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Set aside in the early 1920s by the forethought of the people of California and the generosity of the Save-the-Redwoods League, Prairie Creek is a sanctuary of old growth coast redwood.
Prairie Creek offers hiking, nature study, wildlife viewing, beach combing, picnicking, a visitor center with exhibits, and a nature store.
This park, along with Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and the National Park Service's Redwood National Park, are managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. These parks make up 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in California.
Parks News Alert
Service Reductions
Due to service reductions at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, Gold Bluff Campground is closed for the season. The campground should reopen next spring.
Service Reductions
Due to service reductions at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, Gold Bluff Campground is closed for the season. The campground should reopen next spring.
Getting There
50 miles north of Eureka and 25 miles south of Crescent City on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway off of Highway 101. Latitude/Longitude: 41.4072 / -124.0192
The visitor center & Elk Prairie Campground are located at the southern end of the Parkway.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground and Fern Canyon are accessed by Davison Road, which is, located 3 miles north of Orick off of Highway 101. 50 miles from Eureka and Crescent City.
Davison Road, the access road to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach, has vehicle limitations 8' wide and 24' long. No trailers are allowed.
The Day Use Annual Pass is accepted at this park.
50 miles north of Eureka and 25 miles south of Crescent City on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway off of Highway 101. Latitude/Longitude: 41.4072 / -124.0192
The visitor center & Elk Prairie Campground are located at the southern end of the Parkway.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground and Fern Canyon are accessed by Davison Road, which is, located 3 miles north of Orick off of Highway 101. 50 miles from Eureka and Crescent City.
Davison Road, the access road to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach, has vehicle limitations 8' wide and 24' long. No trailers are allowed.
The Day Use Annual Pass is accepted at this park.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing
Summer 40-75. Cooler along the coast. Morning & evening fog is common. Winter 35-55.
Dress for rain November to May.
Summer 40-75. Cooler along the coast. Morning & evening fog is common. Winter 35-55.
Dress for rain November to May.
Operating Hours & Contact
The park is open year-round.
Telephone: 707-465-7347
The park is open year-round.
Telephone: 707-465-7347
Camping
Elk Prairie Campground has 75 family sites and hike/bike sites.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground has 26 tent or RV sites, and three non-reserveable environmental sites. RVs more than eight feet wide or 24 feet long may not use Davison Road or Coastal Drive. No hookups or sanitation stations are available. Call (707) 488-2171 for camping updates.
Make Online Reservations
Max Camper Length: 27 Feet
Max Trailer Length: 24 Feet
Elk Prairie Campground has 75 family sites and hike/bike sites.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground has 26 tent or RV sites, and three non-reserveable environmental sites. RVs more than eight feet wide or 24 feet long may not use Davison Road or Coastal Drive. No hookups or sanitation stations are available. Call (707) 488-2171 for camping updates.
Make Online Reservations
Max Camper Length: 27 Feet
Max Trailer Length: 24 Feet
Activities
Wildlife viewing includes Roosevelt elk, whale watching, and interesting birding (spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and 262 more animal species)
Picnic areas in the redwoods & on the beach
Fern Canyon
Cal-Barrel Road (scenic drive; motor homes and trailers prohibited.)
75 miles of hiking trails, bicycle trails, self-guided nature trail, accessible trails for individuals with physical or visual limitations, backpacking
Visitor Center with exhibits and the nature store are open year-round.
Interpretive talks & guided walks (seasonal).
Wildlife viewing includes Roosevelt elk, whale watching, and interesting birding (spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and 262 more animal species)
Picnic areas in the redwoods & on the beach
Fern Canyon
Cal-Barrel Road (scenic drive; motor homes and trailers prohibited.)
75 miles of hiking trails, bicycle trails, self-guided nature trail, accessible trails for individuals with physical or visual limitations, backpacking
Visitor Center with exhibits and the nature store are open year-round.
Interpretive talks & guided walks (seasonal).
Natural History & WIldlife
Coast redwoods have existed along the north coast for about 20 million years. Ever-present coastal fog meets about one-third of their annual water needs. Experts fear that Earth’s changing climate endangers the redwoods’ survival as temperatures increase and coastal fog diminishes. The redwoods and the “soil mats” of leaf litter that collect in the redwood canopy support a variety of other plants and animals. Coast Douglas-fir also grows among the Sitka spruce, tanoaks, oaks, rhododendrons and azaleas.
Fern Canyon
This spectacular, shady canyon’s 50-foot walls, draped with seven kinds of ferns, resemble a hanging garden. Prairie Creek’s Fern Canyon is draped in mounds of five-finger, deer, lady, sword and chain ferns. The canyon’s restful quiet is broken only by far-off bird songs and the distant sound of breaking waves.
Wildlife
Many species - including brown bats, red squirrels, black bears and even coyotes - feed on berries. In this deep, rich soil, salamanders and slugs thrive. Mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats hunt at night for black-tailed deer, elk and small game. Endangered marbled murrelets (closely related to puffins) nest in old-growth redwood trees. Since corvids (crows, ravens and jays) prey upon murrelet eggs and chicks, do not feed wildlife or drop food or scraps.
Double-crested and pelagic cormorants, common murres and surf scoters can be see off the coast, while federally threatened Western snowy plovers, gulls, great blue herons, and peregrine falcons fly along Gold Bluffs Beach. Western garter snakes, northern red-legged frogs and rough-skinned newts are common. Look for Pacific gray whales and dolphins offshore. California sea lions, harbor seals and Steller sea lions lie on rocks just off the coast.
Roosevelt Elk
Boyes Prairie, commonly used by one of the park’s elk herds, is closed to visitors. For your safety and that of the elk, do not veer off any trails while hiking or cycling. Once teetering on the brink of extinction, the Roosevelt elk now thrive in their habitat. During the elks’ mating season - six weeks from August to October - the air resounds with the calls of bulls challenging each other for mating rights. Bull elk and cows with calves can be extremely dangerous.
Approaching elk is not only hazardous, it is also against state law. When taking pictures, please stay on trails, use a telephoto lens or purchase postcards at park headquarters.
Coast redwoods have existed along the north coast for about 20 million years. Ever-present coastal fog meets about one-third of their annual water needs. Experts fear that Earth’s changing climate endangers the redwoods’ survival as temperatures increase and coastal fog diminishes. The redwoods and the “soil mats” of leaf litter that collect in the redwood canopy support a variety of other plants and animals. Coast Douglas-fir also grows among the Sitka spruce, tanoaks, oaks, rhododendrons and azaleas.
Fern Canyon
This spectacular, shady canyon’s 50-foot walls, draped with seven kinds of ferns, resemble a hanging garden. Prairie Creek’s Fern Canyon is draped in mounds of five-finger, deer, lady, sword and chain ferns. The canyon’s restful quiet is broken only by far-off bird songs and the distant sound of breaking waves.
Wildlife
Many species - including brown bats, red squirrels, black bears and even coyotes - feed on berries. In this deep, rich soil, salamanders and slugs thrive. Mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats hunt at night for black-tailed deer, elk and small game. Endangered marbled murrelets (closely related to puffins) nest in old-growth redwood trees. Since corvids (crows, ravens and jays) prey upon murrelet eggs and chicks, do not feed wildlife or drop food or scraps.
Double-crested and pelagic cormorants, common murres and surf scoters can be see off the coast, while federally threatened Western snowy plovers, gulls, great blue herons, and peregrine falcons fly along Gold Bluffs Beach. Western garter snakes, northern red-legged frogs and rough-skinned newts are common. Look for Pacific gray whales and dolphins offshore. California sea lions, harbor seals and Steller sea lions lie on rocks just off the coast.
Roosevelt Elk
Boyes Prairie, commonly used by one of the park’s elk herds, is closed to visitors. For your safety and that of the elk, do not veer off any trails while hiking or cycling. Once teetering on the brink of extinction, the Roosevelt elk now thrive in their habitat. During the elks’ mating season - six weeks from August to October - the air resounds with the calls of bulls challenging each other for mating rights. Bull elk and cows with calves can be extremely dangerous.
Approaching elk is not only hazardous, it is also against state law. When taking pictures, please stay on trails, use a telephoto lens or purchase postcards at park headquarters.
History
Native California Indians
Yurok people have lived in and around today’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park for generations. The temperate climate and abundant wildlife of the north coast promoted a culturally rich way of life that continues today. Yurok people built villages of redwood planks along major waterways. Traveling by dugout canoe, they fished for salmon. They also hunted elk, deer and other small game and gathered plants.
In 1850, when gold was found near today’s Fern Canyon, the Yurok people were overwhelmed by an influx of settlers. Conflict over the land took many forms. The native people were hunted down; any who survived the attacks were forced onto reservations. Newly introduced diseases further decimated their numbers.
Today, the Yurok have made a remarkable recovery. As the most populous tribe in California, nearly 5,500 Yurok live in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Tribal members are building a future by revitalizing their ancestral language and traditions based on customs of the past.
Settling the North Coast
The first marine explorers along the Humboldt-Del Norte coast were Spaniard Bartolome Ferrelo in 1543, Englishman Sir Francis Drake in 1579, and Spaniard Sebastian Vizcaíno in 1602. The first shore landing, near Trinidad Head, was made by Bruno Hezeta and Juan Bodega in 1775. In May 1850, miners crossing today’s Gold Bluffs Beach saw bits of gold in the sand. Removing the gold proved too laborious, so the prospectors moved on. However, settlers needed raw materials to build their homes and towns. By the 1890s, several short-line railroads and steam donkeys had helped create a boom in commercial logging. Lumber quickly became the west’s top industry – Eureka alone had nine sawmills.
By the end of the 19th century, farms, ranches and dairies had been developed along the north coast. Today, several of these historical dairies remain a vital part of the north coast’s economy.
Conservation and State Parks
Between 1880 and the early 1900s, thousands of acres of old-growth redwoods had disappeared; in many areas, the trees had been cut to the bare ground. Alarmed, conservationists established the Save the Redwoods League in 1918 to protect the groves, obtaining donations from lumber companies and concerned citizens. The League and the State of California were able to buy thousands of acres adjoining Prairie Creek. By 1923, some of the grandest old-growth tree stands on the planet had been acquired by the State.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a national work program, began during the Great Depression of the 1930s. CCC members built themselves a camp at Elk Prairie, where they lived while building the present visitor center, trail system, campground and picnic facilities.
Redwood National and State Parks
In October 1968, the National Park Service (NPS) created Redwood National Park in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. In 1994, NPS and California State Parks agreed to co-manage four parks: Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks, and Redwood National Park. Both entities agreed that managing the parks together would ensure commitment to greater protection and preservation of more than 105,000 acres of redwood forest.
On September 5, 1980, the United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Native California Indians
Yurok people have lived in and around today’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park for generations. The temperate climate and abundant wildlife of the north coast promoted a culturally rich way of life that continues today. Yurok people built villages of redwood planks along major waterways. Traveling by dugout canoe, they fished for salmon. They also hunted elk, deer and other small game and gathered plants.
In 1850, when gold was found near today’s Fern Canyon, the Yurok people were overwhelmed by an influx of settlers. Conflict over the land took many forms. The native people were hunted down; any who survived the attacks were forced onto reservations. Newly introduced diseases further decimated their numbers.
Today, the Yurok have made a remarkable recovery. As the most populous tribe in California, nearly 5,500 Yurok live in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Tribal members are building a future by revitalizing their ancestral language and traditions based on customs of the past.
Settling the North Coast
The first marine explorers along the Humboldt-Del Norte coast were Spaniard Bartolome Ferrelo in 1543, Englishman Sir Francis Drake in 1579, and Spaniard Sebastian Vizcaíno in 1602. The first shore landing, near Trinidad Head, was made by Bruno Hezeta and Juan Bodega in 1775. In May 1850, miners crossing today’s Gold Bluffs Beach saw bits of gold in the sand. Removing the gold proved too laborious, so the prospectors moved on. However, settlers needed raw materials to build their homes and towns. By the 1890s, several short-line railroads and steam donkeys had helped create a boom in commercial logging. Lumber quickly became the west’s top industry – Eureka alone had nine sawmills.
By the end of the 19th century, farms, ranches and dairies had been developed along the north coast. Today, several of these historical dairies remain a vital part of the north coast’s economy.
Conservation and State Parks
Between 1880 and the early 1900s, thousands of acres of old-growth redwoods had disappeared; in many areas, the trees had been cut to the bare ground. Alarmed, conservationists established the Save the Redwoods League in 1918 to protect the groves, obtaining donations from lumber companies and concerned citizens. The League and the State of California were able to buy thousands of acres adjoining Prairie Creek. By 1923, some of the grandest old-growth tree stands on the planet had been acquired by the State.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a national work program, began during the Great Depression of the 1930s. CCC members built themselves a camp at Elk Prairie, where they lived while building the present visitor center, trail system, campground and picnic facilities.
Redwood National and State Parks
In October 1968, the National Park Service (NPS) created Redwood National Park in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. In 1994, NPS and California State Parks agreed to co-manage four parks: Del Norte Coast, Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks, and Redwood National Park. Both entities agreed that managing the parks together would ensure commitment to greater protection and preservation of more than 105,000 acres of redwood forest.
On September 5, 1980, the United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Accessible Features
Camping
Elk Prairie campground: Three sites are designated accessible. All are generally level with paved parking. All have accessible tables placed on firm surfaces, and two have accessible cooking facilities. Restrooms with showers: Two restrooms with showers are generally accessible. Routes of travel: Paths to the restrooms from sites are short and accessible.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground: This small, new campground features accessible sites on hard packed dirt and gravel. Accessible combination restrooms with showers are available.
Trails
Big Tree Trail: 0.16mile. Trailhead is on Newton B. Drury Parkway 1/8 mile north of Big Tree parking area. Roadside parking only.
Campfire Center Trail: 0.34 mile, redwoods. Trailhead, potable water accessible restroom and accessible parking behind Elk Creek Prairie Campground.
Prairie Creek Trail: Class I, 1.5 miles, redwoods. Trailhead located across from Big Tree Day-Use Area off of the Newton B. Drury Parkway.
Redwood Access Trail: 0.26 mile, redwoods. Trailhead and parking on Parkway across from Rhododendron Trail.
Revelation Trail: 0.25 mile, redwoods interpretive trail with special features for visually impaired users. Accessible parking, accessible restroom and trailhead are in campground.
Camping
Elk Prairie campground: Three sites are designated accessible. All are generally level with paved parking. All have accessible tables placed on firm surfaces, and two have accessible cooking facilities. Restrooms with showers: Two restrooms with showers are generally accessible. Routes of travel: Paths to the restrooms from sites are short and accessible.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground: This small, new campground features accessible sites on hard packed dirt and gravel. Accessible combination restrooms with showers are available.
Trails
Big Tree Trail: 0.16mile. Trailhead is on Newton B. Drury Parkway 1/8 mile north of Big Tree parking area. Roadside parking only.
Campfire Center Trail: 0.34 mile, redwoods. Trailhead, potable water accessible restroom and accessible parking behind Elk Creek Prairie Campground.
Prairie Creek Trail: Class I, 1.5 miles, redwoods. Trailhead located across from Big Tree Day-Use Area off of the Newton B. Drury Parkway.
Redwood Access Trail: 0.26 mile, redwoods. Trailhead and parking on Parkway across from Rhododendron Trail.
Revelation Trail: 0.25 mile, redwoods interpretive trail with special features for visually impaired users. Accessible parking, accessible restroom and trailhead are in campground.
Trails
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Guides
Fern Canyon at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Community Trips
