101. Elk Creek Campground is located 6 miles north of Orrick on the Newton B Drury Parkway. It offers 75 campsites accommodating up to 24' trailers and 27' motor homes. Gold Bluffs Beach Campground has 24 campsites and can be reached off Davison Road, off Hwy 101 three miles north of Orrick. Davison Road has vehicle limitations of 8 feet wide and 24 feet long; no trailers are allowed. Both campgrounds offer bear proof food lockers, tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and flush toilets and both are open year round. Elk Creek Campground requires reservations which can be made by calling 800 - 444 - PARK (7275) or online through Reserve America.

Davison Road also offers access to Fern Canyon and 10 miles of scenic Gold Bluffs Beach.

If you like roughing it, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park also offers three back country campgrounds to hike or bike to as well as an environmental camp. Check with the state park service for necessary permits and any other pertinent information.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and the National Parks Service's National Park are managed together by California Dept of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service.

I love these parks. I lived 200 miles away, yet went there every month, always finding something new and wonderful to do and see. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near the Oregon California border offer a multitude of choices: the Pacific Ocean, the Smith River and the Redwoods. Who could ask for more???

By the way, that pink spot in the picture is me. We wanted to include a picture of an adult to give an idea of the scale of the trees. - gm

Travel Oregon and northern California while staying at Gathering Light ... a retreat
located in southern Oregon near Crater Lake National Park.

Contact Brad at Gathering Light ... a retreat.

Wood River Wetlands pictured above.