Home to Redwoods, the tallest trees in the world growing for thousands of years, Redwoods National Park covers canyons, forests, rivers as well as 40 miles of the Californian coast. This World Heritage Site is made up of three small state parks, the Prairie Creek Redwoods, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods. With endless hiking and camping possibilities, this national park is a breathtaking location, with outstanding natural phenomena and wild-life.
A 30 foot wide canyon with towering walls on either side beautifully lined with layers of different fern species and moss. Water trickling down the Fern Canyon walls, keep the ferns moist and form tiny waterfalls along the trail. The sound of the water surrounds visitors all throughout the walk. A small stream flows along the trail, its water is likely to have formed the canyon by slowly nibbling on the soil over thousands of years.
The trail can be easy in and out on flat terrain with the odd fallen tree trunk as an obstacle or turned into a 1-mile loop trail by hiking up a staircase to the top of the canyon. From the top, the overhead view of the canyon, nearby prairie, and the Gold Bluffs Beach is worth the effort. The walk from here leads through a pine forest and a small meadow. The damp landscape at Fern Canyon makes it the perfect home for amphibians including frogs and salamanders. Due to the trail passing over the stream, wearing waterproof boots is ideal, since getting your feet wet is inevitable, unless visiting in Summer when temporary wooden planks serve as footbridges to make the trail easier. Each moment at Fern Canyon is picture-perfect, so it comes as no surprise that Steven Spielberg used this location in Jurassic Park II. Entrance for the canyon is $8 per car, and restrooms are also available at the trailhead.
Part of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Gold Bluffs Beach is a remarkable location, with unobstructed views of sand and sea with sand dunes as a backdrop. In the evening as the sun sets over the horizon, the sky tints with red and orange hues forming an idyllic photo opportunity. A hike on the northern side of Gold Bluffs Beach is set to offer incredible views of the beach, as well as offer good chances of wild-life watching with the terrain being popular with Roosevelt Elk. The area is also renowned for its three cascades with the Gold Dust Fall being the most popular. Starting at Home Creek, a short walk in the forest leads to the sand dunes behind the beach.
Following a short detour into the forest, visitors will reach the first cascade, just a few minutes away from the 80 foot high Gold Dust Falls, followed by the third cascade. Alternatively, visitors can follow Miner’s Ridge Trail, starting at Prairie Creek Visitor Center, passing through the Redwood forest, and ending at the Gold Bluff Beach campground. The Redwood forest is a spectacle of its own, with redwood sprouts growing out of seemingly dead trees, and thick hollow redwood trunks lying along the trail. A 1.75-mile walk from Gold Bluffs beach leads to the Fern Canyon. Gold Bluffs Beach is accessible by car and parking is at an $8 fee. Close to the sand dunes, visitors can spend the night at theGolden Bluffs Beach Camp-Ground. Equipped with restrooms, showers, fire-pits, and picnic tables, the site can be reserved in Summer at $35 per night.
Redwoods National Park in California is a dream location for any visitor looking for a tranquil break immersed in natural scenic beauty. Whether you are visiting the Fern Canyon covered with voluptuous fern, a scenic walk along Gold Bluffs Beach to the cascades, or a pleasant stroll along Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail, Redwoods National Park does not disappoint.
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