Road Trip Along the Northern Coast of California

The Northern Coast in California is an area populated by dense forests and small towns. I had been wanting to check this part of California out for a long time and then had to postpone when the wildfires hit the area over the summer months. I had about a week to explore the area and meet up with an old friend. This was over the Thanksgiving holiday week, during the pandemic so adventures within the city area were a bit impossible with everything closed but the sections of beach and forest unaffected by fires is where I spent my time.

The small towns, such as, Eureka, Ferndale, and the little ones along the Avenue of Giants are all worth a stop into the small shops and local coffee places. Each town flashes by quickly as most are made up of only a few streets. San Fransisco is a classic city to hit along the coast, but the majority of my trip kept me in the northern section just outside the big city. With the pandemic the city was mostly a ghost town anyways and not very entertaining.

TRAILS/PLACES TO EXPLORE

Redwoods National and State Parks are all located north of San Fransisco by about an hour to hour and a half. This section of the forests is packed with redwood trees that are giants. The Redwood Park has a handful of hikes to hit, the Tall Tree Grove Trailhead being the most famous for all the redwoods packed in along the hike. This trail is very easy walking along a well maintained path. This trail is the most crowded due to the ease and number of redwoods.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail is my favorite one to hit. This trail sections off into other trails at the back end allowing you to explore further, but if you want to just do the loop around in the forest you will still enjoy the environment of lush forest. Walking through these forests are unreal because of how silent it is. If you hike in silence or stop to stand and look around you, you will not hear anything. The silence is deafening, and is a very surreal feeling. Another beautiful aspect of walking in these forests is how the light in the morning hits the trees. It stays darker until the sun is high enough to hit the space between the higher parts of the trees.

The history behind the redwoods preservation is epic. Lady Bird Johnson along with many others is part of the reason we still have these forests and trees to enjoy. These environments are untouched and some of the most natural forests in how they grow, live, and die. The forest floor is covered in ferns everywhere, and the moss growing on the tress adds an other worldly feel when hiking these trails.

Redwood Creek Trail is another hike to stop at within this section of the Redwoods Parks. I pulled off here for lunch and then went on this hike to check out the trees by water. All the hikes in this section of forest are little to no elevation so they are very easy to just stroll along and enjoy nature without breaking a sweat.

I only had a day to spend in this area, but if you have the time to drive a little more North you can hit Trillium Fall Trailhead, and inside of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park you can hike Fern Canyon Trail. I skipped hitting Fern Canyon because part of the hike you walk through a shallow stream and with the November weather being already brisk I didn't want to risk slipping into freezing water. That hike seems more fun to me if you can walk in water shoes or sandals through the walls of ferns in the warmer months carefree.

I highly, highly recommend driving through the Avenue of Giants. This section of forest was my favorite experience where I got to be swallowed by these trees. The road has dozens of pull offs for you to stop and take pictures and explore. Some of the pullouts have information about the trees and forest, and others even have footpaths where you can easily get back into the forest and explore an area completely untouched.

I drove the road in the early morning when the light was still coming up and I got so absorbed in where I was. This place is honestly so magical and unreal that it exists. I drove the entire section of highway to get to my next destination instead of the other highway that a GPS would tell you to take. It added about 30 minutes to my trip but it allowed me to see and experience more.

Along the route of Avenue of Giants there will be a few stop offs when you can get closer to the coats and hike around on set trails or just run around the beach. I passed Mattole Beach, and Shelter Cover which has Black Sands Beach Trailhead. You can also hit Lost Cover south of these two options.

Tip: The roads are rough and a little tough to drive on even for my SUV. If it has been wet and rainy I would skip these because the roads are not well maintained.

My next stop was in Fort Bragg to hit Glass Beach. I will say from what I have seen in pictures to being there in person, it was a let down. The section of beach with glass is small and the waves crash in pretty high that there is not much walking room on the actual beach. There are glass pebbles everywhere mixed in with the rocks. It is very beautiful to see up close but not the experience I was hoping for. If you have the extra time definitely stop because the beach as a whole is beautiful and a good place to stop and relax.

There are a ton more places you can stop along the coast that I didn't hit or mention. I am more of a mountains and forest explorer so when I hit the coast I take time to appreciate and go wander but don't linger too long. My last stop along the coast before getting closer to San Fransisco was Russian Gulch State Park. I hit the North Trailhead after having lunch in the picnic area.

Often when I can find the right type of trail that doesn't have too much elevation change but also a good distance I will go trail running and that is what I did on the North Trail. The elevation to see the waterfall at the end is a little rough and muddy with some ledges being slippery, nonetheless it's a beautiful trek deep into the woods.

Point Reyes National Seashore is a great place for some coastal hikes out through trees that open up to the shoreline. Due to the wildfires most of this area was closed. I would recommend hitting this area and hopping on some of the trails.

Tip: Stop in the town Point Reyes Station to see some of its charm. I stopped for coffee at and to walk around before heading on.

At this point in my trip I met up with an old friend and we spent the next few days exploring the area just outside of San Fransisco. Bolinas Beach is a popular place to stop. The town is filled with a co-op, local shops and restaurants, and its a great beach for surfers. It is always packed and we met up here and walked around the area before leaving. There is a small 24/7 fruit and veggie stand just outside of town. I have never seen anything like this and thought it was amazing.

We headed to Palomarin Trailhead from the beach. This hike was so beautiful but very tricky. There is a short cut that helps you get down to the beach where there is a waterfall. We missed the short cut and ended up hiking down the side of a cliff (we survived no scratches or bruises!) and found the shortcut on the way back. The trailhead is about 8-10 miles round trip depending on if you find the shortcut or go all the way around.

This is us going off road and trying to get to the bottom before sunset. The trail does go all the way around if you do miss the shortcut like we did but we were not patient nor had the time. We were losing sun fast.

The hike takes you down to the water and from there you get to enjoy the ocean view as you make your way to the waterfall. Surviving our slippery slope, literally, made walking on the beach just before sunset perfect.

You can spot the flecks of green on the rock from a distance and the size of the waterfall is way bigger than expected. If runs off from the top into the ocean.

Tip: Now there is a shortcut to the left of the waterfall with a rope, which is how we headed back. If you are not a good climber or uncomfortable having to be agile and hold a rope, balance, and maneuver yourself around rock I suggest doing the longer hike and safely walk around.

Once we got to the top we were in shock and disbelief. First off I have never seen a waterfall that goes into the ocean over a cliffside but I had also never see a waterfall with green vegetation living onto of it and floating there. This hike is the top place I would say is worth stopping for.

There are a few more hike that we hit within the area but the last spot I will mention that I think is worth stopping for is Muir Woods. This requires either a national park pass or money for an entry fee to get in but this is a well preserved area of redwoods close to the city. The hikes are easy and you can decide whether or not you want to stay on the main path and do the loop or explore all the side trails.

CAMPING

The best part about taking a road trip along the coast is that there will be numerous pull offs along the way where if you need to make a last minute decision there will be somewhere to pull over. The small towns you will pass through will also be an opportunity to pull off somewhere. You will mostly go unnoticed and as long as you leave in the morning you should have no issue.

Redwoods National and State Parks more or less go unmonitored with the exception of rangers coming to check out the trailheads. There are some discreet spots to set up in a car, not tent if need be.

One of the nights I slept along the road Avenue of Giants. There are various pullouts you can choose from - some larger than others. I was able to find one that was big enough to pull off the road out of sight and not have headlights light me up.

Between Fort Bragg and Santa Rosa the coast line is mostly pull offs and some beach parking lots that you can pull into. They have the 8 hour traveler rule where you are allowed to sleep there but cannot permanently set up there. That rule is for campers and RVs I assume but these are good options if you are in a bind or if you want to wake up to a beautiful sunrise over the coast.

Point Reyes National Seashore is also an open wilderness where there are actually camp spots that can be rented if you wanted to have a fire and bathrooms at your disposal. I spent a few hours there exploring and from the looks of it, you could get away with pulling down towards one of the more secluded trailheads and camping for the night.

OAKLAND

The rest of my trip was spent in Oakland and spending some time exploring the area with my friend. Due to the pandemic there were less things to check out with the closures so most of our endeavors were in the woods.

Tip: Visiting Oakland and San Fransisco area can be fun but plan your days out strategically because it costs $6-8 dollars to cross bridge one way.

There are pockets of neighborhoods full of culture in Oakland and San Fransisco. The San Fran side has artsy districts with spray painted murals everywhere and great food of many ethnicities. The style and aesthetic of the homes are incredibly colorful and grand in design depending on the area you are in.

We spent one of the days bumming around the city and walking through the parks and neighborhoods. We didn't hit many of the typical tourist spots, partially because that is not our scene and also due to pandemic most of those types of places were closed.

Next time you're up North think about driving past the big red bridge and out of the city to check out some of the nature!