 |
|
|
|
|
|
Add your own trip Report!
One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others.
This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate!
|
Date: 2004-05-18 18:35:00.0
Difficulty:
Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl
Recommendation: Highly
We happened to stumble upon Elk Prairie and Gold Bluffs Beach somewhat by accident. What a luck mistake we made. We were there May 11th thru 12th. Gold Bluffs Beach is a Gem on the N. California coast, in our opinion. We were a little weary of the unpaved road leading to Gold Bluffs, but once we reached the campground we realized it was worth it. We were there early in the week which allowed us to be lucky enough to get a beach front site, I was worried because although the sun was shining there was a bit of wind. This campground cleaverly has a few sites with small "L" shaped wind breakers built of beach logs, it was a comfort we opted to decline as these are not beach front. Nonetheless, the sites are very nice and the beach is visible from everywhere in the campground (even the bathroom!). In the late afternoon, as the Ranger we spoke to predicted, the wind died to a breeze and was just enough to keep the bugs away. The sites are set relativly far enough apart to feel somewhat secluded, the roar from the ocean seems to help as well. While setting up camp that day another camper waved to us from their spot and pointed us to look out to the water as a gray whale was making his way up the coast, as if that wasn't enough, when the sun was setting a group of beautiful male elk wandered into the campground sporting furry antlers and grazing near the cliffs in the golden light. A great moment for pictures, of course. We enjoyed watching the birds doing acrobats in the ocean breeze and saw many different kinds of them, even our friend the one-legged crow! In the evening the campground would empty onto the beach for the sunset and this beach is so massive that you feel still somewhat isolated. All in all, we had one of the greatest camping experiences ever, if you like the idea of a quiet, secluded, ocean-front campsite, then Gold Bluffs Beach comes highly recommended. We hope to visit again many times hereafter.
|
Date: 2002-05-14 20:37:00.0
Difficulty: Easy
Number of People Encountered: 50+ ppl
Recommendation: Highly
I stayed in the Prairie Creek Campground for one night in August of 2000. There were elk wandering through the campground the whole time I was there. Cars stopped, people stopped, to watch. The elk families just ignored all of us and continued grazing, or walking through the campground. It was a unique experience. But then I drove to Gold Bluffs beach and spent the evening walking the beach. I only saw one other person there so only had to share the beach with a couple elk and some pelicans. I watched the sun go down on the beach and it is a very memorable, special evening. Fern Canyon is nearby and I visited it twice also - another unique, incredible experience that I highly recommend. Although the campground was full, the camping spots were far enough apart that I didn't feel as though I was in a crowded campground. I give this experience my highest recommendation, and I'm hard to please, so don't take it lightly!
|
|
North Coast State Parks and Beaches - The North Coast Region, stretches nearly 400 miles, from just north of San Francisco to the Oregon border. It is a land of rugged shoreline and pounding surf, of towering redwood forests and rushing rivers, of verdant hills and bountiful vineyards.
Redwood National Park - Redwood National Park lies on the northern coast of California. This forest of redwood trees with virgin groves of ancient trees, includes the world's tallest, which thrive in the foggy and temperate climate.
|
|
