California’s Northwest Coast

The main draw of this part of California is of course Redwoods National and State Parks; but there is plenty of see outside of the parks as well.

Tolowa Dunes State Park

Just north-west of Redwood National Park is Tolowa Dunes State Park. The park has a lot to offer; but our purpose at Point St. George is to get a look at the St. George Reef lighthouse located about seven miles offshore.

As we arrive we meet an older, local couple who tell us the beach is completely fogged in and provide some suggestions for other places to see and potentially have lunch while we wait for the fog to burn off. After saying goodbye to them, we decide to take the trail down to beach just to get a lay of the land and find that the fog has burned off a little; but not enough. So, we head further down the coast to our next destination.

Point St. George

St. George Reef Light

We try multiple times from the California Coast over the next few weeks and are greeted by a wall of fog every time. Ironically, the best view we get of the lighthouse is from our campground while we were in Brookings Oregon. It’s further away than we wanted and a little too far to get a really good picture; but at least we can see it.

Castle Rock NWR

On the way south from Tolowa Dunes SP, we stop to get a look at Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge while the wall of fog is still behind it. The fog is already moving back in as we are standing here, and by the time we leave the refuge is no longer visible. Unfortunately, we didn’t even have the opportunity to see what animals were on the rock before the fog rolled back in.

The NWR is about 1/2 mile offshore, rises 335 feet above sea level, covers ~14 acres, and is an important sanctuary for the Aleutian cackling goose.

Battery Point – Crescent City, CA

Our next stop is Battery Point Lighthouse and Pier.

Battery Point/Crescent City Lighthouse

Only accessible at low tide, this Cape Cod–style 1850’s lighthouse is on private property; but is open for tours of its tower & living quarters. First lit in December 1856 this lighthouse was manned until 1953 until it was finally decommissioned in 1965. It was then purchased and reactivated in 1982 as a private navigation beacon. We’re here a few hours before low tide, so we don’t have the opportunity to go across to the island. But hey we visit when the fog allows vs the tide.

Trinidad, CA

Today we travel south to visit Trinidad, CA. Founded in 1850 this is the oldest town on the northern California coast. Initially providing a vital link between the ships and gold miners, the town evolved as the gold rush was slowing and built several sawmills in order to survive. With it’s deep port, pier and abundant woodlands it seemed to be a natural progression. The town now offers two lighthouses, a few beaches, a museum, and the old; but still very active commercial fishing harbor.

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse

Dedicated in 1949, this little replica lighthouse was built as a memorial to those who have been lost and buried at sea. It also displays some of the original parts from the Trinidad Head Lighthouse donated by the Coast Guard in 1947 after they were upgraded/replaced.

Trinidad Harbor

Walking south-east from the Memorial Lighthouse we find the Harbor; which is very active with both recreational and commercial activities. Here we learn that Trinidad Pier is California’s northernmost oceanfront pier and supposedly sits on one of the most ruggedly beautiful stretches of coastline. Unfortunately, it’s completely fogged in (are you noticing a theme here?) and we’re only able to see a little of it.

We pop into the “famous” Seascape Restaurant right on the pier for brunch before heading up the hill to the Trinidad Head Lighthouse. We found the food to be good; but it wasn’t anything special given the price and the hype around this little restaurant.

Trinidad Head Lighthouse

Sitting at the edge of Trinidad Head, this little lighthouse began operation in 1871. In 1898 a fog bell was added for the many times when the light was not visible. The bell itself is the one that now sits in front of the Memorial Lighthouse; but the bell tower (now containing air horns) is still on the cliff face and is visible from the top of the lighthouse.

It should be noted that this lighthouse is only open and visible to the public one day per month for two hours. There is a viewing platform on the Trinidad Head Trail; but we know from recent reviews that it’s so overgrown that the lighthouse is no longer visible from there.

Trinidad Head Trail

After leaving the lighthouse we continue up the trail to the top of the head and around. We can confirm the lighthouse viewing platform is completely overgrown, so we’re really glad we were able to see the lighthouse when it was open.

Heading further south into California and a little inland we are looking forward to spending time amongst the redwoods.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Beginning in 1921 with a single grove of redwoods, this park has expanded over time to 53,000 acres of which about 17,000 are old-growth redwood groves. This makes it the largest expanse of ancient redwoods left on the planet. It is also home of the famed Avenue of the Giants.

Avenue of the Giants

The Avenue of the Giants is a 32 miles auto tour with eight (8) defined stops throughout the park.

Burlington Campground

We have five nights at Burlington Campground, right on the Avenue of the Giants, to explore this area and are very much looking forward to it. However, we begin to feel poorly the day we arrive.

This small campground, is quiet, provides incredible shade, and we can see amazing patterns of light as the tress gently sway in the wind. Which we spend many hours watching through the window above our bed as we slowly recover from our unexpected illness. If we had to get sick, we couldn’t have asked for a better place to be.

As you can see from the pictures above, some of the tree stumps here are so immense they dwarf our camper.

Gould Grove Nature Trail

After three days of hiding in our camper, so that we don’t get anyone else sick, we venture out for a short walk around the Gould Grove Nature Trail across the street.

It’s here we learn about “Burls”; which are the big knobby bulges on the redwoods we’ve been wondering about. These growths can weigh several hundred pounds and can grow over 100 feet (30 m) above the ground. We’ve also seen them at the base of the trees. Each burl hold hundreds of cloned dormant buds; which can sprout into new saplings if the tree is put under too much stress (fire, injury, or falling over).

Founders Grove

On our final day here, we finally feel healthy enough to leave the camper for a few hours and experience this famed scenic drive. Leaving the campground, we head north to Founders Grove for a short walk.

There are two crowning glories in this grove. The first is the Founders Tree and the second is the Dyerville Giant. The Dyerville Giant was recognized as a “Champion” Coast Redwood until it fell on March 24, 1991. It was 370 feet tall (~30 story building), 17 feet in diameter, 52 feet in circumference, and probably weighs over 1,000,000 pounds. It will lie here as a nurse log for approximately the next 400 years, slowly decaying and being absorbed back into the earth. In that time, it will become a host, home, and food source to over 4,000 kinds of plants and animals that will live on or in it.

This short little walk was very enjoyable; but it’s completely worn us out. So, we hop back in the truck, finish the drive and head back to the camper for a nap.

We really wish we could have explored this area more. There is so much to see and learn here; but we’re happy for what we were able to experience and even happier to be feeling better.

Next stop… Redwoods National and State Parks