California Coastal Access Guide, Seventh Edition. California Coastal Commission
Dr. and 9th St., Crescent City. Grassy park inland of Pebble Beach Dr. includes a playground and baseball and basketball facilities, as well as a memorial to those lost at sea in the 1865 shipwreck of the steamer Brother Jonathan. On the seaward side of Pebble Beach Dr. is a vista point with picnic tables and bench.
▪ Del Norte County Historical Society Museum at 577 H St. in Crescent City displays items recovered from the wreck of the Brother Jonathan
ACCESSWAYS AT THE ENDS OF 3RD, 5TH, AND 6TH STREETS: W. ends of 3rd, 5th, and 6th streets, Crescent City. Rocky beach can be reached by paths or stairways. There is parking at 3rd and 5th streets; no facilities.
PATH AT OCEANFRONT LODGE: Front and A streets, Crescent City. A short public path leads around the seaward side of the hotel to a narrow driftwood-strewn beach.
▪ Fine views of offshore rocks
▪ Excellent spot for taking sunset photos of Crescent Lighthouse at Battery Point
Del Norte County
Crescent City Harbor
CRESCENT LIGHTHOUSE AT BATTERY POINT: S. end of A St., Crescent City. The lighthouse is perched about 200 yards from shore and can be reached on foot only via a causeway at low tide. Open at 10 AM, tide permitting, daily from April–September and weekends from October–March; for specific tour hours, call: 707-464-3089. On a clear day, St. George Reef Lighthouse is visible some seven miles offshore. Picnic tables and rest-rooms at Battery Point Vista Area at foot of A Street.
NORTH COAST MARINE MAMMAL CENTER: 424 Howe Dr., Beach Front Park, Crescent City. Rescue and rehabilitation service for injured, orphaned, or sick marine mammals; gift shop. Call: 707-465-6265.
▪ When present for rehabilitation, harbor seals or sea lions may be viewed
B STREET PIER: Foot of B Street. Public fishing pier is 900 feet long. Parking and rest-rooms at the foot of A Street.
BEACH FRONT PARK: Between Front St. and Howe Dr., Crescent City. Sports fields, picnic areas, and huge lawns. Along Howe Dr. is a linear park along a sandy beach, incorporating the Crescent City Coastal Trail.
▪ Fred Endert indoor swimming pool with water slide at 1000 Play St.; fee charged
▪ Huge Kid Town play structure on Play Street
REDWOOD NATIONAL & STATE PARKS INFORMATION CENTER: 1111 2nd St., Crescent City. Maps, guidebooks, and information about Redwood National Park and area state parks. Open daily, 9 AM–5 PM, with shorter hours during winter; closed major holidays. Call: 707-465-7306.
CRESCENT CITY COASTAL TRAIL: Shoreline from Point St. George to Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City. Six-mile-long multi-use path extends the length of Crescent City. Good place to start is at parking area on Sunset Circle next to the Shoreline Campground entrance.
▪ Shoreline Campground has 189 RV/trailer campsites with hookups and also tent sites; call: 707-464-2473
▪ Elk Creek Nature Trail starts nearby, inland of Hwy. 101 at east end of 2nd Street
CRESCENT CITY HARBOR: W. of Hwy. 101 and Citizens Dock Rd., Crescent City. Both a working and a recreational harbor, Crescent City Harbor includes fishing facilities, marine services, boat repair services, boat hoist, fuel dock, ice, and a Coast Guard station. Fee applies for some services. Harbor District office is on Citizens Dock Rd.; call: 707-464-6174.
Off Anchor Way are a public two-lane boat ramp and access to Whaler Island, with panoramic views. A variety of visitor attractions are at the harbor.
▪ South Beach Outfitters has surfboards, kites, and rentals
▪ Charter boat fishing for salmon and rock cod on the Tally Ho II; call: 707-464-1236
▪ Bayside RV Park (707-464-9482) and Harbor RV Anchorage (707-464-1724) are within the harbor
Del Norte County
Crescent Beach to Lagoon Creek
CRESCENT BEACH: W. of Hwy. 101, 1 mi. S. of Crescent City. Very long, flat sandy beach. The end closest to Crescent City Harbor is a well-known surf break. Road-side parking.
CRESCENT BEACH PICNIC AREA: Enderts Beach Rd., .5 mi. S. of Hwy. 101. Picnic tables and barbecue pits set in a grassy area. Another picnic area is at the Crescent Beach Overlook at the south end of Enderts Beach Road.
▪ Crescent Beach Picnic Area and Crescent Beach Overlook are linked by a two-mile trail
▪ Last Chance Trail, part of the Coastal Trail, continues south from Crescent Beach Overlook
NICKEL CREEK CAMPGROUND: .5 mi. S. of end of Enderts Beach Road. Five primitive campsites overlook Enderts Beach; picnic tables, barbecue grills, and bear lockers. Stream water must be purified for drinking. Call: 707-465-7335.
ENDERTS BEACH: .5 mi. S. of end of Enderts Beach Rd., S. of Crescent City. Beach accessible via a somewhat steep trail from the end of Enderts Beach Road. Restrooms are at Nickel Creek Campground. Call: 707-465-7335.
MILL CREEK CAMPGROUND: 2.5 mi. E. of Hwy. 101, 7 mi. S. of Crescent City. There are 143 summer-only campsites. Hot showers. Trailers limited to 27 feet and RVs limited to 31 feet; RV dump station available. No hookups. Part of Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. For campground information, call: 707-465-7335; for reservations, call: 1-800-444-7275.
▪ Campfire center
▪ Junior ranger programs
▪ Guided walks
▪ Hike or bike campsites (no reservations)
DEL NORTE COAST REDWOODS STATE PARK: E. and W. of Hwy. 101, 7 mi. S. of Crescent City. One of California’s largest state parks, with eight miles of wild shoreline, much of it accessible only by trails, and 25,000 acres in the Mill Creek watershed. Atypical of California’s coastal forest, the redwood trees here grow virtually down to the sea’s edge. Call: 707-465-7335.
▪ Damnation Creek Trail starts on west side of Hwy. 101 at mile marker 16 and takes a challenging course through old-growth redwoods
▪ Mill Creek day use area, east side of Hwy. 101, two miles south of Crescent City
WILSON CREEK BEACH: W. of Hwy. 101, 5.5 mi. N. of Klamath. Entrance to the parking area is off Hwy. 101, 50 yards south of Wilson Creek Bridge. On the beach are tidepools and abundant driftwood. At the south end of the beach the Yurok Loop Trail leads south to Lagoon Creek. Across Hwy. 101 from Wilson Creek Beach, the old Redwood National Park Hostel is closed, but a trail leads inland three miles to the DeMartin campsites; obtain required backcountry camping permit from any Redwood National Park visitor center.
LAGOON CREEK: W. of Hwy. 101, 5 mi. N. of Klamath. Freshwater lagoon, with picnic areas and trail access.
▪ Coastal Trail leads south four miles to the Klamath Overlook