Smith River, California

Fern Canyon is located within Gold Bluffs Beach at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park located some 45 miles south of Crescent City, CA. Entrance to the beach area is located on Davidson Rd off the US-101 in Orick, CA. You will need to drive for about 6 miles on the dirt road at the turn of Davidso...

This loop hike starts at the Fern Canyon Trailhead.  To get to Fern Canyon, drive to the end of Davison Rd, also known as Gold Bluff Beach Road.  There is a pay station at the entrance to the road ($8 in 2015).  After heavy rain, the road may be impassable for passenger cars.   From the parking ...

Located at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the access road to this beach is a dirt road through the redwoods. Once you arrive to the beach area there is a park booth. The charge to overnight is $35 per day. Can also pay a day use fee which is less. The campground is situated some 200 yards fro...

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is located in Orick, CA about 50 miles North of Eureka, Ca and 25 miles South of Crescent City, CA. Take the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway exit off of Highway 101. Along this road there is a prairie where wild Roosevelt Elk can be spotted. They are wild so keep y...

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...

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...

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 ...

The Rogue River is famous the world over for rafting and for its Steelhead runs, possessing a dramatic undeveloped canyon untouched by road and man, and being one of the Original 7 Wild & Scenic Rivers designed by Congress. And not only is it fantastic for rafting but entire sections are perf...

The Steelhead run on the Rogue River is famous the world over and for good reason. Like anywhere, local guides are the gatekeepers to the right spot and should be contacted accordingly.  Steelhead run December through March and Chinook April through Fall, with Coho making an appearance in the lat...