North Coast State Parks |
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North Coast State Parks Overview
The state park system is responsible for almost a third of California's scenic coastline. State parks include underwater preserves, parks, redwood forests, plant and wildlife reserves, state beaches, recreation areas, wilderness areas, reservoirs, historic parks & homes, Spanish buildings, lighthouses, ghost towns, waterslides, conference centers, and off-highway vehicle parks. Below you'll find a list of the more popular North Coast state parks and ones we personally recommmend from the old-growth redwoods of Jedediah Smith State Park to the calm waters of Tomales Bay. |
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North Coast State ParksJedediah Smith is located nine miles east of Crescent City on Highway 199. Named after the famous explorer that led the first expedition from the Great Salt Lake to the California coast. This park features 10,000 acres of old growth coast redwood. A dense canopy of ferns, moss and lichens fill the forest floor. Black bear, river otter, beaver and fox still roam these lands. King salmon and steelhead trout spawn in the Smith River and Mill Creek. Activities include camping, biking, hiking, swimming and horseback riding. Del Norte Coast Redwoods is located 7 miles south of Crescent City off highway 101. This park features 6400 acres with approximately 50% old growth coast redwood and eight miles of wild coastline. Hiking trails throughout but two traverse the steep cliffs to the sea. A sand beach awaits with tidepool exploration at low tide. Activities include camping, hiking and biking. Prarie Creek Redwoods State Park is located 50 miles north of Eureka off Highway 101, in Orick. This is one of three state parks in the region that are part of Redwoods National Park. Activities include camping, fishing, tidepool exploration, hiking and horseback riding. This park is known for its nature trails through lush fern canopy beneath towering redwoods. Grizzly Creek Redwoods is located 20 miles southeast of Eureka on highway 101 and 17 miles east on highway 36. A more 'off the beaten path' redwood forest. Park features 30 campsites, horse shoe pits, group camp, picnic areas and more. Activities include camping, swimming, picnicking, kayaking, fishing, and hiking. Humboldt Redwoods is located 45 miles south of Eureka along the Avenue of the Giants and 20 miles north of Garberville. Enjoy 52,000 acres of pristine redwood forest, 17,000 acres of which is old growth trees thousands of years old. This is California's largest redwood forest. Activities include hiking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, canoeing and swimming in the Eel River. Patrick's Point State Park is located just a few miles north of Trinidad off Highway 101. This park offers a dense forest where trails can be traversed through wildflower meadows and lush forest to the headland cliffs leading to the ocean below. Activities include camping, fishing, tidepool exploration, whale watching, diving, surfing and hiking. Reconstructed Yurok Village onsite. Richardson Grove State Park is located 7 miles south of Garberville on Highway 101. The park is located along the south fork Eel River and offers camping, hiking, swimming and fishing within an old-growth redwood forest. A historic lodge houses a visitor center and gift shop. Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area is located just north of Leggett off Highway 101. This park is considered the 'gateway to tall trees country' and offers the Grove Trail through giant redwoods. Situated along the south fork Eel River, Standish-Hickey offers ctivities including camping, hiking, picnicking, swimming and fishing. MacKerricher is located three miles north of Fort Bragg on PCH (highway 1 - Pacific Coast Highway), near the town of Cleone. This park is a tidal lagoon with tidepools, a bike trail that's also popular with joggers, sand dunes, freshwater lakes and camping near the ocean. Campsites are nestled in a redwood forest and offer shelter from the sometimes brisk ocean breezes. Other activities include horseback riding, swimming, hiking, and abalone diving. Russian Gulch State Park is located 2 miles north of Mendocino on Highway 1. Russian Gulch Creek Canyon is known for its picturesque waterfall, bridge and Punch Bowl (collapsed sea cave in which the ocean churns). Activities include tidepool exploration, camping, hiking, biking, abalone diving and fishing. Russian Gulch was historically a regular stop for lumber ships heading to San Francisco. Van Damme State Park is located 3 miles south of Mendocino on Highway 1. The park is known for its Fern Canyon, Cabbage Patch and Pigmy Forest. Activities include tidepool exploration, camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, abalone diving and fishing. A paved trail is popular with joggers and bicyclists. Kayak tours are available on the beach. Van Damme was historically a regular stop for lumber ships heading to San Francisco. Manchester State Park is located on the north end of Manchester off Highway 1. Park is known for its 760 acres of beaches, sand dunes and flat grasslands. Activities include camping, swimming, hiking, wildlife viewing, fishing and horseback riding. Point Arena Lighthouse is located on the southern edge of the park and offers accommodations in former light keepers cabins. Mendocino Headlands is located south of Mendocino on PCH (highway 1 - Pacific Coast Highway). This park features grassy headlands filled with wildflowers in the Spring, rocky outcroppings with some forming arches and beaches where the Big River meets the ocean. Activities include fishing, surfing, kayaking, diving, whale watching and other wildlife viewing. Armstrong Redwoods is located off Highway 116 (River Road) north of Guerneville. Armstrong features an old-growth coastal redwood forest. The park features a visitor center, amphitheater, nature trails and horseback riding stables. Picnic areas feature grills, tables and restrooms. Sonoma Coast State Beach is located between Jenner and Bodega Bays on PCH (highway 1 - Pacific Coast Highway). The beach can be accessed from several points along PCH and features sand beach coves separated by rock outcroppings. Natural arches and secluded coves are abundant. One cove features a colony of harbor seals. Activities include camping, fishing, boating, surfing, tide pool exploration, horseback riding, whale watching and other wildlife viewing. Tomales Bay is located off Highway 1 forty miles north of San Francisco. This huge bay is formed by the San Andreas Fault. The waters are protected from wind and waves by the pine tree blanketed Inverness Ridge. Visitors enjoy hiking trails, picnicking, swimming, clamming and boating. The landscape includes beaches, meadows, forests and marshlands. |
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