Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has to be one of the top highlights on our visit through Redwoods National and State Parks. It’s definitely worth all the hype and all the work that it takes just to get to the Fern Canyon loop trailhead. This place looks straight out of the Jurassic Park era. In fact, Fern Canyon was actually used as a film location for Jurassic Park 2. Fern Canyon Trail is a hidden paradise consisting of towering walls covered in luxuriant ferns and mosses, small dripping waterfalls, river crossing, and a beautiful dense forest.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come
Stats
Where
Fern Canyon Trailhead
41°24’03.5″N 124°03’55.2″W
Parking
Decent size gravel lot.
Restroom
Vault toilets in the parking area.
Fee
$8 for a regular vehicle. California State and federal entrance passes are honored at this kiosk. Credit cards are not accepted.
Important Things
- After rains, hikes into the canyon can be limited. Call 707-488-2039 for detailed info.
- Motorhomes and trailers are not allowed on this road. High clearance vehicles also are recommended.
Distance
1.1 mile lollipop loop
Elevation Gain
150ft
Level
Easy, although there might be stream crossing and climbing over log jams.
Time:
1-2 hours
Pet-friendly
Pets are now allowed here.
Ideal Time
Early Fall is less crowded but still has good weather. If you go in the summer, go early. Winter and early Spring might have rain, which make this place dangerous to be in.
Weather
Video
Getting There
Fern Canyon Loop trailhead is located near Gold Bluff Beach Campground. This trail can get very busy, especially during the summer. If it’s too busy, occasionally, the park rangers will limit cars going on Davidson Road.
- From Highway 101, turn onto Davidson Road, about 2 miles north of Orick.
- Follow Davidson Road through Elk Meadow. This road eventually turns into a dirt road. Please note that this part of Davidson Road is windy and rough. Motorhomes and trailers are not allowed on this road. High clearance vehicles also are recommended since there are at least 2 stream crossings along with potholes. We’ve seen regular cars at the parking lot but we don’t recommend it.
- After about 6 miles on this scenic drive, you’ll reach the Gold Bluffs Beach Kiosk where you pay your day-use fee.
- Follow the road for another 3 miles until you reach the parking lot at the end. There will be several stream crossings along these 3 miles.
- The trailhead for the Fern Canyon Loop trail starts at the parking lot.
The Adventure
To the Start of the Actual Fern Canyon
We arrived at the parking lot for Fern Canyon in the late afternoon. As soon as we pulled into our parking spot, we noticed a herd of the Roosevelt Elk, peacefully grazing next to the parking lot. It was super cool since Dustin had been wanting to see them. Please note that these Elks are wild animals. As adorable as they are, please make sure to keep your distance and don’t approach them. If you need more tips on how to be safe around these majestic animals, please check out the park’s website.
After spending some time admiring the Elks, we started on our adventure toward Fern Canyon. The trail is well-defined for the first ¼ miles until you reach the start of the actual canyon. It winds through a green forest before reaching a stream crossing. There is a wooden board serving as a footbridge to cross over. On the other side, there is a small directional signage. This is where the Fern Canyon Loop starts. If you go right, following the running stream, you’ll get to the infamous Fern Canyon. If you cross the stream to the trail on the other side, it traverses through the dense forest above the ridgeline and descent to loop back down through the canyon.
Fern Canyon
We follow the stream to go through the canyon first. Along the way, there are many stream crossings. Usually, from June through September, there are wooden footbridges installed throughout Fern Canyon to help you cross the stream. However, in the winter, these footbridges might get washed away from the floods. Also, the conditions of the canyon can change due to winter floods. This means there might be a lot of climbing through log jams.
The scenery is already breathtaking from the start. However, as we go in further, this place got even more beautiful. It was surreal seeing walls of leafy ferns towering over the trail, turning into hanging gardens. There are miniature waterfalls trickled down the rock faces. Everything was covered in mossy green. The deeper we went, the taller and tighter the fern walls grow. At every curve, every turn is another must-take photo. Since we went later in the day, toward the end of the Fall, the trail wasn’t busy at all. Most of the time, we were the only people on the trail. This makes the experience much more immersive and magical. We really felt like we were transported to another world.
The Way Up
At the end of the canyon, the trail curves left to go up a mossy staircase. We followed this trail to climb out of the canyon. There were a few sets of stairs along the way. Once reaching the top, turn left to go back to the start of the loop. This section of the Fern Canyon loop winds through a dense forest before descending back to the first stream crossing at the start of the canyon. From here, follow the main trail back to the parking lot.
Fern Canyon is one of our personal favorite places here along Northern California’s coastline. It is a must-do and worth every minute of your time. If you’re spending more time on the Redwood National and State Parks area, don’t forget to check out Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach, a beautiful coastal trail; Lady Bird Johnson Grove, an easy trail to see the redwoods or Tall Trees Grove, a remote yet magnificent redwood hike.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
Bring waterproof shoes with lots of traction. We love these hiking shoes because of their traction, as well as how fast it drains water. Lots of traction. Vy’s version.
Dustin’s version for La Sportiva shoes
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
- You might get wet, so an extra pair of shoes or socks will be a good idea.
- Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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