Grove of Titans, Jedediah Smith Park (Crescent City)

I listed Grove of Titans first because it was my favorite of the eight hikes I did over this weekend. Getting there is part of the fun – down this windy dirt road weaving through giant redwoods. Part of the trail is on these elevated planks above ferns, and the scenery has you convinced you are in CGI rendered Jurassic Park wonderland. This is the only hike I did in Jedediah Smith, and didn’t see how any hike could top this one. Shady throughout, this mellow 3-miler is a perfect summer heat escape.

Prairie Creek Redwoods (Orick)

I mentioned Jurassic Park scenery above, and Prairie Creek Redwoods has the honor of actually having Jurassic Park filmed there. Only problem is that the hike to see the film location (Fern Canyon trail) requires a permit as of this writing (when I checked, it was booked a couple months out). But no worries, because about any hike in Prairie Creek is going to filled with plenty of awesome scenery. Three I recommend are the Big Tree Loop, Brown Creek Loop and Trillium Falls (which is actually just south of Prairie Creek in Redwood National Park). If you’re lucky you can also spot some elk. All these shady gems are in the 2-4 mile range.

Enderts Beach Coast Trail (Crescent City)

Enderts Beach hike was the most unique hike of the weekend; it went through three distinct environments – coastal cliffs, tunnels of greenery, and then a final descent down a huge beach rock onto Enderts Beach. 

Avenue of the Giants (between Garberville / Myers Flat)

Avenue of the Giants is best known as an awesome 31-mile drive off 101 through towering redwoods, but it’s hikes are no less stunning. There are numerous spots to pull over for quick 1-3 mile explorations into shady groves, and my three favorites are the Fleischmann Trail (which had some really cool tree trunk photo ops), the Mahan Plaque Trail and the Big Trees area. Some of the trees had hollowed out trunks you can step inside.

Sequoia Park, Eureka

You wouldn’t know if from the pic below, but Sequoia Park is actually right smack dab in the middle of Eureka. There is one main trail that crosses the park, and it is about 1.5 miles. It has a couple creeks and a duck pond, and is worth checking out for an hour if you’re staying in Eureka.

Extra Stuff to Check Out:

Aside from the epic redwoods, the Eureka-Crescent City area has a ton of cool stuff to check out:

Food

I had great BBQ at Porter Street BBQ in Eureka. Get the sampler plate! Their BBQ sauce is in a huge crockpot. For brew, check out The Bigfoot Taproom in McKinleyville. Good beer selection and outdoor seating. The Donut Mill in Eureka has the best glazed donuts I’ve had in a long time, road trip fuel!

Luffenholtz Lookout

This is a quick scenic vista stop along this scenic coastal drive in Trinidad. Trinidad itself is worth checking out, a sleepy coast town with some rock laden coast views.

Ferndale

Ferndale is about 15 miles south of Eureka, and the entire town is on the historic register. It’s like a Victorian living museum…or a movie set. Movies filmed here include Salem’s Lot and Outbreak, and I mention the town in my haunted Halloween road trip post.

Drive-Thru Trees

South of Eureka on 101, both Myer’s Flat and Leggett have redwoods you can drive your car through.

Bigfoot

This is Bigfoot country, and nearby Willow Creek is considered the bigfoot capital of the world. Bigfoot statues and themed stops like the Legend of Bigfoot are south of Eureka on 101. The only Bigfoots I saw unfortunately were a few wooden ones.