About a year ago, when Zach and I were traveling to San Diego from Portland, we decided that we wanted to stop and hike in the Redwoods National Forest. Although the national park itself looked like it would offer some great picnic-and-stroll opportunities, we wanted to actually take a day hike. Through some research, we discovered a section of the forest with some highly-recommended hikes, called Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. We were not disappointed.
Why you should go: Prairie Creek offers 75 miles of hiking trails that lead you through the heart of some of the most amazing redwood trees California has to offer. If you take Fern Canyon or Gold Bluffs Trails, you’ll also pass through light stream-filled woodland and the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
How to get there: It’s in the middle of nowhere (Zach and I were very lucky to find a couchsurfing host within an hour of it), so it’s only accessible by car. Prairie Creek’s homepage has directions and there are plenty of signs to follow.
What to bring: Good hiking clothes with several layers (the temperatures from place to place within the park vary a lot!), snacks and water, a camera.
What to do: We hiked several trails— Miner’s Ridge to James Irvine, along Fern Canyon to Gold Bluffs and back in a loop. This route was about 12 miles. There are plenty of shorter (and a few longer) hikes as well. The visitor’s center was under construction when we visited, but it looked like it would be interesting. There are also several ridiculously scenic picnic spots and camping sites.
What else you need to know: The redwood forest can be overwhelming to the point of numbness; when all the trees are the same size, they stop looking as giant as when you first saw them. To fully appreciate the redwoods, keep your heart open to wonder, and keep on craning your neck back to stare at these trees that have kept vigil over this part of the world for centuries.
~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment