Gold Bluffs Beach is about 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of the small town of Orick. Follow a narrow, winding road cutting through dense forest. This challenging but enjoyable drive to reach the shoreline means that the beach rarely gets crowds of visitors. While you won’t see many other people, watch for herds of Roosevelt elk moving between the trees or standing or sleeping in the fields. Other wildlife includes rabbits, squirrels, foxes, birds. Look for seals once you arrive at the ocean.
In the 1850s miners actually found gold in the sands here. Stroll along the quiet shoreline overlooked by tall cliffs to hunt for seashells. The 10-mile-long (16-kilometer) beach also collects driftwood, sometimes taking unusual shapes. Help the kids build a sand castle and use the wood to dig a moat around it or bring your own beach trowels and pails. Reserve a primitive campsite near the beach and let the sound of the waves lull you to sleep each evening.
Drive or walk to Fern Canyon, 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) north of the campground. As you hike through the canyon, the dense vegetation, tall trees and ferns everywhere might remind you of scenes from The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Parts of the movie were filmed here, but be assured there are no velociraptors in the park. Instead, look for Pacific giant salamanders and northern red-legged frogs hiding under rocks or leaves of the canyon’s seven fern species. This 1.1-mile (1.8-kilometer) loop trail is very popular and can get crowded in summer.
Pay the state park entrance fee to access Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. The two sites are located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Eureka, California. The park is open year round. Bring water shoes for the hike in Fern Canyon, as you are likely to be walking in the creek for at least part of the journey. While you’re in the Orick area, visit other sites such as the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center, Trillium Falls Trail, Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Tour Thru Tree in Klamath.
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