California Coastal Access Guide, Seventh Edition. California Coastal Commission
coast have been designated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. For maps and information about fishing restrictions, see: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mpa or call: 831-649-2870.
DATA AND INFORMATION SOURCES
California Coastal Commission
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California Spatial Information Library
U.S. Geological Survey
Protected open space data is from the California Protected Area Database (CPAD) provided by GreenInfo Network, 2013.
DEL NORTE COUNTY
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Crescent Beach to Lagoon Creek
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Del Norte County features 42 miles of ocean coastline, with broad sandy beaches, dunes, lakes, forest, and mountains. California’s largest rivers, after the Sacramento-San Joaquin system, reach the sea in Del Norte County.
Experience a wild and scenic river
The Smith River has never been dammed. It flows unimpeded from the mountains of the Coast Range through forests and across a broad coastal plain to the sea in northern Del Norte County. The clean waters and absence of dams has made the Smith River a significant fishing stream. The state’s record steelhead, weighing 27 pounds 4 ounces, was caught in the Smith River. King salmon also inhabit the river, and coastal cutthroat trout are taken during the summer. Kayaking on the Smith River is a popular activity.
Smith River County Park in northern Del Norte County
The Klamath River, somewhat larger than the Smith, is also a popular recreational resource. Fishing guide services are available at the town of Klamath, along with jet boat tours and river rafting excursions. The power of the Klamath was demonstrated by the disastrous flood of December 1964, which swept away the old townsite of Klamath, as well as the 1926 Douglas Memorial Bridge on Hwy. 101. Only the southern terminus of the bridge, on Klamath Beach Dr., remains. It serves as a lookout point, flanked by statues of two golden bears. Following the great flood, the “new town” of Klamath was established on higher ground east of Hwy. 101 and today is a small residential community and fishing resort, as well as home of the Yurok Tribe headquarters. The Yurok reservation extends 43 miles upstream from the river mouth, one mile on each side, although not all lands are under tribal control.
Go beachcombing
Del Norte County boasts miles of unspoiled beaches. Pelican State Beach and Tolowa Dunes State Park are wide, seemingly endless, and enhanced with driftwood and views of offshore rocks. South of Crescent City, much of the coast is steep, rugged, and forested. Remote cove beaches in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park are reachable by trail only.
Camp in the forest
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park offers family camping in a campground with amenities as well as more primitive sites for hike-in, bike-in, or equestrian use. Although camping in a redwood grove is available at a number of northern California sites, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park has an additional plus, the crystal clear Smith River. A lovely sand and cobble river beach is a stone’s throw from the state park campground. In and around Crescent City and at Klamath are numerous campgrounds and RV parks.
Visit a lighthouse
Del Norte County is home to two of California’s most dramatic lighthouses, both sited offshore. Crescent Lighthouse at Battery Point is relatively easy to get to, nevertheless. Tide permitting, the island can be reached by a short walk across the rocky beach and causeway. Built in 1856, the lighthouse is one of California’s earliest.
Crescent Lighthouse at Battery Point, offshore Crescent City
On a clear day, St. George Reef Lighthouse is visible offshore, some seven miles from Crescent City and four miles from the mainland. A visit to the St. George Reef Lighthouse, which has not been in service since 1975, is a more challenging adventure. A tour by helicopter is required; call: 707-464-7846. On St. George Reef, the lighthouse is perched on a rock barely larger than the light station itself. Its construction in its remote, wave-swept location required a tremendous effort following the wreck of the Brother Jonathan in 1865. In California’s worst maritime disaster, the Brother Jonathan struck uncharted rocks west of Crescent City and went down with the loss of 225 lives. Nineteen people reached shore in one of the lifeboats. In 1993 the sunken ship was found, and items from the ship were recovered; some may be seen at the Del Norte County Historical Society Museum at 577 H St. in Crescent City.
Other attractions
The Del Norte County Historical Society Museum has a splendid collection of Tolowa and Yurok Native American baskets along with other artifacts. Also on display is the first-order Fresnel lens that was once installed at the St. George Reef Lighthouse, as well as photographs from the aftermath of the 1964 tsunami that devastated Crescent City. Open 10 AM–4 PM, Mon.–Sat. from May to Sept. and fewer days during the winter; call: 707-464-3922.
Sixteen miles south of Crescent City along Hwy. 101 is a long-time roadside attraction, Trees of Mystery. The site is marked by a giant statue of Paul Bunyan with Babe the Blue Ox. Activities include gondola rides through the redwood forest canopy; call: 1-800-638-3389. Zipline rides through the redwood forest are available at a number of other locations in the county.
The annual Crescent City Triathlon includes a swim at Fred Endert Pool, a bike ride along the city’s shoreline, and a run around Beach Front Park, with adult and kids’ divisions; see: www.crescentcitytriathlon.com. Ocean World Aquarium, 304 S. Hwy. 101 in Crescent City, includes displays of undersea creatures, a touch tank, sea lion performances, and an opportunity to pet a live shark; call: 707-464-4900.
The community of Smith River is home to the Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery, which is open to visitors on weekdays, 9 AM–4 PM; for a current schedule of spawning activities, call: 707-487-3443. Smith River is also the center of Easter lily agriculture. Nearly all the nation’s Easter lily bulbs, grown for forced bloom in spring, are raised here. The bulbs bloom naturally in summer, and the town has an annual Easter in July festival. For information on area attractions, visit the Crescent City-Del Norte Chamber of Commerce at Front and K streets in Crescent City, open daily, 9 AM–5 PM (weekdays only during winter), or call: 707-464-3174.
Smith River near campground in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Del Norte County
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