While on a road trip, I had dinner then walked around here. The reason I took 1 star off was…read morebecause of some trash and lots of dead crabs / crab shells on the beach. I did not go into the water, fish or sit around the bon fire, but I am sure those things are fun to do here. It was easy to find parking.

Years ago, long before Mrs. Picante del Monte and I tied the knot, we took the long drive north to…read moreJedediah Smith Redwoods outside of Crescent City, CA to camp and hike and cook over fire and do boyfriend & girlfriend kinda stuff. An outdoorsy gal to match my own granola-ish tendencies, she chatted up a couple of locals at the gas station about nice beaches in the area. An old gnarly hippie, who most likely spoke Boontling as his native tongue, told us about Enderts Beach on the south side of town, and off we went to seek our own insular Tahiti in the cool, perpetual overcast of extreme NorCal. We pulled off Hwy 101 and started down the long stretch of two lane highway, flanked by blackberry briars and wildflowers, to a nondescript turnout and a deer path heading out toward the dunes. Soon, we were walking through long-standing spider webs, as garter snakes skirted across our path, appearing and disappearing just as quickly in the thick green blanket of grass and blackberry vines. Along the way, we picked handfuls of the wild berries and popped them in our mouths, savoring the sweetness of the fruit, and the equally satisfying beauty and solitude of this place. Just a few yards from the trail, a black bear busied herself with her own berry gorging, seemingly oblivious to our passing. Truly, this was one of the most wild and untouched places we had ever been, and so close to the highway. The beach itself is wide and clean, heavily influenced by the tide and the relentless surf that pounds this part of the California coast into submission. Sand crabs, sand dollars, shorebirds, and--at high tide with the right bait-- red tailed surf perch are plentiful. An osprey hunting fish outside the surfline was a welcome sight, as was the occasional bear that would lumber along where the blackberries met the sand. Lots of driftwood, agates on the rock piles, and sea glass polished by the surf made beach combing productive. SoCal beaches can't even begin to compare to this level of natural beauty, even off the beaten path spots like Padaro, Blacks, and El Capitan. If you ever have the chance to enjoy a beach like Enderts or many other spots from Southern Oregon down along the Lost Coast of California, please take a moment to see nature as the Great Programmer intended it. It truly is a Thin Place-- a location where the distance between heaven and earth are significantly closer than average.

If you're coming from the Redwoods, this is a great beach to stop at on the way back. I stopped…read morehere after hiking Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park on the way back to Eureka. This beach is conveniently located along highway 101 and you can easily pull over and park with no hassle. It's not too far from the pier, but surprisingly, it wasn't overly crowded. The sand is soft on your feet and it appeared to be very clean. It's definitely a locals' beach. I spotted lots of dogs and children running around. The tides are pretty low here and people were swimming and surfing. What I really liked about this beach was that the wind wasn't too strong. I came here in the early evening during the late summer and the weather was perfect. I tend to get cold easily, especially since Bay Area beaches are always freezing cold during all seasons of the year. But, South Beach was great! The weather on the North Coast is so different from where I live. It's not the prettiest beach that I've ever seen, but it's still a convenient place to stop along the Redwood Highway.

Excellent views of the ocean beach and you'll see some amazingly rocks in my opinion lol....read more

South of Crescent City, CA-- which is probably the last "city" you'll come to heading north on US…read more101 (before you're in Oregon, anyway)-- is Crescent Beach. A vast expanse of sandy beach stretching for a couple of miles south of town, the beach is a beachcombers paradise: never crowded, heavily influenced by tide and wave conditions, and littered with driftwood, sand dollars, shells, and even a few occasional surprises like floats and sea glass. The farther south you venture, the more "wild" the beach becomes-- if you drive a bit south of town on Enderts Beach Rd. and access the beach through one of the little deer trails down to the sand, you essentially have the place to yourself. We visited the area for Thanksgiving, and walked out on the beach around low tide to see what we could see. Quite literally, there was NO ONE else on the beach as far as we could see. Almost eerie, had it not been so beautiful. The sand dunes are flanked by a thick blackberry briar, and in season, you can pick all the juicy sweet berries you can eat. Best to watch out for the occasional black bear or deer doing the same thing. As a SoCal native, the idea of finding a beach so empty like this is indeed a special thing. The Redwood Coast holds a special place in my heart, and a place like Crescent Beach is just one example why. I first came here more than 20 years ago with my fiance, who had only said "yes" a couple days before on the banks of the Smith River when I had asked her. Your results may vary... but guaranteed if you're used to places like Huntington, Newport, or Santa Monica... Crescent Beach (like many stretches of sand along this stretch of coastline) will leave a lasting impact on your idea of what a beach can be.

The best of the best beaches by far. It's so nice and easy to get to and free parking and lots and…read morelots of sealife everywhere. We walk for miles and miles with soft sands and cold waves lapping on our feet washing away our stress and weariness. Air is fresh and cool. Breezy wind chills down the North Pacific Ocean but warm currents circling all the way from Hawaiian channels meet the northern cold seawater to make the best surf all around. You will see tons of surfers. Sand Dollars galore and deadwood heaven. You can pick up water petrified woods from just a few feet from the highway side parking lots and take them home with you. No one will say anything. For most of the people the priceless petrified woods are trash but for the serious woodwork artists, these can be precious.

Cute park right by the harbor! Very clean, fun wooden structure, and my kids got a kick out of the…read moretire swing. They also have a wheelchair accessible swing which is locked up, I hope it's easy to access for our friends who use wheelchairs!

The park grounds are well maintained and at the waters edge, being the north coast it's always cold…read morewater no matter the time of year. Be aware that there are no lifeguard stands, so you swim at your own risk, it is shallow and wading depth for several hundred feet depending on the tide, but still cold water in July. This park has a decent 18 hole disc golf course that runs along the ocean and up to the enter way to the lighthouse at battery point. It's a pretty challenging course with great scenery and we had a great time playing each time, though the winds can be an issue on some days. There's a playground as well for kids to enjoy. As well, Beach Front park is dog friendly, though I've not taken mine while on the golf course. A cool maintained park, with a decent disc course on the ocean - worth a visit and stop. 3.5 Stars - rounded up for the great views. 00463

To get to Damnation Creek Trail, you'll have to follow a short bit of the Coastal Trail (which…read morefollows the old Highway 101). It's a fun descent to the ocean, over some little bridges and through some high brush at times. Time your hike with the tides. If you reach the trail's end at low tide, you can scramble down the rocks to the rocky beach. There are succulents clinging to the rocky bluffs, wildflowers growing above the beach, and waves crashing on the seastacks. You can find tidepools with all kinds of sea life. Wear waterproof shoes. The hard part is the walk back. The hike is a dead end, and the first half is downhill. That means you'll be walking up hill (the hike begins/ends with a 1000-foot elevation) for the second leg of your hike, so pace yourself. But the views are well worth the effort. You can even cool off by walking a bit of the coastal trail when you're done. It covers part of the old highway, so it's flat and paved. In the spring there are some pretty wildflowers, too. One of my favorite hiking trails in the area.

Beautiful ending to a hike. By the time you get to the bottom (1000 ft) on the ocean, you just…read morewant to stay. However, the climb back will hit you. If you jump into the stream it refreshes you and gets you ready for the hike back up. Takes about 2 -3 hours on a decent pace. Make sure you head down. Don't make a left or right. You will see a sign that says 1.7 miles and dead end. Follow that one. Wear hiking shoes, it gets slippery. I wouldn't do it if it was raining. It can be dangerous.

It's one heck of a drive to get here, but it's so worth it…read more My husband has always wanted to go see the redwoods so I'm glad we were able to cross it off the list finally. It's magical to get to drive through and walkthrough the redwoods as it rained during our time here. I wish there was more I can say, but you're just going to have to plan a trip here and see it for yourself. We would happily plan a second trip back here.

I mean... wow. I went hiking here last weekend, and it honestly took my breath away…read more As a SoCal girl now living in NorCal, I've made it my mission to explore as much as I can around this beautiful state, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods completely stole my heart. These trees are absolutely massive, walking among them feels like stepping into another world. The light, the air, the silence... everything feels calm, ancient, and sacred. The trails are super well maintained, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of parking even though it was busy. The roads and trails are a bit narrow, but honestly, that just adds to the charm. The river that runs through the park is crystal-clear and peaceful a perfect little spot to stop and take it all in. Standing next to those giant redwoods makes you realize how tiny you are in the best possible way. It's humbling and magical at the same time If you're driving from Eureka toward Crescent City, the entire drive is breathtaking, every curve along the coast looks like a postcard. You'll even pass through Elk Valley, and oh my god, there are actual elks just hanging out by the side of the road! They're so beautiful and so used to seeing people; it felt like nature welcoming you in. If you love hiking, nature, or just want to feel grounded and amazed, this place is a must. California, you really outdid yourself with this one.

There are numerous trails to hike. Staff at stations will share a list of hikes and recommend…read more If don't want to hike can drive to each of the visitors centers to learn about the park too.

AMAZING PLACE TO VISIT!!…read more During my first visit to Crescent City I also got to experience my first visits to the Redwood National & State Park. Day 1 - Jedediah Smith State Park & Stout Memorial Grove, and Day 2 - Mill Creek Trails & Grove of Titans. Mill Creek Trails & Grove of Titans was the best experience of the the trip as he walked and hiked through through the Trails surrounded by the dense forest all around us. The entire area was a beautiful site as we got to experience all of the enormous Giant Redwoods all around us. And the Grove of Giants was an absolute sight to see. Overall: Definitely a must see when in the local area, to experience an amazingly preserved part of California's coast and forest beauty.

September 7-10, 2025, Crescent City, CA…read more Campground is open from May through September. It's been a few years since I've camped here, but this campground remains one of the most beautiful I have ever camped in. Most of the sites are spacious and private. No cell service at all, so plan accordingly. There are quite a few camp hosts, so if needed, someone is around to help should you need assistance. The maximum length for a motorhome is 28 feet. Our motorhome is 27 feet, and the kiosk staff questioned us on the length. But we were within the limit, thankfully. Our motorhome is tall, so we were very careful to watch for low-hanging limbs, which was an issue last time we camped here. We had no problem on this trip, though. Unfortunately, they were doing some heavy "forest restoration" while we were there. So from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm there were various loud noises which ruined the peace of the campground. I'm not sure when this restoration will be completed, but I would check and make sure that it is not going on during your stay if quiet is important to you. (Check out Redwoods Rising to learn more about this important project to restore areas damaged by historical logging.) Another issue to be aware of is that even though there are some trails within the park; they are not maintained. We hiked the Alder Basin trail, and had to avoid a broken board on a bridge, hike over some downed limbs, and accidentally took a "short-cut" trail down the hillside, which we didn't realize until we arrived at the bottom and saw the "actual" trail. Although we didn't need it this trip, we were happy to see that they had an RV dump station. Unhappy to see, though, that they were short staffed and didn't have staff to work the kiosk at the entry. So sad. Despite the noise during our stay, the rough trails, and the lack of staffing at the kiosk, this is the most beautiful campground. I cannot give it less than 5 stars.

September 7 -10, 2025 This is truly an awesome Redwood State…read morePark a short ways south of Crescent City, California. We've been to a few state parks that have redwoods, and yes, they're all awesome. Seeing those gigantic trees with all the lush ferns sometimes right on the ocean. The thing that struck me about this state park is it feels so remote,. It's tucked back onto the east side of Highway 101 and you have to drive down about 3 miles to the valley floor. There is absolutely no cell service when you get there. The campsites are spacious and again everything is amazingly lush with ferns, redwood trees, western Hemlock, and the like. They have some nice hiking trails and you can ride around on your bike if you like. Most of the trails don't allow dogs on them, and some of the trails are fairly steep and really not that well-maintained. They do have running water bathrooms with showers that take quarters.

Fantastic!! If you are in Crescent City and want to do some adventuring I'd highly recommend this…read moregroup! Adam, the owner, is great! And he brings his dog along. He gets everything arranged, gets you fitted with the right bike, and sends you out with a guide to get you through the forest on bikes. The guide we had today was Josh and he was very good! ( after biking he added his sweet dog, Annie, to the group for the rafting section!) along our biking he told us some fun facts about the Redwood Trees and some exotic plants! Our biking section of the day was GREAT! It is actually a perfect ride you start on pavement and then you end up on a gravel road with some uphills and some downhill but nothing super steep allowing you to take in the scenery. Can the forest be any more beautiful!! The trees are enormous!! Some have been burned, some struck by lighting, some both!! But they are still standing! After biking we drove to the Smith river where they laid out a great lunch! After lunch we geared up for river rafting down the Smith River, the only un-dammed river in California! It is spectacularly clear! Since we were here in June, the river was not super deep, but we did have some fun rapids and some really nice open spaces that were very mellow, allowing you to take in the scenery! For those more daring there is a stop where you can jump off rocks into the water. The rafting portion lasted about 2 to 3 hours. Our entire day started at 9:30 and we were done around 4 PM. I thought it was a fantastic way to spend the day! I highly recommend them.

Amazing trip with the most fabulous guides - knowledgeable and fun - what a wonderful family trip…read morethat I recommend you do with Redwood - great kayaking, great lunch, great guides - best experience in northern California! They even helped my hubbie with the bum arm! Go - do not wait!!!