Redwood Part 2: Sun, Fog, and Ferns
It was foggy when we awoke, but it looked like the fog would burn off soon. On our way out of Crescent City, we stopped at Elk Valley Rancheria, part of territory of the Native American Toluwa and Yurok tribes, and adjacent to Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. The tribes operated a fuel mart and a casino, but I was more interested in the hiking trails and the herd of Roosevelt elk, the largest in the elk family.
We immediately saw about a dozen elk in the meadow next to the casino parking lot! We watched them graze near the ponds for a while, and then walked to the trailhead. It was sunny now, but to the west, on the coast, there was a thick wall of fog. We climbed up to the overlook, but fog obscured our view of the Pacific Ocean. By the time we returned to the parking lot, the fog had rolled in. It was eerie, in a Stephen King Mist sort of way.
A friendly staff member on the trail had told us about an art gallery in the casino. That’s where we discovered the arresting wildlife photography of Bryant Anderson III, a casino staff member. You can see more of Anderson’s work on his website and on Instagram. We stopped at the Fuel Mart for gas and delicious locally-baked cookies, and hit the road.
We continued south on the Redwood Highway (CA-101), hugging the coastline. As we crested a hill, I looked to the right, expecting to see the ocean, and saw only the blue sky over a carpet of clouds. It was like looking out of an airplane window.
We crossed the Klamath River and then left the highway to drive the Coastal Drive Loop, a narrow road on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Klamath River Estuary. It was sunny on the highway, and foggy on Coastal Drive! This weather was a novelty for us, but probably typical for coastal Northern California.
We left the Redwood Highway again and drove the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. We stopped briefly to see Big Tree, which wasn’t really that big compared to the redwoods we had seen further north. At least the signs were funny.
The star attraction that day was Fern Canyon. I had managed to make a Day-Use reservation the previous day, so we were permitted to drive the 8-mile gravel road along Gold Bluffs Beach. We crossed two small streams - hooray for the Jeep - before reaching the Fern Canyon parking area.
Fern Canyon was about half mile long and 30-50 feet wide, with several twists and turns. The canyon walls rose up to 50 feet on each side and were covered with ferns. Water droplets sparkled in the sunlight as they dripped down the mossy rocks. I was glad I had worn my hiking sandals, as there were several places where the shallow creek was too wide to hop over. Hiking Fern Canyon for the first time was like finding a treasure hidden between the ocean and the forest. What a marvelous, magical place! Bonus: I finally saw a banana slug!
Our last stop for the day was Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwood National Park, dedicated to the First Lady known for her beautification and conservation efforts. When the grove opened in 1969, a portion of it was a clear-cut - a hillside completely bare except for the stumps of ancient trees. Now, as we walked through the old-growth forest, we could see the slender trunks of the second-growth forest.
Our final destination for the day was the tiny coastal town of Trinidad, California, near the southern end of Redwood National and State Parks.
