Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
July 15, 2023
12.2 miles
Miner’s Ridge Trail to Gold Bluffs Beach
Fern Canyon to James Irvine Trail
The Miner’s Ridge Trail, Gold Bluffs Beach, Fern Canyon, James Irvine Trail Loop is definitely the highlight of the summer. Rolling terrain and gently-graded trail makes for an easy hike with the steepest climbing at the very beginning. Sunny Redwood forest gives way to Sitka spruce and Thimbleberry thickets before dumping us out at Gold Bluffs Beach. Hoards of tourists from all over the country zip by in their cars on the road to and from Fern Canyon. Gold Bluffs Beach sits in thick fog but it’s still a nice stop for lunch. Fern Canyon is dripping with water and crying kids. The handy seasonal bridges make it so you don’t even have to get your feet wet. The steep 50-foot canyon walls full of ferns are spectacular and it feels like they provide a window into prehistoric times! We climb out of the canyon and back into the sunny redwood forest listening to osprey and finding trees with a whole lot of attitude.
The 14,000-acre Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park was first established in the 1920’s and is part of Redwood National and State Parks. In 1980, the park was designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, with over 280 Save-the-Redwoods League memorial groves. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park includes 75 miles of hiking trails, bicycle trails, and backpacking opportunities.
Journey Return 