Fern Canyon Loop Trailhead — Attraction in Crescent City

You already know you want to go. The questions you probably have is, when to go, how long does it take to get there and how bad is the road and stream crossings.

The drive from the Elk Meadows to the Gold Bluffs campsite (1 mile before the trailhead) took me about 30 minutes, that's taking my time as I was in a rented Mazda 3 which has less than 6 inches of ground clearance. I went in mid September and the road was fine absolutely fine for the vast majority, it only really is sort of bad at the very beginning and once you reach the beach section where you'll have a bunch of pot holes in a few sections.

There are at least 2 stream crossings which will vary in depth depending on recent rain fall. The FIRST stream crossing is the deepest that I found and it occurs just after the Gold Bluffs Campground location. Just look for where the Gold Bluffs road intersects with Squashan Creek. I'm fairly sure I could have made it but decided against trying. Any small SUV would have zero troubles even if it were twice as deep and I did see a Malibu at the Fern Canyon parking lot so it made it through. If you're wondering how far it is from Gold Bluffs to the Fern Canyon trailhead my tracker says it was just over 1.1 miles one way so be ready to tack on 2.2 miles of easy, flat walking on a dirt road if you play it safe.

Personally I didn't mind the extra distance and it only added a little over 30-40 minutes to the hike if I didn't keep looking for blackberries.

And if you show up before the ranger checkpoint station it wasn't a problem for me, I just drove past and parked (DESIGNATED LOCATIONS ONLY) and I wasn't bothered, but I would have your permit either printed out or available offline on your phone just in case they question you on the way out (they just let me go through and didn't check...

A very special hike where a permit will be required to get access from the beach side of the trail, which can be attained online. Additionally, there is a $12.00 vehicle fee at this location, which can be forgiven with an annual National Park pass. This part is a little confusing, because a California State Ranger will accept the payment if the kiosk is manned, and not by a National Park Ranger (if not manned, you are to drop the cash in a receptacle at the kiosk). The road to the parking area is windy and unpaved in sections with larger potholes. Expect to drive slowly and to add dirt and maybe some mud to your vehicles exterior. I would not recommend the use of cars that have been lowered. The hike itself is lush, and Elk can appear right in the middle of the hiking path. As usual on a hike, you should bring drinking water, but in this case, water shoes are also reccommended, because you will be walking in a creek with running water. There are some wood planks in the water to walk on, but you will most likely get wet none the less. Nothing too deep, but in some cases it could reach up to your ankle. There are a few muddy areas as well, and fallen trees that you will need to navigate. If you decide to only hike the creek portion of the trail, it might be around a mile or so in, but you can extend the hike by adding additional steps by traveling up the extended path towards the top...

Wonderful and unique hiking experience! Hiking along a wide and shallow creek with conglomerate canyon walls upwards of 25-30', wild ferns grow in abundance, which gives this incredible area its namesake. I would recommend some kind of waterproof footwear, even Crocs would suffice. It's almost impossible not to get wet, and besides, it's fun to just wander around not having to worry about getting wet. There are no deep spots, so no need to worry about small children, or deep water. The ferns do look a little more ragged in late fall and winter, but you can go any time of year to experience this magical place.

The ~1 mile loop trail goes along the creek and then back above the canyon, but we never do that, we'd much rather see the canyon twice! Also, if you don't get a permit, it is possible to hike in from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center, but the hike is over 10 miles round trip. We have done that, and prefer it, and it can be used as a backup plan if you don't have a permit for the regular parking lot.

Tip, if you walk beyond the upstream end of the creek where the stairs leads you out to the loop trail above, there are small side channels which are really cool to explore. These are almost slot canyons, much narrower, just as tall (or taller) and have just as many ferns. Also more cascades and falls, so it's a...