March 3, 2022

California – Fern Canyon Hike in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park


If you’re feeling a bit of big tree fatigued while visiting Redwood National and State Parks, boy do I have the experience for you! As you might expect, Fern Canyon is full of ferns. But as you might NOT expect, the ferns cover the walls instead of the ground. The ground is a mixture of pebbles, branches, trees, and stream water. Visiting on a misty day in early March, my travel partner and I explored the fantasy world of Fern Canyon by tip-toeing through the stream.

Lately, I’ve seen more and more about Fern Canyon on social media, so it’s not a secret. In fact, on a weekday during the off-season, there was almost no moment we were alone. Part of that reason is that it is a short trail – only about 1 mile long – and it is typically used as an out-and-back trail. There’s a chance you’ll see people twice. The park has recently created a permit system if you’re visiting from May 1 to September 30. And although I don’t think the permit or crowds should necessarily stop you from visiting, the drive might! Be sure to read my section about the drive before getting your heart set on it.

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Redwoods National and State Parks – An Introduction

I’ve lived in California my entire life but only recently learned that Redwoods National Park is a combination of the national park and three other state parks! The National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation have long worked together to protect the redwoods. They decided to jointly manage the parks in 1994. Once you know, you’ll see “Redwood National and State Parks” everywhere. Although a tad confusing, the area is so massive that it’s helpful that the state parks kept their names. Here are the different zones, from south to north:

  • Redwoods National Park
  • Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (Where Fern Canyon is located!)
  • Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
  • Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Fern Canyon is located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, with so much to explore! It includes the coastal region, a large open prairie near the Prairie Creek visitor’s center, the Newton B. Drury Scenic Drive, and an old-growth forest. With so much variety, I look forward to coming back to explore more of the area.

Day Use Permit

You will need to get a day-use permit from May 1 to September 30! The only place you can get the permit is online: https://www.redwoodparksconservancy.org/permits/fern-canyon-permits

You can reserve the permit until the day before you’d like to hike, but there is a limit per day/time. The permit is free, but you will still need to pay for day use or your national park annual pass. It’s for four hours, which is plenty of time if you are just doing the short Fern Canyon hike.

I think this is relatively new, or just new to me since we didn’t need one in March. On the one hand, I felt it was a bit busy in March, so I bet it gets crazy in the summer with a lot of wear and tear on the road and trail. On the other hand, I hope this does not exclude people. Personally, I didn’t prioritize seeing the Tall Trees Grove in Redwoods National Park because our plans were fluid, and I didn’t want to lock us in with a permit. If you are visiting in the summer with the potential for crowds, it would be best to make a plan and get the permit in advance.

At a Glance:

  • Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars; I enjoyed myself and would like to see it when the ferns are in their full glory
  • Intensity: Casual clothes with hiking or waterproof shoes – you’ll be walking on a streambed, and your feet will get wet!
  • Location: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California
  • PERMIT REQUIRED! This is a new development and only impacts you if you visit from May 1 to September 30. The permit is free and can be accessed here, but there is a day-use fee.
  • Cost: $8 per vehicle, which is waived if you have the National Park Annual Pass
  • Restrooms: There are non-flushing toilets in the parking area
  • Timing: 30 mins – 2 hours
  • Distance: 1 mile
  • Elevation Gain: 75 ft

Highlights:

  • Walk into a canyon, where the walls on either side are covered with ferns and plants!
  • Roosevelt Elk! We saw a small herd up close and right off the road. We were able to drive by slowly without bothering them.
  • Superfun to explore the canyon, walk over logs, and look at the microenvironment.
  • Short trail with so much to see, so I think this would be a phenomenal hike for families.

Lowlights:

  • There is a gnarly stream-crossing on the drive to the parking area. My Prius *barely* made it. I’ve dedicated a section about the drive to the parking area and alternatives.
  • Perhaps it was the season, but the ferns were not at their full glory. Many were brown, and they didn’t seem as full as the photos I saw in advance.
  • It’s a popular trail! Don’t expect to be alone.
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Fern Canyon Trail

There are two ways to get to Fern Canyon – the quick and easy way from the coast or the longer, more challenging way along the James Irving Trail. We opted for the easy way from the beach, which is what I’ll be covering in this blog post. From the trailhead and parking area, there is a short path at the base of a hill that follows the coast to the north. Watch out for muddy sections. Within 10 minutes, you’ll reach the entrance to the canyon and wide streambed.

From the start of the canyon, you’ll see why I recommend waterproof hiking shoes or hiking sandals – you’re walking upstream into the canyon. I think it’s a better experience if you’re not constantly worrying about getting your feet wet, but it’s also fun to balance on logs and branches! Almost like a scenic obstacle course, but slower as you take in the sights.

Almost immediately, you are engulfed by the canyon. There are points at which the canyon walls are higher, and you are staring up at a wall of plants. Other times, the walls are a little lower or further apart. There were a few flat planks to help cross the streams, but for the most part, it’s up to you as to how you make your way through the canyon on the rocky bottom with logs and branches strewn about.

Ferns and Microenvironments

In early March, the ferns were not at their full glory, as far as I could tell. Although still beautiful, many of the ferns had browned leaves. They were not as luscious as the photos I’ve seen elsewhere (online, the Prairie Creek informational brochure, and the informational signs at the trailhead). Behind and around the ferns is a cacophony of mosses and plants that like wet environments. Leaves were poking through in some areas, clover-like plants growing on tree stumps, and what seemed like a different microenvironment on each wall that I stopped to observe.

One thing I didn’t expect about the ferns was their movement! I expected them to be stationary, but it was quite the opposite. The ferns leaned to the left or raised upward with every breeze and corrected back to their original position. They were almost always moving, which made the canyon feel alive.

I also liked finding dripping moss walls. Some walls were so consistent in their dripping that it was almost like a tiny waterfall. Other areas dripped slower, and you could watch the fuzzy moss arms capture the water droplets before they dropped again.

When to turn around?

You can turn around at any time to experience the trail again or make it a loop! We opted to backtrack and see everything again. After curving left and right, there will be a point where a giant tree takes up the entire canyon, and we had to duck and climb on the tree to pass. The canyon walls flattened out past this tree, and it seemed more like a regular stream. This felt like a natural turn-around spot, and we made our way back up on the log and through the canyon. It’s faster on the return trip with better knowledge of the log placement and routes. Before long, we were back at the canyon entrance and then the car!

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Roosevelt Elk! (Roosevelk)

There are what seemed to be a couple of different herds of Roosevelt Elk that live in Redwoods National and State Park, and I had hoped to see them during our visit. Little did I know that we would see them every day! We first saw a herd in an aspen grove just off the main highway. Then, as we drove toward the Fern Canyon trailhead on Beach Road, a different herd was eating grass on either side of the road!! They seemed completely unphased by cars as we drove slowly by and snapped a few photos out of the window. We were close enough to get a good whiff of them – I wouldn’t recommend trying to smell them, haha.

After hiking to Fern Canyon and having lunch in the car, we kept our eyes peeled. Turns out that we didn’t have to try too hard because they were right off the road again near the Gold Bluff Campground, lounging and eating grass. I got another incredible view of the elk, and there seemed to be some subadults! I believe it was the same herd that leisurely made their way down the road. It’s common to see elk at Gold Bluff Beach.

Please note that Roosevelt Elk can be very aggressive, and you should never approach one. The ones we saw were totally unamused by us, but we did get a few stare-downs. We stayed in the car and didn’t stop for very long each time. Please be smart when elk-spotting.

Dirt Roads and a Stream Crossing!

Part of the Fern Canyon experience is the drive to get there, and it needs its own section! Looking at the map, Fern Canyon doesn’t seem very far from the 10, which would be true if it were all paved. This is not the case. There are two types of dirt road and a severe stream crossing between the highway and the trailhead. I would buffer at least 30 minutes to get there! The first dirt road you’ll encounter is Davison Road, and it is not a problem. It’s hilly with curves, but the gravel was well maintained with gorgeous views of redwood trees.

At the bottom of the hill on Davison Road, you’ll run into the entrance kiosk and Beach Road, where things began to get dicey. It was great to chat with the ranger at the entrance kiosk because she let us know about the rough road conditions and the stream crossing. She said that *most* cars make it. If we were to get stuck, it would be on us to call a tow truck and get our car out. This kiosk is where you would pay $8.00 per vehicle (covered by my annual parks pass) and show your day-use permit (if needed.)

Beach Road is where things slow down considerably. Although flat, it is a minefield of giant potholes to be avoided. With oncoming cars, it is slow-going but doable in a Toyota Prius. The stream crossing was even more tricky.

Stream Crossing

My travel partner and I were concerned about the stream crossing in my blue Prius (not exactly a high clearance vehicle). As we approached the Gold Bluffs Campground, we saw another blue prius!! We flagged it down and laughed as we asked them if a blue Prius could handle the stream crossing. Although the other couple hadn’t done the stream crossing during their visit, they had done it before and were confident we could make it.

Upon reaching the stream, we saw why it could be an issue. There was a deep section in the middle of the road. We inspected the stream from different angles and could see little pieces of plastic littered around the road from other cars. After much consideration, we decided to take it across a section of the stream that was shallower but had steeper banks. As you might have guessed by me writing about Fern Canyon, we made it! It helped that I got out of the car (so only one person was in it) and we took a strategic approach with our low-clearance vehicle…. But do the stream crossing at your own risk!

Alternatives to the Steam Crossing

If you’re not so sure about doing the stream crossing, there are some alternative options. You could park at the Gold Bluff campground and walk to the trailhead, adding one mile of flat road in each direction. Or you could hike the James Irvine Trail, a 10-mile trail that starts from Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. Although long, I bet you would have a much quieter experience on most of the trail and see beautiful redwoods!

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Taking Photos in the Fern Canyon

Fern Canyon is ridiculously scenic. There is a ton to capture between the fern-covered walls, the pebble and branch-strewn streamed, and mosses! It was a misty/cloudy morning, so some of the photos came out a little faded, but overall it was super fun to take pictures in the canyon. Here are a few ideas to capture yourself in Fern Canyon:

  1. With the fern wall, but of course! I mean, this is why you’re here. Try to capture yourself with the ferns taking up the entirety of the background. This will be even more impressive in a section with a high wall and the camera further away. You could ask someone to take your photo or set up a tripod on the log.
  2. Balancing on a log — you’ll be doing plenty of balancing while navigating the streambed, might as well capture it! I also think it’s adorable.
  3. Sitting/climbing on the big tree — The large fallen tree where we turned around had ample photo opportunities with interesting angles. Spend some time here to capture photos from above or below the subject.
  4. From a low angle — Another fun photo is from a low angle with the stream in the foreground. This emphasizes that you’re walking through water and makes the walls seem even more impressive.

By the way, all the photos in this blog post are taken on my iPhone 12 Pro. I don’t yet own a DSLR, so if you like these photos, you can likely replicate them!

Getting to the Trailhead

The trailhead is on GoogleMaps under “Coastal Trail and Fern Canyon Loop Trail” because there are many fern canyons! Alternatively, you could search for “Gold Bluffs Beach,” which is on the same road. From Highway 101, you would turn on Davison Road and continue straight onto the dirt road as you pass over the hill and toward the coast. At the bottom of the Davison hill road, there is the beach entrance kiosk, and it turns into Beach Road. The trailhead is at the very end of Beach Road.

Fern Canyon – What to Bring with You

Although Fern Canyon can be super short and not difficult, I still recommend bringing water and other essentials in a small backpack, such as:

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Other Hikes: Redwood National and State Parks

There is so much to discover in Redwoods National and State Parks. Seriously, so much. Since this was my first visit, I opted to do shorter hikes in each of the areas instead of doing longer hikes. Here’s the other hikes I did during our visit:

Overall Thoughts: Fern Canyon

What a fantastic change of pace. While in Redwoods National and State Parks, I was often so busy walking through groves and looking up at trees that I forgot that I was on the coast! The Fern Canyon hike is wonderful not just for the two-story canyon walls covered by ferns, but also for the fun experience getting there! It was incredible to see the Roosevelt Elk close up, drive along the beach, and explore the canyon.

Then, Fern Canyon itself was a fun experience. I loved trying to navigate the stream and fallen branches while also taking photos of the ferns and mosses. Those who have a deep interest in plants will surely enjoy this experience. I was a little bummed that the ferns were looking a bit brown, but I’ll just have to go back during the summer (with a permit!).

I cannot wait to go back to Redwood National and State Parks. Now that I have a better understanding of the area and different parks, I am looking forward to doing a few longer trails. Do you have a favorite hiking trail in Redwoods National and State Parks that I should check out? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Travels,

Hanna

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Filed Under: California, Hikey Climby

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