Swimming
▪ Kayaking
▪ Fishing
FLORENCE KELLER COUNTY PARK: Cunningham Ln., off Elk Valley Cross Rd. W. of Hwy. 101, 3 mi. N. of Crescent City. Campground has 50 campsites and accommodates tents and RVs up to 32 feet; running water available. Group picnic sites also available. Easy walking trails, one wheelchair accessible. Call: 707-464-7230.
JEDEDIAH SMITH REDWOODS STATE PARK: Hwy. 199, 5 mi. E. of Hwy. 101. The park encompasses some 10,000 acres, with six miles of Smith River frontage. In summer, daytime temperatures are often considerably warmer than at the nearby coast.
Redwood National and State Parks visitor center is opposite the campground entrance on Hwy. 199. A smaller visitor center is within the campground. Picnic areas overlook the river and a pebbly beach. Some park facilities are wheelchair accessible, including picnic areas, some campsites, the visitor center, and campfire center. Leashed dogs OK in the campground and picnic area. For park information, call: 707-465-7335.
Campground has 89 sites; hot showers available. Some campsites can accommodate trailers or RVs up to 36 feet; no hookups. To reserve campsites, call: 1-800-444-7275. Primitive campsites for hike-in, bike-in, or equestrian use are outside park boundaries along Little Bald Hills Trail.
▪ Hiking
▪ Self-guided nature trail starts near the campground
▪ Stout Grove, with old-growth redwood trees up to 340 feet in height, located one-half mile by trail from gravel Howland Hill Road
SMITH RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA: Hwy. 199, 14 mi. E. of Hwy. 101. Adjoining Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park on the east is Smith River National Recreation Area with river frontage and over 65 miles of trails. Fee for camping. Dogs must be leashed within developed recreation areas. For the visitor center and ranger station, call: 707-457-3131.
▪ River rafting
▪ Mountain biking
▪ Hiking
▪ Myrtle Creek Trail starts at Hwy. 199 one mile east of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park boundary
▪ Campgrounds at Big Flat, Grassy Flat, Panther Flat, and Patrick Creek; for reservable sites, call: 877-444-6777
Del Norte County
Crescent City
GARTH’S BEACH: Radio Rd., .3 mi. N.W. of Washington Blvd./Pebble Beach Dr. intersection. A sloping path leads from roadside parking to a curving sandy beach. Additional parking pull-outs with beach access located south of Washington Boulevard. Beach is sheltered by Point St. George and Castle Rock.
▪ Rocky shore at north end
PEBBLE BEACH ACCESS: Pebble Beach Dr. near Pacific Ave., Crescent City. Along Pebble Beach Dr. are several pull-outs with picnic tables and stairways to the beach. The Crescent City Coastal Trail runs along the shoreline, from Point St. George to Crescent City Harbor. Castle Rock, located due west, is a national wildlife refuge and the second largest seabird colony off the California coast.
PRESTON ISLAND: Pebble Beach Dr. and Condor St., Crescent City. More of a rocky spit than an island; accessible via a paved road down the bluff face.
▪ Beachcombing
▪ Tidepool exploring
▪ Fishing
BROTHER JONATHAN PARK/VISTA POINT: Pebble Beach Dr. and 9th St., Crescent City. Grassy park inland of Pebble Beach Dr. includes a playground and baseball and basketball facilities, as well as a memorial to those lost at sea in the 1865 shipwreck of the steamer Brother Jonathan. On the seaward side of Pebble Beach Dr. is a vista point with picnic tables and bench.
▪ Del Norte County Historical Society Museum at 577 H St. in Crescent City displays items recovered from the wreck of the Brother Jonathan
ACCESSWAYS AT THE ENDS OF 3RD, 5TH, AND 6TH STREETS: W. ends of 3rd, 5th, and 6th streets, Crescent City. Rocky beach can be reached by paths or stairways. There is parking at 3rd and 5th streets; no facilities.
PATH AT OCEANFRONT LODGE: Front and A streets, Crescent City. A short public path leads around the seaward side of the hotel to a narrow driftwood-strewn beach.
▪ Fine views of offshore rocks
▪ Excellent spot for taking sunset photos of Crescent Lighthouse at Battery Point
Del Norte County
Crescent City Harbor
CRESCENT LIGHTHOUSE AT BATTERY POINT: S. end of A St., Crescent City. The lighthouse is perched about 200 yards from shore and can be reached on foot only via a causeway at low tide. Open at 10 AM, tide permitting, daily from April–September and weekends from October–March; for specific tour hours, call: 707-464-3089. On a clear day, St. George Reef Lighthouse is visible some seven miles offshore. Picnic tables and rest-rooms at Battery Point Vista Area at foot of A Street.
NORTH COAST MARINE MAMMAL CENTER: 424 Howe Dr., Beach Front Park, Crescent City. Rescue and rehabilitation service for injured, orphaned, or sick marine mammals; gift shop. Call: 707-465-6265.
▪ When present for rehabilitation, harbor seals or sea lions may be viewed
B STREET PIER: Foot of B Street. Public fishing pier is 900 feet long. Parking and rest-rooms at the foot of A Street.
BEACH FRONT PARK: Between Front St. and Howe Dr., Crescent City. Sports fields, picnic areas, and huge lawns. Along Howe Dr. is a linear park along a sandy beach, incorporating the Crescent City Coastal Trail.
▪ Fred Endert indoor swimming pool with water slide at 1000 Play St.; fee charged
▪ Huge Kid Town play structure on Play Street
REDWOOD NATIONAL & STATE PARKS INFORMATION CENTER: 1111 2nd St., Crescent City. Maps, guidebooks, and information about Redwood National Park and area state parks. Open daily, 9 AM–5 PM, with shorter hours during winter; closed major holidays. Call: 707-465-7306.
CRESCENT CITY COASTAL TRAIL: Shoreline from Point St. George to Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City.
