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Crescent City
Crescent City is on the Pacific Coast Highway in northern California and noted for its crescent-shaped beach, Ocean World sea park, and nearby redwoods and state parks.
Crescent City
The Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 101, becomes the main street that runs right through Crescent City. Although it is incorporated as a city it's more small town in size, with a population under 10,000. It's in northern California, about a 20-minute drive south of the Oregon border.
If you enjoy beaches it's well worth a stop on your PCH drive. In fact the town would make a good place for a stop of one or two nights, as there's plenty to do in the area including visiting redwood forests and hiking in the nearby state parks.
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Crescent City Beaches
Crescent City gets its name from the large crescent-shaped sandy beach just to the south of town, and called South Beach. It's immediately south of the harbor where the Pacific Coast Highway starts to get into town (or starts to leave town if you're driving north-south). You can rent surfboards and paddleboards here.
Crescent Beach is a couple of miles further south from South Beach, and then there's Enderts Beach a mile south of that. Both of these have tide pools for kids to explore, and there are plenty of parking spots and some picnic tables, if you want to stop and have something to eat.
If you want a good hike then you can join the California Coastal Trail at Enderts Beach and in six miles you'll reach Damnation Creek Trail Beach. This is a rocky and remote beach, but a great spot for some dramatic photos.
Harbor Wall in Crescent City
What to Do in Crescent City
In the town itself there's a large harbor which has its own colony of seals. There are also plenty of eating places around the harbor, and the town, though small, has lots of places to stay..
Ocean World
On the west side of Highway 101 near the harbor, and marked by two huge statues of sea lions, is Ocean World. It's open seven days a week though as most of their attractions depend on sunlight it closes at dusk.
Starfish at Ocean World
You
take a 45-minute guided tour and will learn a lot about the creatures you'll
see as you drive along the California coast, and some you probably won't see -
at Ocean World you get to pet a shark. Seals, sea lions, and stingrays are
amongst the other attractions, in the tanks that contain over half a million
gallons of water. Website.
Point St George
If you drive north out of town along the coast road, in a few minutes you'll reach Point St George. There's a large parking area where the road ends and you can get out and stretch your legs here. There are dramatic cliffs and offshore rocks, and trails allow you to explore some of the beaches in this remote spot.
Around Crescent City
Crescent City does make a good base for a few days of exploration. The various Redwood National and State Parks are all within easy reach and these include:
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
A few miles south of Crescent City, the Pacific Coast
Highway runs right through the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. This covers
an area of over 31,000 acres and includes several miles of coastline as well as
hiking trails and of course groves of redwood trees. Website.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
This is a few miles north and east of the town center, and
there are plenty of redwood groves to walk in and admire. If you only have time
for one, make it the Stout Memorial Grove, and there are also 18 miles (29 km) of
hiking trails in the park's 10,000 acres.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
It's named after the explorer Jedediah Smith, who was the first American to travel by land from the Mississippi River to reach the California coast, a feat he achieved in 1826 and which included him passing through what eventually became this state park. Website.
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
The Cathedral Tree in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
A short drive south from Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
and Highway 101 winds through the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. You can
then head off the main highway onto the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, a
lovely drive through the magnificent redwood trees.
Fern Canyon
There are also lots of hikes to choose from, one of the most popular being along Fern Canyon. The huge ferns that line the trail make you think you've entered Lord of the Rings territory, though in fact the canyon has appeared not in The Lord of the Rings but in both Jurassic Park II and Return of the Jedi. You should also make time to visit Elk Prairie, which is home to a herd of Roosevelt elk. Website.
Roosevelt Elk
Redwood National Park
The main Redwood National Park is to the south of these
various state parks, though it's hard to know where the exact boundaries are.
You can read more about this on our National Parks page.
Redwood National Park
Crescent City Climate
Crescent City has a Mediterranean climate, making it a good place to visit all year round. There's very little rain in the summer months, though it's obviously cooler than southern California and average summer temperatures are in the 50s or 60s, though it can get into the 90s in a good summer. Winters see most of the rain, with occasional light snow flurries.
Where to Stay in Crescent City
Other California Coast pages
Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.
Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
Newport Beach is a small city on the Pacific coast of southern California, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and noted for its beaches and surfing.
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
There are lots of free things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway and here's our list of ten of them including wildlife, the best free views, and free museums.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to the most scenic spots on the Pacific Coast Highway in California with Big Sur, Bixby Bridge and Pfeiffer Beach.
The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.
There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.
Malibu is a beach city north of Los Angeles famous for the celebrities who live there in expensive homes and the Pacific Coast Highway runs through it and there are beaches and hikes for all to enjoy.
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.
Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
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