Prairie Creek Visitor Center — Attraction in Crescent City

The Prairie Creek Visitor Center is a wonderful place to visit in the Redwoods National Forest steeped in history. The actual visitor center was built during the Great Depression by members of the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). The CCC was a work relief program that gave millions of young men employment on environmental projects during the Great Depression. The CCC helped to shape the modern national and state park systems we enjoy today.

The Prairie Creek Visitor Center contains a wealth of local information about the Redwoods National Park and its history. Additionally, there are books and merchandise available for purchase.

The Prairie Creek Visitor Center has plenty of free parking, well maintained restrooms nearby, picnic tables, and benches so you can sit and watch the wild elk herds in the nearby fields. It also is the crossroads and starting location of several short and easy hiking/waking trails or a day hike so that you can get out and see the beautiful redwoods in the natural environment.

There is also an adjacent campground.

Do yourself a favor and give Prairie Creek Visitor Center a try.

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So many great hikes can be done from here. The James Irvine trail is 5.5 miles out to Fern Canyon, which is a good alternative if you are unable to get a permit for the Fern Canyon parking area. Karl Knapp Trail is another fantastic trail, as it takes you to many of the named "big trees" in the area. Also, elk viewing can be had here, they are usually active in the large meadow in the early morning hours. Signage along many of the trails could be better, there is usually a large sign near the parking areas and pullouts along the Newton Drury Parkway, but once you get off onto the trails, signs can be hit or miss. Having a trail app or maps would be helpful, it's hard to rely on trail signs. Plenty of parking, no need to worry about getting there early, but later in the day it might be mostly along the road further from the Visitor Center. A great starting point to see what these Redwood Parks...

I nice place to stop for information on the Redwood Parks with a number of hiking trails from the visitor center.

The trails will take you to the Elk Creek Campground, the Big Tree, Fern Canyon that requires a permit, and one designed for the visually impaired (Revelation Trail)

The visitor center was built by the CCC during the Great Depression and has a nice stone fireplace.

The visitor center has a few exhibits on the Redwoods, the local Yurok tribe, and on the CCC camp in the area with a nice selection of books.

The Elk Creek Prairie is next to the center and is a place to see Elk at certain times of the day.

Located a short distance from the Newton Drury Parkway and Hwy 101 about six miles north of Orick.

A nice place to stop for information on hiking trails in the Redwoods with picnic tables, a bookstore,...