Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

UPDATE (July 14, 2020) - California State Parks continues to work with locals on a phased and regionally-driven approach to increase access to state park units where compliance with state and local public health ordinances can be achieved. Even though the department has increased access across the State Park System, the need for Californians to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the outdoors remains critical.

As such, State Parks continues to ask visitors to plan ahead, avoid road trips and stay close to home, maintain physical distancing, wear a face covering when a physical distance of six feet from others who are not from the immediate household members cannot be maintained, and avoid congregating. This means no gatherings, picnics or parties. Visitors are being asked to leave if there are too many people to allow for the required physical distance. Full details on the guidelines are available at parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.

Here are some guidelines for people visiting Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park:

What is open now?
  • Parking is now available.
  • Camping is now available at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. For more information about camping, visit www.parks.ca.gov/COVID19Camping. To make a reservation, visit www.ReserveCalifornia.com or call 800-444-7275. Walk-ins are allowed for unreserved sites.

What is currently closed at this park and throughout the State Park System?
Statewide:
  • Many campgrounds across the state remain closed until further notice. Some campgrounds have started to reopen with modifications. For more information, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/COVID19Camping.
  • High public-use indoor facilities, including museums and visitor centers.
  • Special events and tours continue to be canceled until further notice.

Are there any new visitor guidelines?
Yes, please see below:
  • Stay Local: Stay close to home. Walk or bike into the park. Parking is very limited. Do not take road trips to parks and beaches or to neighboring states.
  • Stay Active: Keep walking, jogging, hiking and biking. Watch for one-way trails.
  • Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park, beach or on trails to allow for the required physical distance.
  • Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash.
  • Stay Covered: The state now requires you to wear a face covering in most indoor settings and public outdoor spaces when you cannot maintain physical distancing of six feet or more from people outside of your immediate household. For details, please visit CDPH’s guidance here. Visitors should also abide by their local county health orders.

Thank you for your patience and continued support of California State Parks as we work to limit your risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the outdoors. For more information, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.

Phone Number

(707) 488-2039

Max. Trailer Lengths

Trailer: 24 Feet
Camper/Motorhome: 27 Feet

Park Hours

Open Year-Round

TRAILERS/MOTORHOMES Additional Info:
Gold Bluffs Beach & Davison Rd: No Trailers/Max motorhome 24'
Elk Prairie campground: Max trailer: 24'/Motor Home:27'

Dogs Allowed?

Yes
Except for service animals, dogs not allowed on trails.

Driving Directions to Prairie Creek Redwoods SP

The park is located 50 miles north of Eureka and 25 miles south of Crescent City on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway off of Highway 101.
The visitor center & Elk Prairie Campground are located at the southern end of the Parkway.
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground and Fern Canyon are accessed by Davison Road, which is, located 3 miles north of Orick off of Highway 101. 50 miles from Eureka and Crescent City.
Davison Road, the access road to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach, has vehicle limitations 8' wide and 24' long. No trailers are allowed.

View on Map

Camping and Lodging

Visitors will be able to reserve campsites and lodging six months in advance from the current date. Bookings may extend from the arrival date to the desired departure date – based on availability and the park’s maximum stay rules.
Firewood is currently not available in the park. Please purchase firewood locally.

Online Reservations

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Environmental Campsites
Family Campsites
Hike or Bike Campsites
Primitive Camping
Alternative Camping
RV Access
TRAIL USE
Hiking Trails
DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Fishing
Interpretive Exhibits
Windsurfing/Surfing
Family Programs
Geocaching
OTHER FACILITIES & VISITOR INFORMATION
Parking
Restrooms / Showers
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Wheelchair Accessible

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Enviromental Camp Road Closure

In the interest of public safety and resource protection the Gold Bluffs Beach Environmental Camp Road #104-C-5-05-4-001 located within Prairie Creek State Park will be closed to access and use from 6:00 am June 15, 2020 until November 30, 2020. This closure is necessary for public safety while restoration crews are operating.

Current Notices

  • Dogs are prohibited in Fern Canyon and on all trails within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Dogs are allowed on the beach, in campgrounds, in parking lots, and on roads within the park, but must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet at all times.
  • The Newton B Drury Parkway is closed to vehicles on the first Saturday of each month from October to April for Hike and Bike Day. The parkway closes on the evening before the event and reopens Sunday morning.
  • Elk Prairie and Gold Bluffs Beach are both dry campgrounds: meaning no electricity, water, or sewage connections for RVs.
  • No seasonal footbridges available over the creek in Fern Canyon.

Notice:
Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Jedediah-Smith Redwoods, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks are the only parks in the California State Parks system that accept the Federal Access Pass discount.

Fifty miles north of Eureka, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park protects sandy beaches and open meadows grazed by magnificent herds of Roosevelt elk. Ferns cascade down canyon walls. Lush stands of the world's tallest living tree species, the coast redwood, stand in primeval majesty.

Visitors can stay at either Elk Prairie or Gold Bluffs Beach campgrounds and explore the park via three scenic drives, 75 miles of hiking trails, and a 19-mile bike loop. Traverse self-guided nature trails, as well as the Revelation Trail (designed to emphasize the use of the five senses) and the Redwood Access Trail, (designed for people with physical limitations.) Many visitors take the gentle walk to Fern Canyon, which was used as a backdrop for the movie Jurassic Park. Most of the park is dedicated to the enjoyment and protection of coast redwoods and the luxuriant life around them.

Stately and bizarre giant redwoods (including "cathedrals" and "octopuses") are just a short walk from the visitor center. A World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, Prairie Creek and the three other parks in the Redwood National and State Parks group protect 45 percent of California's remaining old-growth redwoods.

Redwood proportion


Redwood National and State Parks
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, along with Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park. 

Gold Bluffs Beach and Elk Prairie Campgrounds are available for reservations at www.parks.ca.gov/prairiecreek or by phone at 1-800-444-7275.

Reservations are needed at Elk Prairie and Gold Bluff Beach Campgrounds year-round. Gold Bluffs Beach campground is cabover camper- or tent-only; no trailers of any kind are allowed on Davison Road.

Cabins
You don’t need a tent or an RV to enjoy the beautiful old growth redwoods! Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park offers you access to “get-away-from-it-all” rental cabins.

Four cabins, all of which are ADA accessible, are located within Elk Prairie Campground within Redwood National and State Parks.

  • Cabins have electricity; heaters and lights. No kitchen or bathroom.
  • Maximum occupancy is 6 persons. Each cabin has 2 bunk beds, each with a twin over a double in size, no mattress pads. Guest need to bring their own bedding. Space for a small tent outside to accommodate an additional 2 people max.
  • Cabin rate includes entry for one vehicle; additional vehicles will be charged $8 per night.
  • No Pets
  • No Smoking, cooking or open flame inside the cabins. Cabins each have an outdoor Barbecue, fire pit, bear box and picnic bench.

For more information on the cabins or to make a reservation go to www.reservecalifornia.com.
*Credit Card required for check in process.

Weather
Summer temperatures range from 40 to 75F, but are cooler along the coast. Morning and evening fog is common. Winter brings chillier 35 - 55F days. Prepare for rain from November to May.

Rules & Notifications
Miners Ridge and Ossagon backcountry camps are permanently closed. Davison E-Camp backcountry camp is currently closed due to service reductions 

  • Davison Road, the access road to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach, cannot accommodate vehicles more than 8' wide and 24' long. No trailers are allowed.
  • Don't feed wildlife, and keep your camp free of all traces of food.
  • Store food in an animal-proof food locker.
  • Place all your garbage in an animal-proof trash can.

This park is Crumb Clean. Visitors are required to watch this short video about the impact human food has on park wildlife.

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