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Fern Canyon Trail
This is a pleasant loop hike exploring beach, forest, and canyon habitats.
Plan Around Fern Canyon Trail
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Fern Canyon Trail Details
The Fern Canyon-Friendship Ridge-West Ridge loop is one of the park's most enjoyable hikes, offering solitude, quiet, and diversity of terrain. Start at the Fern Canyon Parking Lot and walk north along the Gold Bluffs Beach Trail, passing Fern Canyon and following the base of the bluffs before coming to Gold Dust Falls, a cascade surrounded by ferns and spruce trees. After spending some time in open coastal meadows, re-enter the forest and turn right onto the West Ridge Trail. You'll be traversing along an old railroad bed but will soon begin to ascend through redwoods, smaller at first and then larger in girth. At the intersection, with the Friendship Ridge Trail, turn right and follow to the James Irvine Trail. Turn right again to head into Fern Canyon, entering an otherworldly landscape of sheer rock walls painted with lacy ferns. Continue to follow the canyon until you are deposited on the same trail on which you began.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
8 miles
Estimated time
5 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Fern Canyon Trail
Compare nearby parks around Fern Canyon Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Fern Canyon Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Fern Canyon Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Fern Canyon
Fern Canyon, a narrow canyon with ferns growing on both walls, lies at the end of Davison Road.
0.2 mi away
Fern Canyon
A lush oasis inside of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, this canyon is marked by its vine and fern-covered cliffs, some of which stand nearly 50-feet tall.
1.2 mi away
Gold Bluff Beach
Gold Bluffs Beach has a picnic area, campground, and a secluded stretch of sand.
1.2 mi away
Gold Bluffs Beach
Gold Bluffs Beach has a picnic area and campground and is a perfect place to watch the sun set over the ocean.
1.2 mi away
Gold Bluffs Campground
Gold Bluffs Campground is the only park campground located along the coast.
