prairie creek redwoods state park

We visited all of the units of the State and National Redwood Parks and while each has their own special characteristics that make them worth a visit, Prairie Creek Redwoods, in our opinion, is the best overall park offering excellent examples of all the features of the other parks in one park. If you unfortunately have time to visit only one park, this would be the one. Located between the Pacific Coast and the Redwood Hwy, US-101, between the towns of Orick and Klamath, Prairie Creek offers excellent scenic driving through old growth redwoods along the Newton B Drury Parkway having numerous pullouts and interpretive trails such as the Ah-Pah trial; hiking trails of varying length and difficulty through massive lowland redwood groves, some of the best and most accessible radiating from Big Tree Wayside; an example of rugged coastline at Gold Bluffs Beach, named for the flecks of gold seen in the sand by early explorers; developed and back county campgrounds; and a nice visitor center. In addition to these attractions, Prairie Creek offers two unique attractions the other park units do not; a large heard of Roosevelt Elk that frequent the southern end of the park, and Fern Canyon whose shear 50ft (15m) walls are covered in fern and spectacular enough to be used as a location in the filming of Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World. We spent a long day in this park and wished we had more time.

Prarie Creek is what you imagine when walking through an ancient redwood forest. It has all the sights, sounds & smells associated with raw nature. If alone, all you can hear is the crackling of brush under your feet and the breeze blowing the trees. At other times when all is still, you can hear a pin drop. Take a walk and enjoy the magnificent forest!

We walked the 1.4 mile Cathedral Tree Trail, an easy loop that took us past some magnificent redwood specimens.

I'm not sure what the politics involved might be, but this really should be a National Park. Wandering though these majestic redwoods gives you the same feeling of hushed awe that many of the National Parks do. Having said that, maybe it's better that it stays "just" a state park, without the crowds that might ruin these old growth forests.

We enjoyed our hikes and drive through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Hikes into the deep old growth forests and out along the beach, went throughout the park. Ancient redwoods reach dizzying heights along Lost Man Creek Trail. Unfortunately, we weren't up for wading the river:( so we didn't complete this long hike.

awesome place to visit! this forest had a different look than the other redwood parks, so it was great to see and compare!

If you are looking for a scenic hike then you can't go wrong with a walk through Praire Creek Redwood State Park. Beautiful scenery can be found on any number of trails throughout the park. I really enjoyed walks through the Revelation Trail and the Cathedral of Trees. If you are in the area and are searching for a pleasant way to spend a day then I would highly recommend a visit. There are many great treks and the rangers are very helpful in planning them.

Plan on spending hours in amazement of the trees and hikes available along this roadway. About 25 miles south of Crescent City jump off Highway 101 and onto the Newton B. Drury Parkway, slow down and soak it all in.If your into hiking you will be in heaven as there are 30+ trails ranging from .1 to 11.4 miles from "Very easy" to Strenuous.At the south end of the park is "Big Tree" wayside, don't miss this one as it is just off the roadway and a very Big Tree.Elk Prairie campground is at the far south end of the park and a great place to view Elk.

This is a beautiful redwood state park with wonderful camping, picnics, and hiking possibilities. We took one of the shorter hikes this time called The Revelation Trail, which is a nature trail. We also enjoyed watching an elk..

We were tucked away among the tall trees in a wonderful campsite that included plenty of room for our camper van plus a sitting area around a campfire and a picnic table. We found a shortcut to the restroom and showers, which were nicely organized. The field outside our wooded campground is often the place elk are sited, though we didn't see any. We also attended a Ranger Talk in a wonderful amphitheater among the tall trees. We stayed here two nights, making our way north and south along Route 101. It was incredibly convenient for us to stay here.

We were unable to get reservations, so we stayed about 17 miles away at Klamath, CA. We took several day trips to check out the campground, and the surrounding attractions. The campsites are large, well shaded, and very clean. The have fire rings and picnic table. Nice bathrooms with coin showers. Reservations are not needed after labor day when it becomes first come, first served. We took several walks which take out from the adjacent visitor center. Beautiful paths, and foot bridges. Some paths follow the creek. It is very a very peaceful serene setting. Visitor center has maps, and a bookstore, and bathrooms. They sell bottled water. The state park is located along the scenic Newton B. Drury Parkway. There are no services. Groceries and café in Orick at southern end of parkway. Klamath at the northern end of parkway has gas, and limited food, and groceries. We were there just 10 days ago, and weather very pleasant in the 70's. No mosquitoes. Definitely worth a three day visit. I will review Fern Canyon in a separate review. It is located in the state park a few miles away.

There are places we are willing to go long distances to visit just because they are unique to our planet. My mom happened upon this one quite by accident. Just passing through after a family vacation in the 60's, while I expect I was in the back seat bored and causing trouble, my mom couldn't believe what was passing by her window. She asked my father if he could please pull over so she could walk into the trees. He begrudgingly told her he would allow a stop, but for only 5 minutes. I have often heard that story as she talks about the feeling that came over her during those precious 5 minutes. “I didn’t want to spend 5 minutes, I wanted to spend the rest of my life there,” she remembers. A few years later my mom left my dad at home while the rest of us went camping at Prairie Creek campground. It became a tradition. When I brought my wife for the first time she was overwhelmed. She felt it was a sacred place and she connected it as such for the rest of her life. Whether you are looking to see the tallest trees in the world, the most beautiful forest, or you’re looking for a spiritual experience in nature, this is the forest where you’ll find it.

40 y/o father/husband: We stayed in the campground here and explored for two nights and a full day. The campground was beautiful and quiet, and situated right in the midst of the glorious trees. We attended two ranger programs which we all enjoyed, and were blown away by the gorgeous and humbling forest. 41 y/o mother/wife: This is a beautiful campground located in the heart of the Redwoods. The sites were spacious and private. The bathrooms were clean and the coin-op showers were private, nice, and cheap. There are Redwoods everywhere in this camp and it was such a treat to spend time with them while going about our daily camping duties. We also all really enjoyed the nightly ranger programs. 13 y/o daughter: This campground was super nice. We were within about a one minute walk from multiple Redwood trees. Our site was nice and separated from others by bushes and trees which made for a better overall experience. 7 y/o son: This was a very nice campground. Our site was a very nice site sitting right on the creek. It was very spacious and we did not have to be cautious about where we went to the bathroom because other campsites were blocked out of view by bushes and trees. One of my favorite things about this campground is that you can live among Redwoods and they are just across the creek from you. Also there's a big nice field to see elk in just outside the campground.

We hiked the James Irvine - Gold Bluffs (Coastal Trail) - Miners Ridge loop (11.5 Miles, about 5-6 hours). This hike which leads through the Fern Canyon is completely inside the State Park. The variety is unparalleled - extensive old growth forest, a "hanging garden" canyon and about a mile on wide open ocean beach. The trails have some surprising transitions, for instance as the trail suddenly drops from old growth forest into the stream bed of Fern Canyon then leading to the sand dunes of Gold Bluffs Beach. This was a true highlight of our two week California road trip which also took us to Yosemite and Lassen National Parks.Coming from Europe, we found it strange that vehicle access is allowed along the (gravel) road to Gold Bluffs Beach, even if a fee is required. The Fern Canyon area really should be restricted to walk in only. Eventually the park administration will pick up on this necessary change to protect the unique natural treasures of this wonderful State Park, we hope!

This has to be one of the most beautiful state parks in California. We drove out dirt Davidson Rd to Gold Bluffs Beach. No four wheel drive needed, just good sense. We walked into Fern Canyon. Not to be missed. Back at the beach, we saw seals, and a dolphin. In the meadow by the beachwe saw two male Roosevelt elk grazing. Back at Elk Meadow we saw a group of females and their young. Took a nice short hike (more of a walk really) near the vicinity of the Visitors Center and saw a nice variety of plants and trees. Wish we had more time here.