Attractions of North California

• Eureka (Carson Mansion, Victorian homes)
• Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation (California largest reservation)
• Ferndale ("prettiest painted place in America")
• Arcata,
• Fortuna (oldest rodeo in California on July 18/19)
• Cape Mendocino (westermost point in California)
• Avenue of the Giants (tallest trees in the world)
• King Range
• King Range
• Lost Coast (unspoilt coast with Shelter Cove, King Range, etc)
• Mendocino
• Mount Shasta
• Shasta Lake (largest commercial houseboat fleet in the world)
• Redding: Turtle Bay Exploration Park and +Sundial Bridge
• Lava Beds
• Lassen Volcanic Park
• Redwoods National Park

1. The main gate to the Lost Coast is Shelter Cove, a little town about 40 minutes west of Garberville (four hours north of San Francisco on 101). There are several small campgrounds before Shelter Cove, and it is also possible to camp on the beach. One can hike all the way to Petralia along the coast, but usually a few kms are enough to get a feeling. Behind the Lost Coast is King Range, a foresty series of hills that drop dramatically into the sea. A rewarding hike that mixes both Lost Coast and King Range is a loop from Saddle Mountain to King Peak (8 kms) down the Rattlesnake Trail to the beach (10 kms), i.e. Big Flat, south 6kms long the coast to Buck Creek trail, up to Saddle Mountain (6kms), for a total of 30 kms. The uphill part is devastating (whichever way you do the loop). There is water at the bottom of the Rattlesnake Trail. The trail on the coast is impassable during high tide. Kings Peak is the highest point along the coast north of Big Sur. Needless to say, there's a reason if it's called "rattlesnake" trail: watch out.
   
   Tides
   Lost Coast rangers
2. Redwood National Park and neighboring Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (Most of these trails are described on their website)
   • Klamath Section of the Coast trail (wildlife, rivers, ocean views, whale watching) from Klamath River Overlook off Requa Rd to Wilson Creek off highway 101 via Hidden Beach (13kms each way)
     
   • Rhododendron Trail from Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
   • Prairie Creek Trail from Drury Scenic Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
   • Lost Man Creek Trail from Lost Man Creek Picnic Area also in Prairie Creek Redwoods SP (3km, very easy and one of the best for tall redwoods)
     
   • Tall Trees Trail from Dolason Trail off Bald Hills Road, the trail that leads to the tallest trees
   • Tall Trees Trail from Tall Trees Rd (much shorter than from Dolason but requires a permit, 4kms each way)
     
   • Lady Bird Johnson Trail, most visited trail in Redwood NP (very short but one of the best for tall redwoods)
   • Redwoood Creek Trail (26kms one way)
   • From Prairie Creek Redwoods Park's headquarters, hike the Prairie Creek Trail to Zigzag 2 to West Ridge Trail to the Coast Trail, then south to Fern Canyon (where you then up the canyon to the stairs (the stairs are easy to miss), then up the stairs to the James Irvine trail that loops back to headquarters
   • Camping in Redwood National Park: free camping at Redwood Creek (get a permit from park headquarters, then drive up Bald Hills Rd, turn right after the overlook into the gated dirt road (the combination to open the lock is in the permit), drive to the end of the road, park, hike down, turn left at the first junction and then go straight down to the Redwood Creek, camp on the tiny sandy section of the river bar (a steep 2km hike)
   • Camping on the beach: go to Patricks Point Park and get a permit to camp on the beach north of the park

28-30 May 2005