Crescent City, California

This is the itinerary for our 3 day backpacking trip at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in early May. The original plan was to backpack Redwood Creek Trail in Redwood National Park.  A couple issues stopped us from doing that: The water level was too high in May and multiple Park Rangers warne...

This classic cycling loop is a great way to experience a variety of scenery and riding surfaces in The Prairie Creek Redwoods. It also allows you to visit Gold Bluffs Beach and the famous Fern Canyon without the otherwise required parking permit which needs to be acquired in advance. The route he...

If you wish to experience the beauty of the Siskiyou Wilderness and avoid the crowds associated with The Devil’s Punchbowl, then consider a visit to Raspberry Lake. Beginning at the Young’s Valley Trailhead (Coordinates: 41.889919, -123.654755), this hike is a great option for those seeking wide...

Trillium Falls trail is a nice little hike through a second growth and old growth redwood forest. The trail is lined with sweet smelling ferns and has plenty of shade the entire route. This would be good for a midday hike in summer.  The trail starts from the Elk Meadows Day Use parking area. St...

The Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor is 12 miles of rugged, steep coastline with many hidden & secluded beaches and coves, and the Natural Bridges section is one of the most iconic (and most photographed) along the entire Corridor.There are several hikes above and around the natural bridges...

One of many magical nooks and crannies to explore all along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Thunder Rock Cove sits between the iconic (and more popular) Natural Bridges and Secret Beach.  The hike to the cover overlook is an easy .75 mile hike down from the Thunder Rock pull-off tha...

The main parking for Secret Beach is a nondescript, unlabeled pull out on Hwy 101, between mile posts 254 and 255, as you are traveling north on the west side there will be a guardrail. Pull off the road where the guardrail ends and you can park behind it. About 6 cars can fit there. Super short ...

Driving the Bald Hills Road was a totally unexpected treat when I visited Redwood National and State Parks. We only had a day to spend there on a week long California road trip but I was so glad that we made the decision to drive the road while visiting.While I came expecting, and was glad to exp...

This hike starts in the parking lot of the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Picnic Area. As one of the more popular hikes in Redwood National Park, it is a good idea to get there early to secure parking and miss the crowds. To get to the parking lot from the Kuchel Visitor Center, travel north on Highway ...

This loop begins at the Tall Trees Trailhead.  To access this parking area, you must have a permit that you can obtain from the Kuchel ranger station.  The gate is locked.  When you get the permit, the ranger will also give you the combination to the gate.  Once you drive through, close the gate ...

Day 1: Check with the Rangers station before heading up for best camping opportunities. Assuming you've checked with the rangers for approval...if there are openings, off of the main road, there are side streets with access to the beaches. Pull into one of these areas and drive down as far as you...

NOTE: You need a permit, albeit free, to do this hike. You can get a permit online at NPS.Gov. First, you'll need to go to the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center just off Highway 101 south of Orick, CA. Once there, write down your license plate number and go up to the counter and ask one of the ran...

Meyers Creek Beach Viewpoint stands among the most quietly spectacular stops on the entire Oregon Coast. Tucked between Cape Sebastian and the Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint on Oregon's southern shore, this undeveloped pullout delivers a front-row seat to one of the coast's most dramatic arr...

This is really a dirt road that is gated off from Bald Hills Road. The trail head parking can fit about 6 cars but seldom do people venture out this way. After all, the attraction of Redwood National Park is the redwoods but this high prairie is definitely worth exploring.The walk to the ranch is...

Follow the trail leading from the end of the parking lot down onto the beach. From the parking lot to the beach the walk is about a quarter of a mile, with a slight decrease in elevation as you move down to the beach.  To get to the beach, take 72B off of Highway 101 and turn west onto Main Stre...

Park in the large parking lot at Trinidad Beach. The trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot. The loop trail can be hiked in either direction. The trail is half dirt singletrack, half paved switchbacks, and climbs steadily to the top of Trinidad Head. The view of the ocean and Californi...