Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > United States
Reload this Page >

Northern California Redwoods and Trinity Alps with a little serendipity

Northern California Redwoods and Trinity Alps with a little serendipity

Old Aug 17th, 2010, 05:18 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Northern California Redwoods and Trinity Alps with a little serendipity

Our 12-day plan included Avenue of the Giants (Humboldt Redwoods State Park), Redwoods National Park including Jedediah Smith State Park, and a lot of other places, with a combination of low-stress camping (no cooking) and motels. However, we veered off-course, as serendipity intervened, and also headed to the Trinity Alps, where we accidently found Coffee Creek Ranch. All-told, this was one of our top-5 vacations! We would have gladly spent a week longer in the Redwoods...and at Coffee Creek as well.

Unfortunately, I had a really bad fall a week before we left, tripping on a raised sidewalk edge and sustaining a nasty head injury. Misery for a full week. Stitches out the day before we left. I felt rocky, but determined to go. Luckily, hiking trails in the redwoods are relatively level, soft with humus, with few surprises, unlike hiking in the desert or in the Sierras.

DH had gone to the library and checked out some classic CDs for our trip.
Travel music on first day: "Annie Get Your Gun" - original 1946 Broadway cast recording with Ethel Merman, "Australia Collection" - work songs of the Outback, and Japanese Flute Melodies with Jean Pierre Rampal. Perfect! We sang along ( at full voice) on everything, and then drove in awe through the redwoods to the Japanese flutes until we arrived at Burlington Campground.

Burlington Campground is in a nice location next to the Visitor Center, just a few miles north of Myers Flat on the old Avenue of the Giants. We noticed that all the restaurants in Myers Flat had closed down, and that the funky market was still there, but only with its usual supply of Hostess Cupcakes, Slim Jims, Ho-Hos, and ice cream. The best thing to buy there was ice, $2/bag including tax.

Firewood was available at the ranger gate, 12 pieces for $7. Kiln-dried redwood and it really burned great! The campsites were clean and decent and had metal bear boxes. Bathrooms were spotless; private toilet/sink and private hot showers. If all campgrounds were like this, I'd camp more often! The only minus came at bedtime: we could hear the traffic of Hwy 101 up the hill, something we are not used to hearing while in the woods!

This campground was extremely well-run. I'm embarrassed to say that we got in trouble for "laughing after 10PM" - the ranger came to scold us at 10:10 - we had no idea it was that late, nor were we very loud, but sound does carry in a campground. We were actually grateful they do try to keep a quiet campground from 10PM til 6AM, and the next night we kept REALLY quiet.

The first day we took things slowly (due to my headache). DH insisted on going to the Visitor Center to see a film on the Christmas Floods of 1964. I am so glad! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND seeing this film (just ask one of the volunteers). It provides 30 min. of history that will put your entire trip to the redwoods in perspective!

Since we've been to this area before, we selected one hike...well...stroll. The Drury-Chaney Loop Trail has always been one of my favorites. Usually there is not a soul on it. There are no huge trees, but I love the ambiance of it. (I'll post photos).

After the walk, we went to a fabulous little organic produce stand near Pepperwood. It has the best-ever blackberry popsicles!! On the honor system, you weigh the vegetables you want and/or pick up the popsicles from the freezer, and put the money in the box. I can still taste those popsicles!! Yum! Just like devouring a half-basket of fresh blackberries!

The next day we broke camp and headed to Scotia, an historic logging town.
(To be continued...)
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 17th, 2010, 05:24 PM
  #2  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Had a new camera, so still learning how to use it.
Here are some photos of Drury-Chaney Loop Trail and also the Blackberry Popsicle stand.
http://picasaweb.google.com/11311921...j4gujRpZewuAE#
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 18th, 2010, 08:00 AM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re. the film on the Floods of 1964: What made this film especially interesting was the raw news footage from the time.
We wanted to see it again, and asked at the other visitor centers (there are 3) in Redwoods National Park, but they didn't have it. Surprising, because it pertains to that region more specifically. If enough people ask about it, I'm sure the Park Service will get it. So please ask!

SCOTIA was a company town (logging). We toured around by car, and stopped at the historic Scotia Inn. The innkeeper was so friendly, we spent a long time chatting with her, and she invited us to walk around and look in all the rooms. It's a beautiful place, the rooms are clean and comfortable and not too "cutesy" in decor. It's huge, with full restaurant and dance floor. We ran out of time so had to skip the museum, but the innkeeper suggested a wonderful backroad from Scotia to Rio Dell to FERNDALE (Belleview Rd). Here we saw old and intricately built farm houses, long-time dairies, the old cemetary on Grizzly Bluff Rd, Fireman's Park, and the wonderfully preserved town of Ferndale. DH especially loved browsing through the mercantile there. Lunch was a bargain at Ferndale Pizza, $5.70 for a huge (1/2 order) of homemade lasagne or spaghetti and meatballs - not what we'd normally eat, but it was delicious! There were several other appealing restaurants in Ferndale as well.

We stopped in MCKINLEYVILLE - last available stop for groceries at Safeway until you get to Crescent City.

Heads up: We almost missed the visitor center south of ORICK. The sign on the highway was very low-key and only said "Visitor Information" and we drove right by. Oops. Had to turn around. The KUCHEL VISITOR CENTER is off the road and not that visible. Nice picnic area here, with hills, forest, and ocean all in the same scene. A large harem of elk and a few mules kept an eye on us as we walked the boardwalk, and a couple of rabbits hopped near our feet.

We drove north to KLAMATH to Ravenwood Motel, our home for the next couple of days. Excellent place. We had a "suite" with living room, modern, well-equipped kitchen and bedroom, all extremely clean and comfortable. Owners were very nice and accommodating, providing a decent continental breakfast with some home-baked items. Highly recommended.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 18th, 2010, 06:19 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OK what visitor center has the movie? The Burlington campground visitor center?
smom is offline  
Old Aug 18th, 2010, 06:44 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,518
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Can't wait to hear about Coffee Creek. Trinity Alps are high on our list.
enzian is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 07:26 AM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think it was the visitor center for Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It is right next to the entrance for Burlington Campground, on Avenue of the Giants a few miles north of Myers Flat.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 07:32 AM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The film on the floods showed how the town of Pepperwood was completely wiped out along with other towns in the region. Also 18 State bridges and 104 County bridges were destroyed by the powerful water. It showed a number of landmarks that can be recognized as you explore the entire Northern California Redwoods area.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 08:27 AM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'll give information on this section of the trip in two sections, Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith State Park.
We stayed at Ravenwood Motel in Klamath and also camped a few nights at Jedediah Smith during this time.

REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK: This is a huge park, comprised of National Forest service land and 3 California State Parks. It's all about jurisdiction, agencies, responsibilities and politics. There is very little private land. Most is either US Forest Service or Native American tribal lands. The astounding fact is that 96% of the coastal redwoods are gone. Our visit to this area made us grateful that such protection was put in place. (However, the effect on the local economy from the 1964 floods and the Protection Act is obvious).

This is not really a drive-through park. If you stay on HWY 101, you will have a lovely drive but will see nothing of the park. At the very least, you must drive the Newman B. Drury Scenic Drive Alternate Route (between Prairie Creek and Klamath). Better yet, stop along this road at any of the pull-outs and walk several yards onto an access trail. The key here is not to "see" redwoods but to EXPERIENCE them!

GET A MAP!
We learned a bit late into our trip that the free map given at the Visitor Center was inadequate. Since there is no entrance fee, I highly recommend purchasing a detailed trail map, specifically "Redwood National and State Parks NORTH" (about $7) for the majority of easy access trails. However, if you plan to hike into the southern area around Tall Trees, the "SOUTH" version would be helpful. These maps show elevation gain and mileage of the trails. We found the free brochures (and even signage) to be contradictory and confusing at times. In the southern section, if you plan only to walk Tall Trees Grove Trail and Lady Bird Johnson Grove, the free map/brochure will probably be fine. All maps are available at the 3 Visitor Centers (Orick, Prairie Creek, Crescent City).

TALL TREES GROVE: A real hike with elevation loss/gain. You need a permit (free at any of the 3 Visitor Centers) as access is limited. However, the ranger told us that they never run out of permits unless it is a major holiday weekend, so you don't have to worry about getting up at the crack of dawn to get it. The drive up the mountain on Bald Hills Rd. is fabulous and takes about 45 minutes. At the turnoff, you use an access code to get through the gate. (We were greeted here by a swarm of giant hungry mosquitos but no sign of the bear cub mentioned by the ranger. Bring insect repellent). The trail descends into a primeval forest of redwoods, rhododendrons (in tree form, some still in bloom in August!), azaleas, big leaf maples and bay laurels. The trail is very unique, almost like being on a movie set.

The Tall Trees Grove can also be accessed by a 7.7 mile walking trail, relatively level with some fording of the creek. No permit needed (but I'd get the good map for this). This is on our list for next time.

If you are unable to go to Tall Trees Grove, don't worry. There is so much to experience in this park, it won't really matter. It's all wonderful!

Next up: Lady Bird Johnson Grove and more...
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 09:52 AM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The differences in the trails in this park are not as dramatic as a place like Zion National Park or Yellowstone. You generally see the same basic flora, but each trail demonstrates its own unique ecosystem. The basic characteristics are the same, the atmosphere is different. Each holds a different experience for you.

LADY BIRD JOHNSON GROVE: a one-mile easy loop with numerous benches along the way. Lush and damp with lots of ferns. Just beautiful. Perhaps the #1 trail in this part of the park, a must-do! (Be advised, for the elderly, there is an arching pedestrian overpass that takes you from the parking area over the road to the trailhead, requiring a little extra energy and distance. The pit toilet here was unpleasant, due to the large number of visitors. Plan ahead and use the RR at the Visitor Center nearby).

To be continued: Fern Canyon, Elk, and more...
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 01:31 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,443
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds like a good trip- Except the music, lol.
spirobulldog is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2010, 05:50 PM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lol re. the music. DH likes to find obscure stuff. Maybe I'll leave that out of my posts!
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 20th, 2010, 08:54 AM
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
(Re. the music: We drove up the mountain to Tall Trees Grove to the sounds of "Dawgalicious" - David Grisman Quintet; we drove down the mountain to the glorious music of Louie Armstrong and his Hot 5, recordings between 1925 - 1932, from the days when music was recorded in 1 take; this one included an argument with one of the musicians who wanted to stop and eat chitlins)!! OK, 'nuff said about our travel music!)

The ELK:
Roosevelt elk were easy to find. Whenever we saw an odd collection of cars by the side of the road (or sometimes in the middle of the road!) and a lot of people with cameras, we knew we would see elk. There were large harems; perhaps it was near mating season. We always saw them in or near the meadow at Prairie Creek Visitor Center. Sometimes they were across the road resting in the brush.

FERN CANYON:
It is recommended to hike into Fern Canyon from Prairie Creek Visitor Center. However, I was still feeling the effects of my head injury, so we opted to drive in. To get there by car, you take Davison Rd. off Hwy 101 toward Gold Bluffs Beach. This road was a little rough in the beginning for our Prius, but it improved further in, although we did have to cross a stream a few times. There was an $8 State Park fee to enter here, but the ranger noticed our old sticker from Humboldt Redwoods State Park and said it was good for entry here as well. So glad I hadn't thrown that sticker away like DH wanted me to!

We parked at the trailhead and took the Fern Canyon Loop Trail. There were a number of stream crossings assisted by "seasonal bridges" that were planks of wood, and it was very muddy and damp here, of course. Fern Canyon was a 1/2 mile slot canyon with walls covered in a texture of ferns! There was a stairway at the end, so you could choose to take the ridge trail and loop out or just return the way you came. The entire trail had such interesting plant-life that we took some time to examine it. What looked like moss here was actually a very tiny fern-like plant! (The entire visit to this area made me wish I could return to college to study the ecosystem of this region).

GOLD BLUFFS BEACH:
The campground is really nice, right on the beach, with a few sand dunes, clean restrooms and showers. A little windy. Maybe too cold, my husband said and nixed the idea of spending a few nights here in our tent. (I think we would have been fine!) We did use the picnic area for our lunch.

On the drive out Davison Rd., we realized that the sepia tone of the plant-life along the road was actually created by cars stirring up dust and dirt, which would then cling to the damp leaves (created by the damp fog).

More RNP to be cont'd...
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 07:08 PM
  #13  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Redwoods, cont'd:

Prairie Creek Visitor Center: very old-style, original, with stone fireplace. From here there are many trailheads. One terrific and easy one is PRAIRIE CREEK TRAIL, which pretty much follows the creek and the Newman B. Drury Scenic Parkway. There are numerous trailhead accesses along Drury parkway, so you can pretty much stop and begin this trail anywhere you like, looping back on the other side of the creek or along the roadway. (Use the map I suggested for the best detail).

AH-PAH Trail - a short 1/4 mile trail that demonstrates a reforestation project. This is more narrow and descends slightly, but it is a lovely trail that we enjoyed far more than we expected.

COASTAL DRIVE: You can go either direction, but best is north to south. Pick up the road near the bridge at Klamath. You will see the remnants of the old Klamath Bridge and its sentry bears, demolished in the floods of 1964. At some point the road becomes dirt but is easily driveable. Most fascinating for us was the WWII radar station, built to look like a working farm. There is a small pull-out and a trail down to the farmhouse.

On the north side of the Klamath River is a turn-off at Requa Rd. This will take you to the KLAMATH OVERLOOK, where, a ranger told us, we could see grey whales feeding and harbor seals and dolphins frolicking. When we went, the fog was too thick to see anything, so we drove down to Mouth of Klamath Rd. to see the mouth of the river and the view underneath the fog. A herd of curious goats swarmed our car here, providing a little entertainment.

One trail other hikers were excited about was DAMNATION TRAIL at milemarker 16, north of Klamath. This trail has a lot of elevation loss/gain but has a terrific view of the ocean where the forest slopes right down to the waves. We weren't able to take this hike but have it on our list for next time.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 23rd, 2010, 11:03 AM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We pretty much skipped the section between Klamath and Crescent City. I'm sure there is much to see and do here but we didn't have enough time.

CRESCENT CITY: seems to have improved over time. Lots of motels here right across from some very accessible beaches. We saw many people wading in the water here. This is a great place to stock up on supplies. We used the Safeway and Wal-mart. Recommended restaurants: The CHART ROOM on the harbor had fabulously fresh fish and chips (fresh Alaskan cod) with housemade coleslaw for $9.95. It rivaled the fish and chips we had in Victoria, BC. The GOOD HARVEST CAFE was pretty good, too, offering fresh vegetables and interesting salads along with their own roasted turkey and house ground hamburger. There is something for everyone on their menu at all 3 meals. I loved the fact that I could get a large glass of fresh carrot juice. We ate here twice.

I do NOT recommend Laundry World (next to Safeway). It was $5 for a large wash and $3.50 for a small one. Look for something less expensive.

JEDEDIAH SMITH STATE PARK - the park and campground are at the same entrance. This campground on the river is one of the best we've been in. Great location in old-growth redwoods, right on the Smith River, and campsites are fairly private with lots of trees and shrubs. The day use areas are very nice also. The river is beautiful and gentle with lots of swimming and wading areas. You can walk across a seasonal bridge to get to STOUT GROVE and several other lovely trails through ancient redwood forest.

If you are coming into Redwood National Park on Hwy 199, you can stop at the Visitor Center in Crescent City (2nd St.) to get information and a map.

One evening, before dark, we drove HOWLAND HILL ROAD from Jed Smith to Crescent City for dinner. Gorgeous drive, narrow dirt road, but not too remote. There was a lot of traffic on this road. There are some great trails off this road which we will try next visit. We saw quite a few cars parked at the trailheads.

We found it very easy to camp at Jed Smith and go to Crescent City for dinners. It was only a 17-minute drive on Hwy 199.

** Our very favorite walking trail in the redwoods was on Hwy 199 just west of Jedediah Smith SP: SIMPSON-REED and PETERSON MEMORIAL TRAILS. The forest was lush and the signposts were so informative. If you are on Hwy 199 this is definitely a 'must-do.'
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 23rd, 2010, 11:40 AM
  #15  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Some photos of Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith State Parks: http://tinyurl.com/2apk5mz
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 26th, 2010, 08:20 AM
  #16  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
On our return trip south, we stopped in ARCATA. A young couple directed us to Old Town and also recommended the very old Hotel Arcata, right on the Plaza. This was a great recommendation, as we normally would have just passed this place by. It had been nicely restored, there were only 3 rooms left (as it was Orientation Week at the University) and we selected a large, quiet room at the end of a hall. Very comfortable and we could open our windows to let in the cool night air.

We explored the old downtown and stopped by the excellent Co-op 1 block away, where we were given a few restaurant recommendations (including Three Foods, which wasn't open that night). We finally chose Tomo, the restaurant on the first floor of our hotel. Wonderful! It is known for sushi, but had an excellent menu of a wide range of fresh choices. We found the entire town very friendly.

The next day we drove on Hwy 299 toward Weaverville with plans to explore the Trinity Alps for the next week. I will post a different thread on this area, so it will be found more easily by those interested in that area.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 26th, 2010, 07:59 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I love your pictures! I am getting excited about my trip in September.
smom is offline  
Old Aug 27th, 2010, 09:34 AM
  #18  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks. I wasn't sure if anyone was even interested in this post, so thank you for the response. Your visit will be so much better than the photos. The redwoods are an experience.
elnap29 is offline  
Old Aug 27th, 2010, 12:57 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I enjoyed your post and description of the routes and how long they take to drive. I called RNP and they are sending me some info!
smom is offline  
Old Aug 27th, 2010, 02:38 PM
  #20  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Error correction: There is no Wal-Mart in Crescent City. I should have written 'Walgreens.'
elnap29 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -