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The Redwood Coast
CAMPGROUNDS:
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Dry
Lagoon
Humboldt Lagoons State Park
| Elevation:
0' |
Scenic
Rating: 5 |
Cleanliness:
4 |
Crowding:
3 |
Sites: 6 |
| Open
All Year |
Composting
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
No
Water |
$12.00 |
| No
Garbage Facilities |
No
Showers |
No
Reservations |
Low
Bug Factor |
No
Host |
| Description:
Dry
Lagoon campground is a small walk-in campground between
Patrick's Point and Redwood National Park. It is a
beautiful camp set in a dense forest on a hill overlooking the
Pacific (wonderful sunsets). There is an open meadow
(dry lagoon) to the north. The six camp sites are well
spread out on a forested hillside along a path. The top
entrance is the camping parking area, the bottom entrance is
the day use area. There is one composting toilet at the
top and another near the day use area at the bottom.
Sites #1 and #2 have ocean views, others may have a filtered
view, but all have spectacular views of the forest. Most
sites get little to no sunlight, so it can be a little chilly
even in summer.
The camp
is hardly used except as an overflow from Patrick's Point on
really busy weekends. Most people aren't willing to walk
to campsites, which is just fine to me. This place
really feels deserted. When the day users leave, you
have the place all to yourself.
The
gate into the campground is locked and you must pay at the
Patrick's Point campground to get the combination to get
in. I suggest you do this before coming to camp because
someone may pay for your site before you get to Patrick's
Point (which happened to us) and you'll be SOL. Reviewed
09/1999.
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Elk Prairie
Prairie Creek Redwoods
State Park/Redwood National Park
| Elevation:
100' |
Scenic
Rating: 4 |
Cleanliness:
4 |
Crowding:
5 |
Sites:
79 |
| Open
All Year |
Flush
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
Piped
Water |
$16.00 |
| Garbage
Facilities |
Hot
Showers |
Reservations |
Low
Bug Factor |
Host
& Ranger Sta. |
| Description:
Under construction. Reviewed 09/1998.
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Flint
Ridge
Redwood
National Park
| Elevation:
100' |
Scenic
Rating: 4 |
Cleanliness:
3 |
Crowding:
2 |
Sites:
10 |
| Open
All Year |
Composting
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
Piped
Water |
No
Fee |
| Garbage
Facilities |
No
Showers |
No
Reservations |
Avg
Bug Factor |
No
Host |
| Description:
Under construction. Reviewed 09/1998.
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Gold Bluffs Beach
Prairie Creek Redwoods State
Park/Redwood National Park
| Elevation:
0' |
Scenic
Rating: 5 |
Cleanliness:
3 |
Crowding:
4 |
Sites:
26 |
| Open
All Year |
Flush
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
Piped
Water |
$16.00 |
| Garbage
Facilities |
Solar
Showers |
No
Reservations |
Low
Bug Factor |
No
Host |
| Description:
This
camp is set along the Pacific in rolling sand dunes. It
is quintessential beach camping. The campground is
spread out into one oblong loop with a central bathroom
cluster with flush toilets. Solar showers are found on
the ocean side of the building. Solar showers use the
sun to heat the water, so if there is no sun available for a
good time before you shower, the water may be quite
cool.
The
sites are out in the open wedged between Pacific Ocean and a
redwood shrouded escarpment (bluff). You're exposed to
all the elements, wind, rain and fog. A few sites have
wind shelters, all have bear lockers. A fair percentage
of sites have beach frontage, but these are the most
exposed. There is a hike 1/8 mile north into the forest
(Miner's Ridge Trail). It is quite pretty and gives you
a fair introspect of the Redwood Ecosystem. Better hikes
are a few miles north at Fern Canyon. Even if you're not a
hiker, don't miss Fern Canyon. It's a spectacular sight
and an easy walk. If this camp is full, try the Miner's
Ridge Camp, a short hike up the trail (see description).
Reviewed 09/1999.
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Miner's Ridge
Prairie Creek Redwoods State
Park/Redwood National Park
| Elevation:
50' |
Scenic
Rating: 5 |
Cleanliness:
3 |
Crowding:
3 |
Sites:
3 |
| Open
All Year |
Composting
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
Piped
Water |
No
Fee |
| No
Garbage Facilities |
Solar
Showers Nearby |
No
Reservations |
Avg
Bug Factor |
No
Host |
| Description:
This
camp isn't in any guide I've seen or on the Redwood Park Maps,
so I didn't even knew it existed. I stumbled across it
on a morning constitutional from our campsite at Gold
Bluffs Beach. It
is located on a bluff overlooking the other campground. The entrance is about 250' up the Miner's
Ridge Trail from the parking area. There is one
composting toilet and water spigot at the entrance.
Miner's Ridge Camp is not used much except by backpackers
heading into the forest. The campsites are spread among
the semi-dense forest. The front two are on the bluff
edge overlooking the beach and the ocean. The back one
is on a bluff overlooking a forested creek. All are
pretty, but I'd imagine the ocean view ones go first.
The back one does give more privacy. Like stated
earlier, this camp is best utilized by hikers but could be
used as an overflow for Gold Bluffs Beach. The walk in
isn't good for most car campers (I wouldn't want to drag an
ice chest up here). Reviewed 09/1999.
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Patrick's Point
Patrick's Point State Park
| Elevation:
0' |
Scenic
Rating: 5 |
Cleanliness:
4 |
Crowding:
5 |
Sites:
124 |
| Open
Year Round |
Flush
Toilets |
Fire
Pits w/ Grills |
Piped
Water |
$16.00 |
| Garbage
Facilities |
Hot
Showers |
Reservations |
Avg
Bug Factor |
Host |
| Description:
This is arguably the most popular campground in the state
of California. I would never recommend anyone coming
here without a reservation. This place is so busy, and
with good reason. It is gorgeous. The campground
has clean, very well maintained facilities. It is
surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides. The
campground is huge and facilities are scattered
throughout. Campsites are very private with dense forest
and ground foliage (not to mention chronic fog in
summer). I saw deer toward the back along the
coast. There is a lot of shoreline fronting the
park. Did I mention this place was gorgeous? There
are some walking trails in the park (wouldn't really call them
hikes). Reviewed 09/1998.
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