California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

(Dana P.) #1
The Drive » Follow the
winding road through beautiful
inland forests with views of the
east and its layers of ridges and
valleys, until you reach Klamath
with its bear bridge. Del Norte
Coast Redwoods State Park is
just a few minutes up the road.

6 Del Norte Coast
Redwoods State Park
Marked by steep canyons
and dense woods, half
the 6400 acres of this
park (vehicle day-use $8)
are virgin redwood
forest, crisscrossed by
15 miles of hiking trails.
Even the most cynical of
redwood-watchers can’t
help but be moved. Tall
trees cling precipitously
to canyon walls that drop

to the rocky, timber-
strewn coastline. It’s
almost impossible to
get to the water, except
via gorgeous but steep
Damnation Creek Trail
or Footsteps Rock Trail.
The former may be only
4 miles long, but the
1100-ft elevation change
and cliffside redwood
makes it the park’s best
hike. The unmarked
trailhead starts from a
parking area off Hwy 101
at Mile 16.

The Drive » Leaving Del
Norte Coast Redwoods State
Park you’ll enter dreary little
Crescent City, a fine enough
place to gas up or grab a bite,
but not worth stopping long.
North of town, Hwy 199 splits
off. Take it to South Fork Rd; turn
right after crossing two bridges.

7 Jedediah Smith
Redwoods State Park
The final stop on the trip
is loaded with worthy
superlatives –
the northernmost
park has the densest
population of redwood
and the last natural
undammed, free-flowing
river in California, the
sparkling Smith. All
in all Jedediah Smith
Redwoods State Park
is a jewel. The redwood
here is so dense few
trails penetrate the park,
so instead of hiking,
drive the outstanding
11-mile Howland Hill
Scenic Drive, which
cuts through otherwise
inaccessible areas. It’s
a rough, unpaved road,
and it gets graded only
once a year in spring
and can close if there are
fallen trees or washouts,
but you’ll feel as if you’re
visiting from Lilliput
as you cruise under the
gargantuan trunks. To
spend the night, reserve
at the park’s fabulous
campground tucked
along the banks of the
Smith.

45 p131


TRIP HIGHLIGHT

Start: 5 Redwood National Park
Just north of Orick is the turn-off for the 8-mile
parkway, which runs parallel to Hwy 101 through
untouched ancient redwood forests. It’s worth the
short detour off the freeway to view the magnificence
of these trees. Numerous trails branch off from
roadside pullouts, including family- and ADA
(American Disabilities Act) -friendly trails Big Tree
and Revelation Trail.

NEWTON B DRURY
SCENIC PARKWAY

DETOUR:


NORTHERN.CALIFORNIA

10


(^) NORTHERN REDWOOD COAST

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