Crescent City’s Pebble Beach Drive takes you along spectacular coastline with beach walking/hiking opportunities and beautiful vistas of rocky islands in the Pacific Ocean. Read on to find out how to access Pebble Beach Drive and where to stop to get the best views and also access the beach itself. There’s also info on hiking […]
Hiking to Enderts Beach Via the Coastal Trail: One of the Top North Coast Hikes!
The hike to Enderts Beach on the Coastal Trail packs a lot of beauty into its short length: sweeping vistas of ocean and cliff; lush, green forests; the canyon of Nickel Creek; and Enderts Beach itself, with its steep cliffs and opportunities for tide-pool exploration.
Myrtle Beach: Superb Smith River Swimming Hole
Here are all the details on Myrtle Beach, a primo swimming hole on the Smith River just outside Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
Ah-Pah Interpretive Trail: Easy Hike and Beautiful Redwoods
The Ah-Pah Interpretive Trail is an easy redwoods hike near the north end of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Most people drive right by it, usually because they’re headed to the more popular hikes located farther south along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. But if you want a short and level walk through beautiful redwood […]
Redwood National and State Parks: Key Facts and Statistics
Truly a world treasure, Redwood National and State Parks includes Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This post presents amazing facts and statistics about this unique area, home to the tallest redwood trees in the world.
Exploring Highway 101 North Redwood Coast Trails, Beaches, and More
The stretch of Highway 101 between Arcata and Crescent City travels through the most beautiful coastline and redwoods of California, especially in Redwood National & State Parks. This post provides a Highway 101 road mileage guide to the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities along the northern Redwood Coast, primarily the best places to hike, […]
Best Whale Watching from Northern California Trails: Where, When, and How
Love whale watching in Northern California? Then hike coastal trails to spot gray, humpback, and blue, and fin whales from some of the prettiest coastline on the planet.
Explore Tide Pools in Humboldt County and Del Norte County
I’ve been exploring tide pools along the coast of northern Humboldt and Del Norte Counties for 40 years. This post shares excellent places to find tide pools where you can observe sea stars, anemones, mussels, and the other myriad life that lives on the rocks of the intertidal zone of the Pacific Ocean.
“Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks” Now Available!
My new guidebook Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks is now widely available throughout Northern California! You can buy it at many bookstores and outdoor stores, and at the usual online sources like Amazon. I lived in Crescent City and rural Del Norte County for five years, so I know this beautiful region very […]
Pre-Order Hike the Parks: Redwood National and State Parks
I loved writing Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks, my new all-color guidebook coming out June 1 from my long-time publisher Mountaineers Books. I lived in Crescent City and rural Del Norte County from 2000-2005, so I know the area very well. I’d done all the hikes before, some a dozen or more […]
2019 Free Entrance Days to Northern California National Parks and Monuments
There are five free-entrance days (no fee!) in 2019 for national parks and national monuments in Northern California. Hike your favorite trails, picnic, explore, and enjoy nature with your friends and family. 2019 Free Entrance Days to Northern California National Parks and Monuments Here are the five days in 2019 that you can save your […]
The Best Northern California Spring Backpacking Trips, 2024
Northern California is a great place for a spring 2024 backpacking trip! Here are the best low/middle elevation trails in the Bay Area, Northern Sierra Nevada, Lassen National Forest, Klamath Mountains, redwoods, and North Coast. You can hike many of them year-round, even in winter. Tired of Winter, Ready to Backpack This Spring, 2024? Wherever […]
Coastal Trail Klamath Section to Hidden Beach
Take a scenic hike on the Klamath section of the Coastal Trail to Hidden Beach, with the option to explore the Yurok Loop Trail. Get world-class views of the vast Pacific Ocean, redwood-clad slopes, and the mouth of the Klamath River, plus enjoy the seclusion of Hidden Beach. Coastal Trail Klamath Section to Hidden Beach […]
Hiking the French Hill Trail in the Smith River National Recreation Area
Hiking the French Hill Trail in the Smith River National Recreation Area of the Six Rivers National Forest is well worth the effort. You’ll have solitude along the trail, you’ll gain good views of Siskiyou Wilderness and nearby ridges and slopes, and you’ll see a wide variety of plant life. And you’ll also get a […]