About
Length12 mi
ShapeLoop
DifficultyStrenuous
Elevation gain1,100 ft up
Typical time6 hr
TrailheadPrairie Creek Visitor Center
SurfaceForest trail, canyon creek bed, then beach
Best seasonWinter will be very rainy and windy with the possibilty of falling trees along the trail. Winter rains may flood Hope Creek and make crossing through Fern Canyon dangerous. Hikers' bridges in Fern...
DogsNot allowed
AccessibilityThis series of trails is not ADA accessible. Switchbacks with aggregate / wood surface. Elevation changes exceed 200 feet. Stream and steambed crossings with flowing water. Service animals are welcome.
What you'll see 💧 Waterfall🌄 Big views🌊 River or creek🌲 Old growth

All Day Hike Through Redwoods to the Ocean and Back A favorite and convenient series of trails for those ready and able to spend the whole day hiking. Hikers will follow creeks, see different kinds of forests and be rewarded by finding the Pacific Ocean. This 12-mile (19 km) loop starts and ends adjacent to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center - all hikers should pick up a hiking map for these trails from any park visitor center . The first section of the 4.5 mile (7.2 km) James Irvine Trail will be in old-growth redwood forests before entering the spruce forests of the coast. On the western (coastal) end of the James Irvine trail it connects briefly with the Friendship Ridge Trail, and then onto the Fern Canyon Loop Trail. This will lead hikers through the dripping walls and stream cobbles of Fern Canyon and finally onto Gold Bluffs Beach - this is the ultimate turn around point. You can return back to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center on the same series of trails, or make a longer loop by heading 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south on Davison Road and taking the 4.1 mile (6.5 km) Miners Ridge trail back to the Praire Creek Visitor Center area. There is limited full-day parking near the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, but there is parking for any sized vehicle along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway .

Tips
Twelve miles taking in the finest forest, the fern canyon and a stretch of wild beach. Return on Miners Ridge or the Clintonia Trail. No permit needed if you walk in rather than drive to Fern Canyon.
Location

Prairie Creek Visitor Center

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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